LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM

Southland Times, Issue 21657, 19 March 1932, Page 12

LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM

ON THE LAND ■ —— \ NOTES FOR THE MONTH. (By “Working Farmer.”) Weather conditions have been ideal during the past week and harvest work in the various stages from cutting to stacking has been pushed on and in some parts threshing has been started. Some of the oat crops are very heavy and take a lot of handling both in getting them through the binder and tearing the sheaves apart for stocking. Then there is the task of getting the ungainly sheaves into the stack and building them to the best of one’s ability to keep out the rain. Rank straw is very liable to take in the rain and where there is no medium-sized sheaves to make the head with it is better to have the thatch ready and get it on right away. There are various ways of heading a stack, but the double course of hearting takes a lot of beating when put in properly from the eaves up. Before starting the first course of the head lay an extra row of sheaves with the butt just inside the butts of the first row of hearting and continue hearting from there till the centre of the stack is reached. That gives a full heart, and heading can then be commenced in the same way that the shank of the stack was built except that the first row of hearting must be kept near the head of the outside sheaves to allow of the take in on the next course. It is quite easy to lay the outside sheaves with a steep slope so long as the head and butt of the sheaf are well supported, but it is hopeless to try and lay a sheaf or a row of sheaves when the middle of the sheaf is carrying the weight and the head and butt are playing see-saw. This trouble is usually caused by putting in one extra row of heaVt without filling up the centre of the stack and the young stacker is inclined to think he has too muclj heart in the stack whereas he has too little. The correct way to stook is to have the twine knot inside the stook and that gives straight straw on the outside to run the rain off. There is usually a pucker in the sheaf under the knot caused by the twine needle"semi-rolling the sheaf when tying. One can easily notice the difference by turning the sheaf over, and by comparing the feel when examining the stooks for leading in. Sheaves stocked in the proper way come in fine for heading the stack as the straight straws are on the outside with the butts dumped into the right shape for fitting into the course below. A really well built stack providing the sheaves are good firm stuff should turn the winter rains without 'thatching, but it is always better to err on the safe sido and if the chaffcutter comes in after a week’s rain there is no waste. Now is the time to select a good patch of rushes and get them cut and bundled ready for use at the first opportunity after the stacks are built. If the thatch is ready it is not advisable to build a steep head on the stack as this makes it difficult to get the thatch on and still more difficult to keep it on. When the job has to be done it is much better to get it done right away, than after the outside six inches have been soaked by rain and discoloured. , The Horse’s Teeth.

Young horses, particularly four-year-olds, which do not seem to be thriving in spite of good food, should have their mouths examined. A three-year-old will often do more work than a four-year-old, for the reason that, at the latter age, the teeth often give considerable trouble, and prevent proper mastication of the food. This is . often caused by supernumerary teeth, sometimes right behind the ordinary molars, and occasionally at the side. These should be extracted. Care of the Mower.

Now that the mowing season is practically over the mower should be carefully put away until it is again required. The best time to overhaul any implement is on completion of the season’s work as at that time one has in mind any parts which have been fixed in a temporary manner during the busy time or any parts which may need replacing. It is not an uncommon experience when yolking an implement for the commencement of the season’s work to re-discover something which was due to be fixed on completion of last season’s work. There are a few things essential to easy mowing and unless a mower is running easy the repair bill soon mounts up. The knife bar should be .in alignment with the pitman or connecting rod. A glance along from the pitman crank should show whether the outside end of the knife bar wants bringing forward or turning back a screw. The ledger plates in the fingers are an important factor in easy clean cutting and these are often neglected. Another point which is sometimes overlooked is the position or placing of the knife. 'This can be ascertained by turning the pitman crank and stopping when the stroke is horizontal, i.e, when the knife is at the furthest distance from the crank. The knife sections should in this position be exactly in the centre of each finger thus giving the full benefit of the cutting stroke. If these parts are looked to occasionally and the knife kept in good order and well sharpened mowing troubles will be lessened.

