FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1915, Page 10

FARM AND DAIRY.

i. " ■! * - • FERTILISER TRADE. * - little did Mr. J. fe. Lawes—after■wards Sir John Lawes—think that he waa laying the foundation of a most Important world-wide fertiliser trade when he started, partly as the result of his own researches and partly influenced by the suggestion of Baron Liebig, , to mix bone* and acid in order to soften ! the bone material and to render the ■ phosphatic portion of the bone soluble and more useful as plant food. This was not more than 50 years ago, and since that time a ttade founded on his initiation, has grown up which has extended to every portion of the civilised , world, and has continued in a great measure to' the successful development of agriculture. "The part played by Germany both as a producer and consumer of chemical fertilisers, and the disorganisation of the trade caused by the war, has affected the whole agricultural world though Australia least of all, owing to our reliance chiefly upon locally-manu-factured superphosphates. The International Institute of Agriculture has published statistics for 1913 (the latest full year unaffected by war) of the production of some of the leading fertilisers in the principal countries that were more or less interdependent upon Germany, and these give a good idea of the extent of the trade. Production of superphosphate in different countries—in metric tons—(a metric ton may be taken as 20001b):

h order to make above quantity, Gcrtatty imported 929,000 tons of raw plios(tete roefe, of which the supply during ■ jne war is quite cot off! Predaetiofe of basic slag:—

In addition to Germany's enormous manufacture of slag, she imported 4-fl,-000 toils chiefly from Belgium, and exported 714,000 tons, another trade shut down by the war! burning to nitrogenous manures, we tat the of nitrate of soda from dole wW 2,739,500 toss, the shipments hi All rt-"

The other leading nitrogenous manure, sulphate of ammonia, was manufactured in the following quantities:—

1,412,032 It is interesting to note the production of the new nitrogenous fertilisers: —Calcium cyanide, 139,000 tons were produced; nitrate of lime, 70/100 tons. It is stated that cyanide works are being projected in Germany on such a large scale that, if carried through, the production will make up for the stoppage in the shipments of nitrate of soda. As regards potash salts, of which Germany has the virtual monopoly, the quantity exported from Germany was 1.676,150 tons. In addition to the above substances, large quantities of Peruvian guano, bones, meat meal, fish guano, are also imported, and help to swell the total volume of fertilising material that goes in the soil. Looking at the above lists, it does not require a vivid imagination to picture what would be the result if farmers were once again limited to farmyard manure as in the days before fertilisers were at their disposal. THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY. In the state of Minnesota, 614 creameries turned over £4,150,000 in butter, and thirty-four cheese factories £125,000 during last year. Here arc some more figures bearing on the enormous dairy industry of the States: In 1914 the West Salem Co-operative Creamery paid 16d per lb for butter-fat on 808,490lb supplied; the Silver Lake Creamery paid IBid per lb. butter-fat for 207,6941b supplied; the Baron Co-Operative Creamery paid the farmers l(id per lb butter-fat for 700,2501b supplied; and the Baldwin Creamery paid IOJd per lb. for 800,4161b; in Waseca County the cooperative creameries paid 10{d per lb. for 1,191,5001b. In 107 dairy counties the number of cows per square mile was thirty-seven, in fort.y-onc leading counties of Wisconsin there are forty-six cows to the square mile, and in some counties seventy-six cows to the square mile. This is done only by growing soiling crops, and it is noticeable that a large number of the creameries are controlled bv farmers. Where there is this control there is naturally an active interest taken in the breed of dairy cows and in the feed; so that the standard of production is continually goinjz up. The cost of feed for a large record cow is naturally higher than the cost of feed for ordinary dairy cows. For example, the Ilolstein Pauline, the Texas champion cow, gave for 1014 the total of 16,3841b milk, containing 5241b fat, and the cost of feed to produce that quantity was £2O 10s, while the value of the milk at 3|d per quart brought in £122. These large producers

are exceptional, and some American farmers do not regard the record cows with favour, considering that they are forced. In answer to that, the records are given of sixty-three Guernsey registered cows which gave each under test 7701b butter-fat in the twelve months. Many of these cows, so far from having their usefulness destroyed, produced good stock. Returning to production we see that the State of Texas possesses 1,075,000 dairy cows which produced last year on the average, lOOIti butter-fat, each at la per lb, equal to £">,355,000 exclusive of milk. Winconsin with 1,700,000 cows produced in 1014 £20,000,000 of products. BRITISH IIKAT IMPORTS. FARM AND DAIRY TWO Between 1885 and 1014 importations into the United Kingdom of frozen mutton increased (in rouml fijriiiVs) from 700,000 carcases to fi.700.000 carcases; frozen lamb from 50,000 carcas/w to 6,050,000 carcases: frozen beef from 18,000 quarters to marly .'1.000.000 quarters. and chilled beef from 500.000 quarters to 2,000,000 quarters. The annual Home production of beef, mutton, anil lamb is shown to be almost stationary over a period of twenty years—in the neighbourhood of l,ont),noo' to 1.100,000 tons—while the imported quantity has grown almost continually from, sav, 580,000 tons in 1805 to 700,000 tons in 1 nli. In other words, although the Old Country supplied 75 pur cent, of the whole in 1805 and only (10 per cent, in 1014, there was no reduction, but a slight increase in.the actual quantities produced at home. Xeverless the increase in the population o£ the country during these twenty years was probably over seven million people; and these people, unless they had been fed hy means of refrigeration, must have gone without meat dinners., That would have meant a different England, mid not physically such a strong England as exists to-day. A matter of minor interest is the disap-. pearanee of the North American trade in chilled beef and imported live stock in favour of the South American trade. So recently as in 1006 over 300.000 tons of these descriptiqns arrived from Norlh America, while in 1014 the quantity did not exceed 13,000 tons. During the past twenty years South American imports increased" from 40,000 to 400,000 tons. The expansion in the quantities sent by the British dominions has been fairly satisfactory—viz., from 100,000 tons in 1890 to 286,000 tons last year. RHEUMATISM IX HORSES. Horses are as much subject to rheumatism as are human beings, though it is doubtful if the average farmer is aware of this fact. Many people believe that both navicular disease and ringbone are due to a form of rheumatisfh. and there is.undoubted evidence thatbotli-are susceptible to the same treatment. One of the most, pronounced symptoms of rheumatism is a rigidity in the aflectcd joints, which often, when moved, give out a crackling sound, pain at the commencement of movement, and swelling at the joints due to different causes. The animal becomes very laane in one or more limbs, but the peculiarity of the

