ON THE LAND

Southland Times, Issue 25306, 8 June 1935, Page 5

ON THE LAND

NEWS OF THE FARM WINTER FEED NOT OVER PLENTIFUL DEMAND FOR LAMBS Weather conditions, although somewhat irregular during the past week, in do way hampered the operations of the man on the land, and much preparatory work for spring sowing was carried out. There is still a fair amount of topdressing going on, as well as ditching and fencing. Generally the Countryside is looking well, and there appears to be plenty of feed about, but it is anticipated that by the time the winter is through there will be little enough to spare.

There are still a good number of lambs to be killed before the end of the season, but there are not likely to be the numbers that there were forward at this time last year. The demand is very keen, not only for killing and freezing, but also for well-bred ewe hoggets for carrying over till next autumn. The prospects at present are that lambs will be very good property for the rest of the season.

Ploughing has been started in some parts of the province, but this work will not be general for a few weeks yet. The land is in good order at present. Turnip crops, though not large, are on the whole very good. The same applies to the chou moellier crops, which will help to keep the winterfeed going. There is a good inquiry for good rough feed for dairy cows, and according to reports it is difficult to procure. Inquiry for Farms. The inquiry for Southland farms continues. Recent sales include tire property of Mr John Templeton, near Otaitai Bush, a 72-acre farm. This has been sold to Mr John Stewart, a neighbouring farmer. The farm of the late Mr Charles Voice at McNab has been taken over by his son, Mr Hubert Voice, of Waikawa Valley. When in Dunedin this week the Dominion president of the Farmers* Union, Mr W. J. Polson, M.P., stated that he was very greatly impressed with the work of the Farm Accounting Association and the New Zealand Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs. In his opinion, no two movements could do more for the farming community, and he would like to see the provincial executives in the North Island closely associating themselves with these two organizations. He expressed the hope that Mr A. C. Cameron would be permitted to visit the North Island and explain how the organizations could be introduced and developed there. Five acres and a house will soon belong to each of 40 unemployed miners • who are being settled on a farm in Bedfordshire, England. This estate of 550 acres has been given by Mr P. M. Stewart, commissioner of special areas, to the Land Settlement Association. Six Durham miners, one of whom was employed for only seven months in the last nine years, have started work. They are repairing the farm house, where the pioneers will stay until the houses are built. Soon they will be joined by 14 other miners from Durham, some from Escomb, a village where only three in the population of 300 have regular work, and later the number will be made up to 40 and the men will be joined by their families, each family being given a five-acre holding. Feeding of Pigs. Many farmers, because of the very serious milk shortage, are sacrificing their pigs instead of keeping them going with meals, states an exchange. A case came under notice the other day where an Otago farmer had nine good porkers and 40 weaners. He was going to sell the weaners, which would only have realized 2/- to 3/- a head, and carry the porkers on to bacon weights. He was persuaded to sell the porkers, which realized 35/— a head, and spend about 7/- a head for meals on the weaners, which by May should be then good porkers worth about 35/-, or, in other words, by purchasing some necessary food, he should make about £5O from pigs he was ready to sacrifice at from £4 to £6. As to feeding the weaners the farmer had about 50 gallons of separated milk. Therefore he would have to feed about lib of meal a day to each pig, increasing this as the pigs gained in weight, till at sixteen weeks the pigs, then at porker weight, would be getting 31b of meal a day, say 21b of meat meal, or meat and bone meal, and 11b of pollard. The actual cost of meal would be about 7/-. The fact to be remembered is that unfinished pigs are a drug on the market at the present time and the finished pig is at a premium. It therefore pays to buy meals (7/- to 10/- worth for porkers and £1 for baconers), and if these are fed judiciously, increasing the amounts given very gradually, there is undoubtedly profit in them. Dairy Produce Prices. The following is a comparison of the prices ruling at present and those of a fortnight earlier, the mean of the price range being given: May 30. June 6. Butter—

Danish 98/N.Z. (finest salted) 81/6 83/N.Z. (finest unsalted) 81/6 82/Australian (finest salted) 80/6 82/(finest unsalted) 80/6 81/Cheese — N.Z. (white) 40/43/3 N.Z. (coloured) 44/43/9 Australian (white) 41/6 41/9 Australian (coloured) 41/6 41/9