LUCERNE AND CLOVER

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6573, 7 February 1925, Page 5

LUCERNE AND CLOVER

ADVICE TO DAIRY FARMERS Mr Janies Knight, of Feilding, was warmly welcomed at last meeting of the Manawatu and West Coast A. and P. Association on his return to New Zealand after a visit to England and America, along with Mrs Knight. After the usual coui-£esies had been exchanged, Mr Knight favoured members with a few observations of interest to the farming community generally. Mr Knight said he had the pleasure of visiting the Royal Show at Leicester, where there was a magnificent exhibition of stock, particularly of cattle. The sheep section was disappointing, attributable to the prevalence of foot and mouth disease, breeders realising that if they took their sheep to the Show, they could not get them back again. In the beef breeds, the Shorthorns were very creditable, while of the dairy breeds, Jerseys were especially good, though in the Old Country cattle were not tested to the same extent as in New Zealand.

Compared with New Zealand, the Home sheep excelled only in trimming and coloring. In the Dominion the advantages of exhibiting shorn classes was that the sheep could be seen in their- natural state. Some Romneys the speaker saw cai-ried two years’ wool and purchasers who bought them might get a shock later on. At the Royal Counties’ Show at Windsor, much the same thing happened. At the Autumn Southdown Show at Chichester, sheep" classes were well represeiited and a competition for draft ewes was interesting as recognition of the fact that breeders regarded ewes as the most important part of any man’s flock, the essential of which w-as a good outstanding ewe flock. Provision for a sale of ewes at this particular show caused a Splendid competition.

At the Romney Show at Ashford, the trimming and “faking” of the shep were overdone, and one would be a very disappointed buyer were he not careful. The season at Home had been bad and Mr Knight said he would not like to be farming there, as it was apparently an exception to strike a good season. He had seen crops shootingin their stooks, later having- to be burnt owing to damage by wet weather:

In America, the principal cattle were Holsteins, no doubt owing to the fact that the Dutch people emigrated in large numbers many years ago. Much of the land was irrigated and Mr Knight saw a great deal of lucerne grown and cut for cattle feed. Sheep were herded out more thaix in this country, as often the land was not fenced off and farmers paid for the grazing rights from the Government and other large landowners, keeping the sheep on the move. The conditions did not compare with those of New Zealand, which was so wonderfully situated in this respect, and where land had a great future, particularly as regards butter and cheese.

The quality of the butter would require careful attention. Turnip and rape feeding caused a taint and dairyfarmers should go iix more for cropping clover and lucerne. (Hear, hear.) The trouble was that the taint was not apparent in New Zealand, but came up when the butter was opened at Home two months later. Other countries, such as South America, were producing such good cattle, that New Zealand butter would be “up against it” if the quality was not looked after.

New Zealand lamb arrived at Home in as good a colidition as it was offeered for consumption in the Dominion. When dining 1 with an English friend, he had tasted very nice lamb, which he thought was' local Southdown, but was greatly surprised when informed by his host that it came from New Zealand. The folk at Home preferred to buy than to kill as New Zealand lamb opened up as well as if it was produced in this country. Here, too, a great future awaited New Zealand, though quality was again paramount. There was not such a hopeful outlook for beef, because the Argentine was putting in young cattle that made for a nice .'eating quality beef. Mr Knight was heartily applauded as he terminated his address with an expression of thanks, for the Association’s good wishes on his return.