LIVE STOCK. AND THE FARM

Southland Times, Issue 21773, 30 July 1932, Page 12

LIVE STOCK. AND THE FARM

ON THE LAND NOTES FOR THE MONTH. (By “Working Farmer.”) An old farmer on Monday mornings used to greet his hands with, “Come on chaps, the day after to-morrow is the middle of the week and no work done yet.” Tire busy season is practically on us and there will be no difficulty in finding pressing work to do. The crutching of the ewe flock should be finished as soon as possible and spring dipping attended to as weather permits. Pasture harrowing should be pushed on and where time permits an extra stroke given for good luck. It is desirable to have a harrow that will tear into the pasture and break the surface, followed by chain harrows to crumble all animal droppings so that the manure may be made available for the grass and not be a hindrance to grazing stock. Ploughed paddocks should receive a double cut of the discs as soon as they are sufficiently dried, but it is worse than useless to start before the land is dry enough. Wet cultivation saddens the land and promotes weed growth, but where the land is in good condition for working the weed growth is checked, the land is sweetened, and the work of preparing for sowing later on is hastened to a great extent. Any work of this nature which can be done before the busy time of calving and lambing commences is a great help in getting the crops in in decent time. Any weak fences should be fixed up. It is “that good fences make good neighbours,” but bad fences make for trouble both on the boundary and inside the farm. Once cattle or sheep discover that they can break through it takes rather more than a “sufficient fence” to hold them, but if fences are kept in a reasonable state of repair the stock never seem to trouble them. A good time to educate cattle is in the calf paddock when they are on the bucket and a coil of sheep netting round the fence and two barb wires effectively stops all poking propensities. Calves which are let wander wherever they will are a decided nuisance and some of them never seem to lose the habit.

Any concrete work in and around the cow-shed should be completed as soon as possible as there will not be a chance when the cows come in. Cows are hard on newly set concrete and if it can be given at least tw> weeks, preferably three, it has a much longer life. With milk grading coming into vogue this year, it will not pay to have an insanitary cowshed or insanitary surroundings.

Tree planting for shelter belts. and the orchard should be completed while there is plenty of moisture in the ground. These sometimes do quite well if planted in September, but there is always the risk of a dry spell setting in, in which case replacements are frequent the following year.

The best news in last Saturday’s “Farm Page” was the announcement that bone and blood manure had suffered a 30 per cent, reduction in price since last year and it will be surprising if its popularity is not greatly increased thereby. Blood and bone manure is a sterling fertilizer, particu! -ly when used on root or green crops. It extends the growing period, but when sown with the ridger it is safer to use it through the front spouts as too liberal an application is detrimental to germination and if sown with the seed it is advisable to increase the seeding of turnips by 2 or 3oz. Top-dressing of pastures to be of any benefit should be completed at an early date and water soluble phosphate—44.46 superphosphate—used if an early return is hoped for. It is claimed that the effect of super can be noticed in six weeks from sowing.

The Care of the Ewe.x Now that the ewes are becoming heavy in lamb special care should be observed in driving them, especially in gateways or in the yards. If they are inclined to jam in the gateway the shepherd should be there to prevent this and steady them down as crushing is apt to result in slipped lambs now, and further trouble at lambing time. The shepherd usually gets the credit of being the laziest thing that walks on two legs, but that is because he has learned the art of “making haste slowly.” Some of them may be inclined to ovei’-do the -slow part, but much more trouble is caused through too much hurry. Rash shepherds and rash dogs are no good from now on till the lambing is over.

Supplementary Feeding. Between calving time and the grass season there is usually a bare time for the cows and the milk yield suffers; in fact if extra food is not provided it takes the cow a considerable time to recover her usua' flow of milk. The Live Stock Division advise a ration of bran and meat meal along with hay or ensilage. Some difficulty may be found in getting the cows to take the meatmeal at first. In this respect it is advisable to train the cows to feed from boxes, commencing with Jib of meatmeal and 21b. of bran per head twice daily. When the cows become accustomed to the meat meal it may be increased to Jib per feed, the bran rationing remaining the same. This is the ration for an average producing cow, but for a large producer the ration may be increased. A good quality of meat meal should be used, free from fibre and containing the minerals in a finely ground state. On Separating Milk. In an article on the farm separator Mr H. W. Hesse says that when the milk has beta put through a sufficient quantity of skim milk should be put through the separator again. This will cause all the cream remaining in the discs to be washed out into the cream spout. Hot water should never be used for this purpose. Hot water, if used at the end of separating comes into more direct contact with the sediment in the bowl, and thus imparts a dishcloth or tallowy flavour to the cream. This is often the cause of a superfine cream going back, to first grade; in more pronounced cases it may cause second grade. To get the best results the cream should contain 40 per cent, of fat. Tlie cream should go over a cooler at it leaves the separator. The skim milk should be tested periodically to guard against butterfat losses. The cream can should always be scalded before being used. Hot and cold cream should not be mixed and the cream in the can should be stirred with a metal plunger before more cream is added. Tlie cream can should be kept away from the milking shed in a cool, shady place.‘Do not tip the rinsings of the cream can back into your milk or cream. This acts as a starter and causes the fresh cream to deteriorate in grade. To get good results in separating there should be a steady flow of milk into the bowl, the separator should be driven at a steady speed and be kept in good order so that there is not undue vibration. The milk should be carefully strained before separating and be put through if possible, direct from the cow at about 90 degrees F.

