ON THE LAND

Southland Times, Issue 20201, 11 June 1927, Page 7

ON THE LAND

WORK OF THE WEEK

GOOD CONDITIONS PREVAIL OPERATIONS PROGRESS SATISFACTORILY Conditions have been favourable for farm work during the week and good progress has been made in the several avenues of effort open to the farmer at this period of the year. Cultivation and top-dressing have formed the chief work. MISCELLANEOUS. Ploughing of lea lands generally has been vigorously pursued during the week and a fair area of ground has been turned over. The frosts have not been so keen over the last few mornings and on the whole the land has been in fairly good working condition. This work should be pushed on with all possible speed now so that the utmost benefit can be gained from the frosty weather. Top-dressing proceeds apace and all shipments of basic slag have passed into farmers’ hands. Grain continues to reach merchants, and threshing is still a feature of the work on some farms. Oats to hand lately have been mostly of B grade and under grade quality. Wheat also has been coming in and one line in particular, 400 bags, has been of excellent milling quality. The owner of this line has still some threshing to do and estimates that he will have from 800 to 1000 more bags when the mill has completed its work.

DAIRYING. Some of the largest factories in the province are still running a few vats, while on some farms twice a day milking is still in vogue, but gradually diminishing returns foreshadows the near approach of the closing down date. The end of the month should see practically all cows out for the winter vacation. In past years a popular practice with dairy farmers was to turn their herds out on breaks of turnips to fend for themselves but of more recent times a little more consideration has been shown in the direction of saving hay with which to supplement the turnip ration. This year more hay stacks than ever are to be seen dotted around the country and as a consequence dairy stock should have a much better chance of being done well. A cow running on swedes or turnips will consume and destroy 80 lbs to 100 lbs a day, whereas she would do far better on half that amount fed in a dry clean paddock in conjunction with from 15 lb to 20 lb of hay, which should be well distributed over the paddock. Reasonable treatment during the winter will allow stock to come to the profit season in good condition while better production can be expected in the milking season. PLOUGHING MATCHES. The annual ploughing matches of the Drummond and Southland Ploughing Associations are only three or four weeks away now and both associations have been leaving no stone unturned in order to ensure the success of their respective fixtures. Satisfactory support was forthcoming for these events last year though few young competitors have been seen out, while the addition of tractor classes to the programme has widened the field of interest. The fact, however, that these classes are really twomen events condemns them in the eyes of some farmers as being impracticable of application as far as the majority of farmers are concerned. The tractor, nevertheless, is a product of modem times which has l>een hailed in many quarters with satisfaction, and while it has yet a long way to go before it will have superseded the horse as an .integral part of agricultural equipment, its efficacy is attested to by many, and these are entitled to consideration in the same measure as those who remain faithful to the horse. The Drummond match takes place on Wednesday, July 6, and the Championship match follows at Wallacetown a week later.

CASUALTIES AFTER DIPPING. Lately reports have come to hand concerning extensive mortality in flocks following on dipping operations, and much condemnation has l>een meted out to the dips in use, farmers for the most part attributing their losses to absorption of the arsenical properties in the dip through the skin. Investigations have been carried out by local veterinarians and the consensus of opinion is that death in the cases of the carcases examined has been due to pneumonia. Bacteriological and analytical examinations are being carried out in order to establish the correctness or otherwise of the diagnoses made. Where dipping has to be carried out late in the season, as has been the case this year, the fanner cannot be too considerate of his flock’s welfare. It is always advisable to dip as early in the day as possible so that the sheep have a chance of recovering before the chill of the night falls. Where sheep have to spend the night under the added discomfort of sodden, heavy fleeces they must naturally be prone to contract indispositions such as that attested to by veterinarian diagnoses. FARMERS’ CONFERENCE. Yesterday lhe annual provincial conference of the Southland branch of the Farmers’ Union was held at Invercargill when close on 70 branch delegates attended. An agenda with some 47 remits was before the conference after the conclusion of the ordinary annua! business, and a big day’s work was accomplished. Possibly the most pressing matter to be considered was the question of whether or not the Arbitration Court should be abolished. Several remits touching on the matter were forward and a healthy discussion ensued in which great diversity of opinion was apparent. Eventually the conference carried a resolution in favour of the appointment of a commission of inquiry on the subject, and a remit favouring entire abolition was rejected. The annual dinner held in the evening proved to be a popular function and a most enjoyable hour was spent.