The Choice of a Sire. Where crossing for one reason or another must be resorted to, it should always be remembered that the sire used should not be of a bigger-framed breed than the females with which he is to be mated. When the sire is of a bigger-framed than his females, the progeny are usually badly formed, ungainly animals and seldom are good doers. When a male of the same size or a normally smaller breed than the female is used, the progeny whatever dheir other qualities may be, are always well formed and developed and are good doers. The reason for. this is that in the growing stage of the young animal both before and after birth, the frame or skeleton develops first, and frequently the small mother has not sufficient nourishment left over to develop fully the large body and organs pertaining to this large frame. Following this bad start the young animal never has a chance of growing into other than an ungainly illdeveloped specimen.

Autumn Top-dressing. In the February issue of the Journal of Agriculture, Mr R. P. Connell emphasises the fact that February to April top-dressing tends to shorten the dormant period of winter by stimulating autumn growth and hastening the spring growth. It has the advantage over spring to-dre&sing in that the manures are beginning to lose their strength by summer time and they do then cause such a rush of feed at a time when pasture control is somewhat of a problem. Continuing, he says: “In cdses in which it proves impossible to completely top-dress farms in the autumn, two classes of pasture should be singled out for priority in attention. Firstly, the better class pastures, such as. those containing a relatively large amount of rye-grass, should be dressed prior to inferior ones. The former, as a rule have capacity for greater absolute response to top-dressing. This is suggested by the fact that a 20 per cent, increase in the growth* of a good pasture has a greater value than a 20 per cent, increase in a poorer pasture. Secondly, young pastures should as a rule be given priority in a restricted top-dressing programme to older and possibly worn ones. This view is based on the belief that it is more economical to take proper care of the young pastures and thereby to maintain them than later have to face the cost of renewing them.”

Gisbone Sheep for Canterbury. The first shipment of sheep from Gisborne to the South Island was made about a fortnight ago when 1200 two-tooth ewes were dispatched from Tolaga Bay to Pigeon Bay, Banks Peninsula. A further lot of 2000 two-tooth ewes for the same destination will be despatched shortly.

The Dairy Board. At the February meeting of the Dairy Board it was agreed to forward to the British Government a resolution of profound appreciation of its action in giving Empire dairy produce free entry’ into Britain as against the imposition of a ten per cent, duty on foreign dairy produce. It was aFo resolved to make recommendation to the New Zealand Government urging a reduction in tariffs against British goods entering New Zealand. The board’s attention was drawn to the effect of the high import duty- on British cement. This was £1 per ton compared with £1 10 on foreign cement. It was felt that the industry in New Zealand, being now well established, should be in a position to meet outside competition w’ithout the protection of an import duty of this extent.

In view of the fact that the free entry of Empire dairy produce to Britain is in the meantime only a temporary measure and will come up for discussion at the Ottawa Conference, when it may be'terminated or continued, it would surely be a prudent action on the part of the New Zealand Government to give its serious consideration to the desirability of revising and reducing some of the duties on British goods. Take cement for instance, which is very necessary on a dairy farm and will become more so as intensive methods in farming become more general. The duty, besides being a direct tax on the user, may have the effect of antagonizing the Home authorities to the extent of cutting out the free entry of dairy produce to the Home markets. If the New Zealand representative to the Ottawa Conference could show a list of tariff concessions on arrival, it would assuredly create a favourable impression and a desire to reciprocate on the part of the British representative. Naturally the farming community would benefit in two ways—by increased returns and reduced costs—but apart froni that altogether it would strengthen the friendships between the Homeland, and ourselves and increase the desire to use each other’s products. As an argument in favour of fostering the feelings of relationship between the two countries, it may be stated that there is a very strong agitation being worked up by farming organizations at Home to impose an emergency tariff of 3d. or 4d. per lb. on all foreign butters. This applies principally to Russian butter, but it serves to show that the Home folks are taking a keen interest in their imports and the country of origin. An extract from the London Times on the occasion of the welcome by the Lord Mayor to the first big shipment of this season’s full cream cheese from New Zealand, says: “The barge-load honoured by the Lord Mayor bring us, in fact; a day’s march nearer to the time when, given the true spirit of mutual goodwill throughout the Empire, the basic foodstuffs of this country will be produced, though in different parts of the world, on British soil. That, as the Lord Mayor has said, is the ideal conception, and New Zealand enterprise well deserves to be thanked for helping us on to that realization."