"The plough is definitely coming back to the Waikato to-day, only for one reason,” declared Mr C. M. Hume, Dominion herd-testing supervisor, in an

Provision of Licks. In the issue of June 18, the ingredients of a salt lick were given in which 201 b of bone-flour to 1 cwt of salt, soz of potassium iodide, 21b of sulphate of iron, 41b of sulphur and half-a-gallon of treacle were stated to have given good results in Southland. Some doubts have been since expressed to the writer, whether so much bone-flour would not render the lick unpalatable. Bones in any form are eagerly sought after by stock which are grazing on land deficient in phosphates and lime. This can. often be noticed by the way cattle chew bones and come round bellowing and licking at sacks which have contained bone dust or super. In some parts of New Zealand, licks comprised of equal parts of bone flour and salt have been given to stock with excellent results and it is claimed that infertility has been reduced and production increased by providing that which is lacking in the pasture. Treating on this subject, “H.8.T.” in the Auckland Weekly says: “Where lambs are receiving special treatment and feed to encourage rapid development, it is not unusual to get a fair percentage of deaths from what is called pulpy kidney. This is very similar to a disease among young pigs, in which the fastest growing suckers out-grow the supply of iron which they had in their systems at birth; and being unable to get more from their mother’s milk—which contains practically none—and having not yet any outside source of supply, anaemia, with attendant evils, may ensue. Death often takes place suddenly during the dilation of the heart, before the other symptoms become apparent. A post-mortem effect which has given the disease its name in New Zealand, when affecting young lambs, is that the kidneys become pulpy and break up easily. Where the writer has given the ewes, prior to lambing, a salt lick containing sulphate of iron, he has escaped practically all losses from pulpy kidney. It is possible that, as research workers now claim, a micro-organism is responsible for the pulpy kidney. If this is the case it can only be assumed that a mineralized salt lick, which the lambs will take at a very early age, so fortifies them that they are able to resist the disease. It is safe practice in any case, to supply the ewes and lambs with a lick compounded of the following:—Salt 401 b, bone-flour 501 b, sulphate of iron 21b, sulphur 81b, potassium iodide 2oz. Dissolve the potassium iodide in warm water and spray over the other ingredients while mixing. The salt lick, or rather the sulphur in it, will have the effect of preventing or reducing parasitic infection, the greatest enemy to quick fattening in lambs. If it .is desired to further increase the effect of the' lick as an anti-parasitic, pour one gallon of boiling water over half a pound of quassia chips, allow this to stand till cool and then spray over the salt and other ingredients while mixing.” It will be noted that with the exception of potassium iodide and salt, the other ingredients are added at approximately three times the strength in the latter lick than in the former. If these qualities do not render the lick unpalatable there is little danger of the quantities in the former lick doing so. Perennial Ryegrass. In a broadcast lecture from Auckland Mr W. Alexander, agricultural adviser to Messrs Kempthome Prosser and Co., gave advice as to cultivation and seeding in the laying down of permanent pasture. W. Alexander, who is well and favourably known in Southland, has had a long and varied experience oyer a wide area and his opinions regarding ryegrass may be of interest at the present time. He says: It is universally admitted that perennial ryegrass is the acme of perfection. There are true and false types of perennial rye and it is just at this point that most pasture disappointments have their birth. It is a temptation for a man to buy cheaply, but in so doing he does not always buy wisely. The cheapest grass on the seed market to-day is the best obtainable — in other words the high priced, true perennial, certified seed is . definitely better buying than the lower-priced, short lived, false type.” If an act were passed to prohibit the cutting of ryegrass for seed till the pasture had been down for three years it would settle a lot of the perennial arguments because very few of the pastures sown with false type seed would by that time have any seed worth cutting and any seed which was there would have a reasonable chance of being perennial. In the course of three or four successive seedings of three year period grass, there would be a reasonable chance of attaining a standard with our seed which would ensure the buyer getting a ryegrass worth sowing for a permanent pasture. It is freely admitted that the false perennial is a much more prolific seeder, and according to some of our seedsmen, the seed has a higher germination, hence it naturally follows that a farmer who sets out to crop ryegrass for seed will in a few years evolve a false perennial type. He may start off by sowing a sample showing only 10 per cent, of false perennial, but by cutting the first year he saves seed from this prolific seeding 10 per cent, with the result that his sample the following year will in all probability show from 20 to 30 per cent, of false perennial and in the course of a few years there will only be 10 per cent, of true perennial. If on the other hand, he had refrained from cutting his first sowing of 90 per cent, true perennial '*”l it had been down for three years the false perennial would mostly have disappeared and his seed would show a better percentage of true perennial tHan the mother seed. The custom in Southland and in many other parts where ryegrass cropping has been carried out has been to sow out a paddock with rape and grass, turnips and grass, or oats and grass, and cut the grass for seed the following year. Ryegrass which has been cut for seed in its first year is of very little use for grazing afterwards and it has been customary in many parts to plough up the paddock the following year and repeat the performance of taking off another crop of oats and then a crop of grass seed. Is it any wonder our ryegrass has lost its perennial qualities? QUALITY OF HONEY There were about 80 exhibits in the honey classes at the Auckland Winter Show, compared with five or six about eight years ago. “The splendid entries speak well for the popularity of beekeeping in Auckland,” said the judge, Mr G. V. Westbrooke, of the Department of Agriculture. The exhibits generally were of fine quality, the winning one in the beeswax section being the best he had ever seen at the show. The section honey, which is gathered in summer, was good, considering the time of year. Mr Westbrooke was particularly impressed by the exhibits in the amateur division. “I would like to see more of them,” he said.

