FARM & DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1923, Page 15

FARM & DAIRY

DAIRY OUTLOOK. BUTTER POSITION SOUND. PROSPECTIVE MARKET GOOD. A review of the dairy position was given last week by Mr. W. Goodfellow, managing director of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company. Referring to the butter outlook, Mr. Goodfellow stated that the company’s London manager had recently cabled that Anchor butter was selling at 224 s and Danish 22&5. Apparently the present prices were likely to hold until after the 'Christmas holidays, after which it was probable that prices would recede somewhat, but nevertheless would remain at a high figure throughout the present season. This highly satisfactory position was almost entirely due to the very severe drought which Australia was experiencing. If rain did not fall in considerable quantities in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia would not only cease exporting but would require to purchase considerable quantities of butter and a certain amount of cheese from New Zealand. Latest reports from both Sydney and Melbourne indicated that the > utlook for dairy products in Australia for the remainder of the season was very bad indeed. The exports from Argentine were considerable, but the qualify was inferior, and in consequence the only first-class butters available for the British public at the present time were New Zealand and Danish.

A SATISFACTORY POSITION. The position from the supplier’s point of view, added Mr. Goodfellow, was very satisfactory, as it was ndw apparent that the average payment for butter-fat for the present season would in al! probability exceed the previous season’s payments to butter, suppliers. Unfortunately the cheese outlook was less assuring. Very large supplies were going forward from New Zealand and the indications were that there would be a very substantial reduction in London market values at a very early date. The latest cables quoted New Zealand cheese at 108 e to 110 s, white and coloured. The market was reported to be ouiet, with the retail price at Is Id per lb. With regard to milk powder, the average weekly sales in Great Britain now exceeded 70 tons, with Anchor brand at 60s; It was anticipated that the Continent would cover their winter requirements, which woud enable the company to quit the balance of last year’s stocks before the new season’s goods arrived. The casein position was not so satisfactory as had been anticipated. Buyers were holding off and little business was being transacted. However, it was anticipated that some improvement would take place in the near future.

GENERAL.

A vine removes a large quantity of lime from the soil—more than twice as much as of potash.

D»nmark —the most progressive dairyir ■ country in the world-imports yearcattle food to the value of between Ir.ree and four million pounds.

The grading of all produce, whether butter, chaff, or potatoes, or any other line, is the modern corrective for improper trade practices, and the greatest of all stimulants to the production of the best article possible, and to straight trade. The day is not far distant when on every civilised market in the world all produce will be sold on reliable grade certificates.

Carrots and parsnips are excellent feed for dairy cattle, cowr fed on the former yielding a milk which makes a particularly sweet and firm butter. Dairymen often complain of the labour involved in hand-feeding, but those who do hand feed will realise far more profitable returns than those who do not. More attention should be paid to the necessity of having suitable buildings and cowvards.

Every farmer should try the effect on his soil of different crops and artificial fertilisers, taking as basis the three plant foods—ammonia, phosphate of ]ime, and potash—and make trials with them in combination, and then omitting one or the other. In this way, by carefully studying the results, can be obtain most surely information as to the deficiencies of his soil, which he can then make good in an economical and satisfactory manner.

The formation that is known 'as a “pan"’ in the soil may be due to both chemical and physical agencies, but it arises frequently from the action of iron and lime compounds and in clay soils from physical causes. In the latter case an occasional deep ploughing and liming will prevent it, while much can be done by the choice of an odd deep-rooting crop. In clay soils a pan is more likely to develop when the land is ploughed before it id quite in condition. * * * # With the discovery of nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria on leguminous plants, high hopes were held out of a revolution in the methods of manuring. Many attempts have been made to produce pure cultures which would introduce these bacteria to the soil, and so, it was hoped, save a great deal of expense in nitrogenous fertilisers. So far the success has not been conspicuous, and if there are practical possibilities there appears still to be a missing link undiscovered.

The lucerne plant thrives best on deep loams with rather open subsoils and deen natural drainage, and will not grow with its roots in standing water. Welldrained situations free from a hard pan or gravelly subsoil are preferable. Lucerne does not reach its best development until over three years old, and. as the crop is destined to remain in the same situation for a numbers of years, it nays to give careful attention to the preparation of the soil, and the treatment of the young plant during its early growth.