RYEGRASS STRAINS COMPETITION IN VICTORIA. RIVALLING NEW ZEALAND. Mr W. V. Blewett, who was the representative in Victoria of Imperial Chemical Industries, Limited and Nitrogen Fertilizers, Limited, before he left for Great Britain recently, offered prizes amounting to £2O for the best rye grasses from the Colac district in Victoria, which proved to be equal to or better than certified New Zealand rye grass after one summer. The competition will be judged by the senior agrostologist to the Department of Agriculture, Mr J E. Harrison, in co-operation with Mr O. 11. Gepp, of Nitrogen Fertilizers, Limited. Competitors are required to supply 101 b of rye grass seed from an individual paddock. The seed must be representative of a bulk sample from the paddock, which must be identified, and the date of harvesting stated. Any entrant will be permitted to enter more than one field on his farm, each field to be regarded as a separate entry. Samples of seed entered for competition must be sown in duplicated plots, with a control plot of certified New Zealand seed between each duplicate. Each plot must be approximately l-20th acre, or approximately three yards wide by 80 yards long. The seed must be sown at the rate of about 301 b. per acre, with, 2cwt. an acre of a mixture of superphosphate and sulphate of ammonia in equal proportions. It will be necessary to make germination tests of the seed before sowing, and the exact weight of seed to be sown will be the equivalent of 301 b. of New Zealand certified seed after the germination of the entries has been considered. One-half of the plots will receive a further application of a mixture of superphosphate and ammonium sulphate at the end of July. The plots are to be grazed with a large number of stock for a short period when they become 6ft. in height, and they will be mowed in order to prevent seeding and the formation of tufts. The plots will be harrowed after each grazing. The plots will be judged in February, 1933, and again in February, 1934. The prizes will be awarded after the judging in February, 1933. An amount of £lO will be awarded to the entry showing the best sward in regard to persistency, type and productive capacity. A further amount of £lO will be divided equally among entries showing aa good or better swards in relation to persistency, type, and productive capacity as that of the control certified New Zealand seed plots. STERILITY IN STOCK EFFECT OF MEDICINES. Contending that the excessive use of medicines are among the causes which cause sterility in stock, Mr E. G. Buttner writing in the Farmers’ Advocate, expresses the opinion that impotence and sterility are due to lack of vitamins in the staple food of the animal. There also appears to be every reason for believing that all other vitamins contribute their share towards vitality and fruitfulness. In cases where the vitamins, especially E, are poorly represented in the staple food, a diet rather concentrated in nature, especially rich in protein, or poor in potassium, lime sodium and magnesium, is often all that is required to render a beast unfit for reproductive purposes. It is worth remembering, however, that whatever else may be wrong, vitamin E is the necessary factor in the animal’s staple diet whose presence is essential to ensure normal reproduction. The richest sources of vitamin E are contained by lettuce leaves and pea seedlings. In addition, the germ of wheat contains large quantities of this essential constituent, while maize germ is comparatively poor. Cotton seed and linseed cake, especially the latter, are unimportant as sources of vitamin E.