lameness is its tendency to shift. It may be acute or chronic, and the first form does undoubtedly occur in our animals, but it is not very common. The pulse or temperature is high, tlie skin is hidebound, there is a staring coat, and difficulty in rising. ' The chronic form affecting the joints, known as rhoumatod arthritis, may be slight at first, and with care and treatment the lameness may pass off. Tlier.? is a growing belief in tlies days ilmt spavins, splints, sidebones. ringbone, and navicular disease are only different nmiifestations of rheumatism, modified by | (lie difference of food, drink, and habits. At any rale, the drugs and similar treatment to that which proves beuefiei.il to human beings in eases of rheumatism have likewise a good effect upon linrses.

This bring so, rest is not recommended. Mow work, a-dry stable, an occasional purgative. e,ireful feeding, ami ripe erm-hed rnols are good. Clover hay and peas or beans ought nut to he given. If sudden lameness and heal eonic on apply fomentations and frit-lion, with .soothing linimeiifs. ami aft, rwanls a blister applied for only two hours. Acefo-salieylie acid in doses of (wo drachms at night, and iodide of potassium in the morning in doses of from thirty to forty grains, occassionallv discontinuing the doses for n day or two. have given excellent palliative-results. Once or twice a week give the animal four or six ounces of Epsom salts or Glauber salts in a bran ma-li. sweetened with treacle, as a stimulant to induce greater functional activity in the liver and kidneys. UILKIXG PRODUCTION" AND FOOD. An English dairying authority says :—A cow weighing 1200! h (the average' weight of an ordinary Shorthorn) will reciuire a quantify of food which will sunply .Sllb digestible protein and 7.~>blb starch equivalent. A ration of (101b in angels. 101b hay. and Iflib straw will supply these quantities of digestible protein and starch equivalent.' This is what we call the maintenance ration, lint if cows are in milk they want extra feeding aceording (o Ihe amount of milk thev give. It has been found Ihnt for every gallon of milk they give they must receive, if !hey are not to lose in condition, in addition to the maintenance ration extra food supplying ,581b digestible protein and 2.50 starch equivalent. This is kno.wn aa (he production ration. Tn practice it means that for each gallon of miik she gives a cow must receive an extra ftlh or -lib of cake and corn, according to the composition of the particular cakes and meals which are being fed. Kecord shows that the cost of fond per gallon of milk is much lower for a four or live-gallon cow than it is for a two or three-gallon cow, and the reason is this: Whether a cow is a two-gallon row or a four-gallon cow, the maintenance ration required (o keep the cow alive is Uie same in both eases, the same maintenance ration of mangels, hay and straw will do for both, and only the production ration of cakes and corn will vary. A cow giving her average two gallops of milk a day will cost about Is or Is 2d a day for food. Of this about three- fifths (i.e., 8d) will be spent in keeping the

cow ulive, and on!y about Cd will be utilised for producing milk. A cow giving four gallons does not require twice as much food as a cow giving two gallons; she will want another six or seven pounds of'cake, and will cost about la 8d a day instead of Is 2d. You will thus be getting ail extra two gallons at a cost of fid, and so it comes about that to produce cheap milk one essential is a heavy-milking cow. The more milk a cow gives thf cheaper in proportion becomes her milk, and it, is a fundamental trulli that if von are going to produce milk cheaply you must have good cows. No amount of liber,ir feeding anil on amount of skilful feeding will make a bad milker into a good fine.

Germany 1,818,700 Austria-Hungary r ._.. . 265,000 Belgium 5^-r.ji... 450,000 United States • -rrr-" 3,248,000 Spain . 225,000 France ....... 1,920,000 United Kingdom y....... 820,000 Italy 972,494 Portugal 126,000 Holland (figures not given j, but about) 300,000 #" 10,145,194

t demiuiy 2,250,000 / Ranee . 700,000 Hifeiittri ! - ■ " Go5,000 tWted Kirtgdom • •rrViTiT 'r ' 404,000 Xfctondraig 250,000 Attrtria-Hungary 100,000 JfUlv 20,000 ;&MSia 7i Mil- 1 - •' 32,000 fhredeh . "• 16,281 {Nker countries L ..vr*y. 25,000 y . 4,452,281

To Germany 598,756 France ... Belgium ...-.-.-....v.. .. 226,274 Holland 91,241 United Kingdom .. 83,316 United States . .• 380,000 1,627,347

Germany .... 510,000 United Kingdom .... 438,932 United States .... 170,900 France -.y,. 75,40(J Other countries .... .... 171,800