FARMERS’ UNION RALLY AT WAIKAKA. (From Our Correspondent). On Monday night a Farmers’ Union rally was held in the Waikaka Hall, when there were present over 80 people interested in farming matters. Some interesting addresses were given by members of the Women’s Division of the Farmer’s Union, members of the executive of the Farmers’ Union, and members of organizations trying to help the farmers. Mr L. Paterson, president of the Waikaka branch of the Farmers’ Union, said it gave him great pleasure to welcome such a large gathering to hear the interesting and useful addresses which were to be given. He gave an idea of the work of conferences held recently with the object of alleviating the hard times through which the countries of the world were passing. The object of the speakers was to give an idea of the help the Farmers’ Union was giving to assist the country through difficult times.

The first speaker, Mrs Ward, a member of the executive of the Women’s Division, said that the Women’s Division was pleased to be a part of, the Farmers’ Union which was the finest body of men working for themselves and the good of the country. The Women’s Division helped to keep boys of returned soldiers at Flock House, and the markets established in towns had done great work in supplementing the income.

Mrs Stewart, another member of the Women’s Division, spoke of the financial crisis through which the country was passing and stated that the women were endeavouring to help in all cases. The joy of service to others was one of the best, aims in life and was in evidence in the markets which the division had set up. Mrs Stewart emphasized that it was useless being discouraged by the slumps and referred to the need for unity.

Mr Hugh Smith, a member of the executive of the Farmer’s Union, stated that the aim of the union was to help the fanner who vzas the producer in only be gained by co-operation. There should be enough work in New Zea-

land for all and the crisis might be overcome by unity. There was a cry for producing more, but the farmer received so little that it was hardly worth producing. Large profits to the middlemen should be reduced; workers should get a fair remuneration but the farmers should get a fair deal. Mr Smith stated that New Zealand produce was as good as or better than that of other countries, and he advocated the buying of British goods.

Mr Malloch, manager of the Otago Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Association said that the insurance scheme started 27 years ago, had done good work for the farmer. Mr Malloch said that everyone should unite to help the Farmers’ Union, which was doing good work at the present time. Mr Malloch advocated the keeping of records to help in this direction and stated that by keeping records of all transactions farmers knew the state of their finances and often came out with a credit balance. By not keeping records farmers caused themselves as well as others a great deal of worry and trouble. In opening his address, Mr O. E. Niederer spoke of the*?"' "lai benefit of the Farmer”’ Union -he Women s Division and the bBT> it .o the community accomplished 'by. ■•he union. In explaining the division or the subscriptions Mr Niederer showed that every part was used to benefit the farmers. By obtaining rebates and by opposing proposed taxation the Farmers’ Un?ri had saved the farming community very considerable sums of money. Savings to farmers had also been effected by the union securing reductions in the price of fertilizers and other necessary appliances bought through the Farmers’ Union. As the Farmers’ Union was being extended over the country farmers were realizing its imoprtance and the importance of unity, which was the only method by which the country could be brought back to prosperity.

While explaining his connection with the Farmers’ Union Mr Harris gave instances of where small membership of the branches of the Farmers’ Union had been rectified by the formation of a Women’s Division. Mr Harris explained that what the country needed was for the farmers to co-operate. While the hard times were doing a great deal towards this, the Women’s Division was also helping and for this it needed great praise. Mr Harris then gave a lantern lecture on the value of fertilizers.

Other speakers during the evening were Mr J. Cowie and Mr G. R. Herron, who also touched on the work of the Farmers’ Union and the benefits to be obtained by it.

During the evening the following items were given: Pianoforte solo, Miss McQueen; solo, Mrs Payne; recitation, Miss Benfell; solo, Mr E. Cummings. A vote of thanks for the speakers and performers concluded the evening.