FAMOUS SHORTHORN HERD STARTING WITH ONE HEIFER. Amos Cruickshank’s first, investment in Shorthorns was not particularly hazardous. A solitary heifer was the sole fruit of his first journey to Durham, and with that animal there.was commenced in 1837 a herd that once numbered 300 head. Such was the initial venture in Shorthorns of the founder of the Cruickshank or Scotch variety of Shorthorn. It is only just to add that his brother, Anthony, though giving for many years his attention to a business in Aberdeen, was, as,long as he lived, associated with Amos in the property of the herd and to a very considerable extent the work of building it up. Whatever the brothers did was carried out systematically and on principle. They were ( most careful that there should be no over-feeding of the cattle. They did not permit any of the herd to attain what is known' as “show condition.” The stock had nothing but grass in summer and straw and turnips in winter. Save to the calves at weaning time, when a little cake was given, no cake or other artificial food was allowed. The utmost care was taken against infection. Every strange animal was made to undergo, a kind of quarantine before admission, being kept in one of the several houses erected for this and kindred purposes on Sittyton. SORGHUM POISONING PRUSSIC ACID CONTENT. The recent death of 19 cows at Wagga, New South Wales, through sorghum poisoning directs attention to the danger of plants of this group, of which Sudan grass is one. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, which has investigated reports of live stock poisoning, such plants as Sudan grass, velvet grass, sorphum, and ■Johnson grass have been found to develop prussic acid when their growth is retarded by drought, frost, wilt or severe trampling. Under normal conditions prussic acid is not found in any of these plants. Once animals have eaten plants containing prussic acid,’ there is little that stockmen can do, the department says. The poison acts quickly and very often the affected animal will die within half an hour. While there are a few remedies that are suggested for exceptional cases, they are usually of little avail after the animal has taken enough of the injurious substance to cause symptoms to develop. Preventive measures are advocated by the department as the best means of dealing with this condition. One precaution that may be taken is to feed stock a grain ration such as corn, milo, or lucerne hay before turning them into the suspected pasture. It is also possible to avoid the danger by mowing pastures known to be unsafe and allowing the cut grass to dry thoroughly before pasturing. Although green sorphum, velvet grass and others that have had their growth stunted are dangerous, the acid usually disappears when the crop is made into hay. Sorghums in the Southern States rarely develop prussic acid poisoning, but those in the north are subject to it, although the exact reason for this is not known. The sorghums have this poisonous tendency to a marked degree. Sudan grass is also frequently the cause of poisoning. Flax is also dangerous if it is frozen before ripening fully. Sudan grass and sorghum are closely related families, and where these crops are cultivated in close proximity a good deal of cross pollenization occurs, remarks the Lead* er in commenting on the recent losses of stock in this connection. Tests have established beyond doubt that in a Sudan field in which sorghum hybrid plants are present the prussic acid content of the crop is sufficient to poison stock. DISEASE IN PIGS PREVALENCE OF MANGE. The skin disease, known as mange or scabies, in pigs has been discovered to exist on a few farms in the Wairarapa, and officers of the Live Stock Division of the Department of Agriculture are actively engaged in advising suitable treatment and control measures to endeavour to eradicate the disease. The Wairarapa officers of the division' informed the correspondent of the Weekly News that the trouble was caused by the mange mite, and might start on any part of the body of the pig. In the early stages of the disease it was usually found on the head, around the eyes, on the ears and on the nose. From these parts it spreads over the neck and shoulders and along the back and sides and the entire body might be involved. The most outstanding symptom was intense itching. Pigs would, of course, scratch themselves because of the presence of lice, but the itching of mange was much more severe, the affected parts often being rubbed until they became raw. Loss of hair occurred and the affected parts appeared dry and scurvy, and might be covered with brownish or dark-grey crusts. In old cases the skin became more or less bare, was very thickened, and wrinkling or corrugation occurred. Young pigs suffered most. Unthrifty conditions resulted with low vitality, and growth and fattening were retarded and in severe cases death occurred. Mange was very contagious, and was usually spread by contact with affected pigs, or objects which affected pigs had been rubbing. BACTERIA ON THE FARM GREAT AID TO PASTURES. Farming with bacteria, through the inoculation of the soil, is now a practical achievement made possible by extensive investigation and experiment by the plant reasearch station at Palmerston North. This has been brought about by the distribution of lucem inoculum, a noduleforming organism, which has been developed by the station during the past four years. For three seasons the station has been supplying farmers with a culture which eriableh them to establish lucerne in places where the plant could not previously be grown.

This scientific method of dealing with plant life and the soil has been so successful already this year that cultures for 30,0001 b. of seed have been supplied to farmers. This exceeds the amount for the whole of any previous years. .INTEREST IN DAIRYING “BREEDING SCHOOLS” HELD. To further interest in dairy cattle breeding in the United States, certain specialists have conducted “breeding schools” in many States. The breeding school was developed by the bureau and first introduced at the national dairy show in 1930. In these schools the "herediscope” was used as a means of explaining to laymen in a simple and understandable form, the laws of heredity governing milk and butter-fat production, and to show how a dairy herd can be improved by applying this knowledge in their breeding programme. The breeding school is proving to be interesting ( popular and effective, specially among practical farmers and breeders, and the method is rapidly being adopted by the State extension services. Another extension project which promises results of great value is the one on milk quality improvement. Work of this character is being done both with boy fanners and adult farmers.