ON THE LAND

Southland Times, Issue 20207, 18 June 1927, Page 7

ON THE LAND

WORK OF THE WEEK

PLOUGHING AND TOPDRESSING JIAKAREWA WORKS CLOSED The plough and the top-dresser are commanding a large share of the farmers’ attention these days, and aided by satisfactory weather, progress with the work has in many cases been very rapid. MISCELLANEOUS. The main wprk on the farms at present is top-dressing and ploughing and until yesterday conditions throughout the week made satisfactory headway possible. After the late rains, however, the ground is bound to be somewhat heavy for working and a little delay must ensue. A lot of lea and stubble ground has already been attended to, but a considerable amount of work in this direction has still to be undertaken. The dairy season has very little longer to run. Many factories will close doors thia month and although in a few cases factories may operate into July the season to all intents and purposes will end with the present month. It is reported that potato crops are not digging out too well and yields have been much lighter than was anticipated. Some districts, however, report very satisfactory returns. Those fanners who have any intentions in the direction of planting out waste corners in trees should attend to the job as soon as possible. In past years this practice has met with a deal of favour and many corners which have been inaccessible to the plough and have consequently been over run with gorse have been planted in trees, which serve the double purpose of providing shelter and eradicating the gorse. THE FREEZING WORKS. The Makarewa works closed on Saturday last after a season which is regarded as good as the previous one. There are very few drafts of lambs to come forward now and anything offering will be forwarded on to the Mataura works which will remain open until the end of next week. The season has been a somewhat dragging one but the tally has been well up to last season’s. The killings of cattle exceeded last year’s figure by 200 head, while the rates and gradings are stated to be on a par with those of 12 months ago. FRIESIAN PRODUCTION. Another example of the high and long continued producing powers of the Friesian is the twenty year old cow, Leila Mooie of Ashlynn in Messrs. Wood Bros.’ herd at Tikorangi in the Taranaki province, says a circular issued by the N.Z. Friesian Association. This grand old matron, who is now in her 20th year, is still as robust and as healthy as a two year old, while she is also a regular breeder. Last season she produced over 4 gallons of milk daily after calving prematurely and she is again due to calve to Messrs Wood Bros.,’ senior herd sire Woodlands Snowball (Lakeside of Canada— Oakland Clothilde) early in July. Tested as a five year old in 1913, Leila Mooie of Ashlynn gained a first class C.O.R. of 13,549.8 lb milk and 529.31 lb fat in 304 days, while she is the dam of Ashlynn Leila, 494.53 lb fat at 2 years 25 days and her proven son, King Mooie Fayne Segis is the sire of May Pontiac Mooie, whq has three first class C.O.R. including one of 662.75 lb fat at 4 years 103 days.

FRIESIAN HERD FOR COLLEGE. The Agricultural University College Council has decided to establish a purebred pedigree Friesian dairy herd on the College Farm near Palmerston North and as a foundation for the herd they have selected thirty females from the New Zealand Government's Friesian herd at the Central Development Farm, Weraroa. These comprise four mature cows, three 3-year-old heifers and five 2-year-old heifers in calf, twelve 2-year-old heifers and six calves.