There are something approaching seven hundred thousand white clover S'-eds to the pound, or practically equal t • the number of grains of wheat in n

bushel. Red elover seeds are bigger, and j -n to about a quarter of a million to the pound. The few pounds of clover seeds included in a grass mixture are

accordingly capable of producing an enormous number of plants. In the case of turnips, a seeding of 41b per acre would produce over six hundred thousand plants to choose from if the germination were perfect. Meat consumption in Germany in Ifi'SS was 87.51 b per capita, compared with 103.21 b in 1913. * * * * Canada’s yield of crops is estimated as follows: —Wheat 196.4 million cwt.; rye, 15.9 million; barley, 27.2 million; and oats, 153.7 million; which compare with last year’s harvests of 214.2, 16.2, 30.8. and 149.1 million cwt. respectively KohLrabi (turnip-rooted cabbage) is recommended for dairy cowe. The roots can be stored like turnips. ■** # * The best maize crops are produced on the deep, rich friable loam of rivers and creeks. It has been found during recent years that payable crops can be also grown on the higher-lying land without irrigation.

Although chemical analysis shows virtually no difference between white and yellow maize grown on the same land, experiments prove that thq yellow variety is the much better balanced ration. As a matter of fact, white maize Alone lias comparatively little food value, but if mixed with other fodders is useful. In 1919 there were 3,035,478 cattle in New Zealand, and the numbers have now increased to distributed as follows:—North Auckland, Auckland, 602,409; Gisborne, 305;H5i8; Hawke’s Bay, 259,430; Taranaki, 388,880; Wellington, '878,932: Nelson, 64,934; Marlborough, 48,010; Westland, 45,359; Canterbury, 21'5,306; Otago, 148,954; Southland, 184,063.

Gattie on long train journeys in Canada receive much more humane treatment than they do in Australia. A North Queenslander at present in Great Britain writes to the Townsville Bulletin about some Canadian beasts he recently saw at Cardiff. These had done 2400 miles- by train before embarking for England. The attendant said they were taken out of the trucks and fed and watered every 24 hours. Needless to add all were dishorned, mostly as calves.

There are few crops which have such universal uses in stock farming and for feeding purposes as linseed. When crushed, steeped and boiled, it makes an admirable mucilage for calf rearing. When mixed with straw chaffed, for young stock and calves it provides a very nourishing food. It is of an agreeable flavour, readily fattening and sustaining, while tlfr oil extracted from the seeds is one of the best medicines for unthrifty cattle. Phosphates, potash and nitrogen are equally important as plant foods in the sense that all are essential. The farmer, however, is most concerned about nitrogen, and not only is its scarcity ■usually the weak link in the chain that leads to crop production, but it is the most expensive to buy. To a considerable extent good farming and the conservation of nitrogen are synonymous. Nitrogen, unfortunately, is very elusive. There is a large natural supply on the farm in the manure heap, but- -much of this is inevitably lost, while much that might be saved is wasted through lack of care in storage. * » * • Should laminitis or founder in horses be due to wheat engorgement, if treatment can be adopted within a short time after the wheat -has been taken, a dose of 4oz. of bicarbonate of soda in a pint of lukewarm water should be given and repeated in two or three hours. Then follow up a little later with a dose of raw linseed oil. This treatment will generally prevent the development of serious symptoms, but should founder .develop the animal should be placed in a foot bath of cold water for several hours a day, or, failing this, bags wrapped around the hoofs and soaked with cold water, and a dose of some saline medicine such as Epsom salts with a teaspoonful of saltpetre twice daily.

Tn giving attention to the growing of fodder crops for the use of stock, the pumpkin should not be overlooked. As a fodder for ail kinds of stock it deserves attention, and has the advantage of being easily raised. Cows will milk as well on pumpkins as on almost any other fodder crop that can be grown for them; calves learn to eat them when very young, horses take to them with avidity, and young pigs need nothing more than a sufficiency of pumpkin along with grass and plenty of water to rapidly qualify them for the topping up pens.