MANAGEMENT OF FARMS

Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 1931, Page 8

MANAGEMENT OF FARMS

LECTURE BY MR. C. M. HUME.

END OF SOUTH TARANAKI SERIES

The last of his South Taranaki series of lectures on farm management was criven by Mr. C. M. Hume, organiser of the Group Herd-Testing Federation, at Tokaora on Tuesday night. Mr. H. Thrush presided. Mr. Hume's address dealt briefly with pastures, rotational "I'a,zing, pig breeding and herd testing. ° Mr. Hume stated that investigations at the Plant Research Station at Palmerston North had shown New Zealand perennial rye, cocksfoot and white clove' - to be the best in the world. When the best strains of these grassed were present in all the dairy pastures the o-ood land could be made to carry a cow °to the acre, and the best land oven more. Grasses in the average New Zealand pasture were even worse than the cows in the dairy herds, so that the certificating work of the Plant Research Station was of great value. Where it received the proper fertiliser grass in the leaf stage was equivalent in food value /to concentrated foods. .The benefit of pig recording lay in what was discovered about the value of various foods. The aim was to produce a 401 b. weaner at eight weeks, in which instance there was money in pork. A 401 b. weaner meant a 901 b. porker at 19 weeks. Reports of the results of the first shipment of recorded pigs to England had been most satisfactory. The pork was about as good as the best English, but had a big advantage in that it was much' leaner. The report hod, however, stated that the porkers were too big, so that a 401 b. weaner should be killed at from 14 to 16 week*. The fattening sty should be abandoned. A trough with food in it all day long should .be kept in the corner of the paddock, with rails round it under which the little pigs could creep. Earlier weaning and keeping the sow in good condition were two of the advantages. Meat nual gave the little pigs the right frame. Meat meal could also be recommended for calf feeding. The cost of feeding pigs ■under this system was approximately 4s per weaner at eight weeks. ■> Mr. Hume warned his hearers against exceeding the quantities of the balanced ration. As far as the type of pig was concerned, if they used large white boars with fine bones or Canadian Berkshire boars they would not go far wrong. At the present time it was difficult to say which was the best pig for New Zealand conditions. In Denmark the farmers had built ,up their own type of pig, but they went in for bacon, whereas it was contended that in, New Zealand pork would be more profitable. The greatly increased carrying capacity where rotational grazing was practised was shown at Dr. Annett’s farm in the Waikato. When he took over the place three years ago the; 36 acres carried 19 cows. Now there were 33 cows, 17 head of young stock, two horses and two bulls, as well as 150 ewes and 111 fat lambs. The ideal size of paddocks for rotational grazing was an acre for every 15 cows. Rotational grazing, was going to give them the opportunity of carrying more' young stock and the opportunity of using sheep. A big expansion, of the fat lamb trade would come, not from the sheep farmers, but from the dairy farmers. The idea of using sheep was to improve pastures for the dairy cows. There was no reason even with rotational grazing why farms should not be adequately sheltered. Referring to the. low percentage of cows tested in this district, 15 as against the New Zealand figure of 20, Mr. Hume said it seemed the only explanation was that Taranaki must be better off than other parts of New Zealand. The farmers had not made the efforts that had been necessary in other districts.'

The way to cheapen production costs was to increase the production capacity. An illustration was to consider two farms each carrying 60 head of cattle. With butter-fat at Is per lb., one where the cows averaged 2001 b. of butter-fat would bring in a gross income of £6OO, while another where the cows averaged 4001 b. of butter-fat would bring in £l2OO. Allowing for the heavy top-dressing of the second, say 50 tons of manure at £5, it would still show an increase of £350 over the first. In each case the labour would be about the same.

At the present time the average dairyland produced. 801 b. butter-fat to the acre, which meant Is 2Jd to Is 31d for butter-fat if the average farmer was to pay his way. Quite a number of dairymen were getting 160 to 1701 b. per a?re, which meant’ that they Were producing .at 9d to 10jd per lb. A few were producing at 7d per lb., after paying themselves wages, and they were not worrying iu the least about low prices. Mr. Hume quoted the example of a man who five years ago was milkin a- 53 cows, which averaged 2141 b. but-ter-fat, while now, on the same property, 70 cows averaged 3331 b. Mr. Hume expressed the opinion that Jersey people, iu cheese districts particularly, had gone too far for test. High butter-fat herds were also high milk producing. DECLINE IN ATTENDANCES. HAWERA MAIN SCHOOL COMMITTEE Tho Hawera main school committee met on Tuesday night, Dr. W. M. Thomson presiding. A serious drop in attendance was revealed by the headmaster’s report. The capitation allowance is based upon attendance. This allowance, as pointed out by the chairman, was the only income the committee had. As it was at present, it was insufficient for the needs of so large an establishment and some means would have to be found to augment it. Finance was a serious question to the committee and members were perturbed over the drop in attendances. Repairs to buildings were discussed and several matters are to bo referred to the architect for attention. Arrangements.: in connection with the school band concert to be held on Friday were well in hand, reported JMrr. Church. The headmaster, Mr. J. \V. Thomas, stated that tickets were selling well.

- The necessity for someone to ■carry out the secretarial duties of the dental clinic committee was discussed, and Mr. H. Collier was appointed.