FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1927, Page 16

FARM AND DAIRY.

FIELD NOTES COR JANUARY. (By J. W. Deem, Instructor in Agriculture, Wanganui.) The rough spring delayed sowing, consequently the harvesting of cereal crops will be late. The area is small, and every endeavour should be made to save crops in first class condition. ROOT CROPS. The sowing of most root crops will have been completed by the end of December. However, there will still be some areas to sow, and this work should be completed as quickly as possible. Swedes may still be sown on the higher levels, but in the majority of cases it will now be found more profitable to sow turnips such as Hardy or Imperial Green Globe or’Green-top Aberdeen. Quick acting manures, such as super, basic super, or special turnip manures, are suitable, used at from two to three cwt per acre. If super is being used at anything over two cwt per acre at this season of the year, it is best to broadcast half of it, and sow the balance with tho seed. Heavy dressings of super during dry weather is likely to burn the seed and retard germination. If not already done, the thinning of mangold and carrot crops should be pushed along so as to insure the best possible growth while the weather is warm. Carrots are best thinned to about 8 inches, and mangolds 12 to 14 inches apart in the drills. In "thinning root crops great care should be taken to leave the most vigorous plants, even if it is necessary to leave them a little closer or a little wider apart in tho drills. Where carrots of the Guerande variety are being grown for sheep, they should have intercultivation to control weeds, but the carrots should not be thinned.

Mangold crops that are backward, or showing yellow leaves, will greatly benefit from a top-dressing of Nitrate of soda, %to 1 cwt per acre. The nitrate of soda should bo broadcasted along the drills on a wet day. Millet and rape crops should be ready to feed about the end of January. To get the best of millet, feeding should start when it is about 6 inches high. If this is done it will stool out and give a lot of feeding during the autumn. Both cows and lambs will do better on it, if fed under these conditions. Rape is best left until it ripens, and this is when it takes on a bluish tinge. It is then in its best fattening condition. Lambs confined to rape are inclined to scald, and where possible they should have access to some other fodder such as millet or peas or a run off on a bit of grass. If rape or turnip crops are being badly attacked with turnip moth or aphis, it is good practice to eat the leaves off quickly with lambs or other suitable stock and thus starve out these peats.

Where peas are grown for Jamb fattening, start should be made to feed off when the main crop of pods are full and just getting hard. If stocked earlier, lambs do not like them and there is considerable waste. If the weather continues dry practically every pea will be picked up from the ground. Lambs should not be confined on peas for a start, as it takes them a little time to get used to them, and during the first week they should have access to other feed to'keep them going. After about a week the peas are readily eaten and the necessity for other fodder is not so great. At the same time lambs fattening on peas will always do better if they have a run off. They should be provided with plenty of drinking water.

THE BEST BREED. JERSEY OR HOLSTEIN? Writes our Urenui correspondent: In your issue of the 11th inst., a letr appeared from a Tfkorangi corresondent under the nom de plume of Observant,” in which he takes excepor, to a few remarks made by myself favour of the Jersey as the most protrble type of cow for general dairyg purposes, the writer evidently reaiding the merits of the Holstein as iperior to the Jersey. Witlt regard to le statement made by Mr. Munro, it eems scarcely credible that a gentlelan in his position would pronounce le Jersey as th . tost profitable cow ithout good and sufficient reasons," the ore so from the fact that in former ears he was an admirer of the Shortorn breed, and it would seem that his dvice should be of benefit to those about take up dairying, in the selection of the most suitable type of cow. If, with y “very limited line of vision,” I istaken as to the merits of th» Jersey, hen it would seem that the majority f dairy farmers in North Taranakli, ho are not in the game for a joke, and ilk the cow which pays them best, hould consult a specialist with regard o their eyesight. “Observant” says that many weird things happen in the Waikato, and evidently discredits the statem’ent that the four leading herds in the Testing Association were composed chiefly of Jerseys, yet I am given to understand that it was one of the officers who are responsible for these tests that gave the Holstein cow Princess Gin her record. But it is not necessary to travel as far as the Waikato for strange happenings, as cases have been known nearer home of a xrolstein cow giving the large amount of 801 b of milk per diem, with the wonderful test of 1.6 per cent, of butter-fat, which works out at about 381 b per month, whilst in the same locality a couple of Jerseys are doing 731 b and 861 b respectively. But individual tests do not cut a great deal of ice, and I am of opinion that “Observant” will find that in this portion of Taranaki, at least, under ordinary feed conditions, the average Jersey herd will beat any other breed out of sight, and this has been proved to be the case, in more than one instance, whilst I have been told of an owner of a Holstein herd who intends mating gome of his best cows with a Jersey bull with a view to increased production.

While conceding “Observant” th{ privilege of voicing hi® praise of jhe Holstein, there is no denying the fact that buyers from all parts of the North Island, and in some cases the South, have for some time past made extensive purchases of both Jersey heifers and bulls in Taranaki for the purpose of building up dairy herds, and that even in country saleyards a good-loolt-ing Jersey heifer or cow will invariably fetch a higher figure than an attractiveIcoking animal of another type. The upkeep of the two breeds is also a matter for consideration, and whereas the live v eight of two leading Holsteins were

respectively 18001 b and 20001 b, that of the Jersey Holly Oak Annie, with a record of‘only 471 b less of butter-fat, was onlv 7001bs.

THE BEST BREED. JERSEY OR HOLSTEIN? Writes our Urenui correspondent: In your issue of the 11th inst., a letter appeared' from a Tikorangi correspondent under the nom de plume of “Observant,” in yhich he takes exception to a few remarks made by myself in favour of the Jersey as the most'profitable type of cow for general dairying purposes, the writer evidently regarding the merits of the Holstein as superior to the Jersey. With regard to the statement made by Mr. Munro, it seems scarcely credible that' gentleman in his position would pronounce the Jersey as the most profitable cow without good and sufficient reasons, the more so from the fact that in former years lie was an admirer of the Shorthorn breed, and it would seem that his advice should be of benefit to those about to take up dairying, in the selection of the most suitable type of cow. If, with my “very limited line of vision,” I am mistaken as to the merits of the Jersey, then it would seem that the. majority of dairy farmers in North Taranaki, who are not iu the game for a joke, and milk the «ow which pays them best, should consult a specialist with regard to their eyesight.