ON THE LAND

Taranaki Daily News, 23 April 1932, Page 20 (Supplement)

ON THE LAND

SALT AND MINERAL FOODS.

IMPORTANCE IN PIG RAISING. It is generally accepted that salt is an essential to the daily diet of all domestic animals, including the pig. It imparts flavour and relish to food, incites appetite and promotes digestion, it induces the secretion of the digestive fluids and encourages nutrition by stimulating'a greater assimilation of protein. It has been proved by experiment that a pig weighing 1001 b. will absorb half an ounce of salt daily. Given regularly in small doses, there can be no objection to its use —in fact, it is essential —but care should be taken that -over-doses are not given. Sudden cases of illness, often with fatal results, have been traced to pigs eating abnormal quantities of salt, but these are very rare, and should not cause unnecessary alarm. It has been proved by tests that where pigs are deprived of salt, it requires more food to produce 1001 b. of gain in pork. The most sensible plan is to allow pigs to have a liberal supply of mineral food always in boxes before them. Occasionally pigs are observed to develop unnatural cravings, and will eat . all sorts of rubbish lying about. This points to a deficiency of some mineral in the food. When it is considered that lime furnishes the bulk of the dry ash o r bone it will be seen how important it is to have-this element available. On poor land or sandy soils there is always a deficiency of lime. On such soils it is essential that the mineral food be always accessible for the pigs. .Brood sows in particular should alwaj ■ have lime in some form. Pregnant sows should be given a little lime water daily, also sows with litters, as it is such a useful corrective in many forms of indigestion, diarrhoea, or scours in both old and young pigs.

ILLUMINATING TESTING RETURN.

RECORDS OF PEDIGREE CATTLE.

The returns recently published giving the results of semi-official testing work amongst pedigree Jerseys last season clearly indicate that the productive ability of the breed, so far from going back, is steadily increasing. Despite a somewhat unfavourable season, when the average production for all the cows in the Dominion dropped from 2181 b. fat to 2011 b. fat, the average for the 503 pedigree Jerseys under the 365 day C.O.R. test increased from 466.781 b. fat to 486.251 b. fat. An increase of 201 b. fat in the average when the general tendency was a definite downward one, is a striking illustration of the still higher standard to which the productive capacity of stud stock is being raised. Analysing the C.O.R. returns it is found that of the 503 Jerseys no fewer than 191 were junior two-year-olds, which makes the average infinitely more creditable. The 135 mature cows showed the remarkable average of 547.491 b. fat in 3'50 days. Only one class record was broken during the year, that by no fewer than three animals. This was the junior two-year-old leadership of 731.291 b. fat, held by R. S. Tuck’s (Waharoa) Ivondale Oxford Lass, whose yield was exceeded during the year by R. Waterhouse’s (Papakura) Coniston Goldie, R. L. Parkin’s ('Bell Block) Ashton Olive’s Pet and A. L. Hooper’s (Waitara) Bridgeview Jersey Queen. These three heifers, together with another of the same age in P. J. Hellyer’s ('Dunediil) Frisky’s Favourite, which broke tile ■South Island junior two-year-old record by producing 7111 b. fat, were the features of the year’s testing work. The highest return for all ages was 840.411 b. fat produced by a three-year-old, Cytherea’s Twylish Cream, the property of E. J. Clough, Inglewood. The number of pedigree Jerseys to which first class certificates were granted last season' for both the 365 and 305 day periods was 600. THE DAM’S INFLUENCE. ■PRODUCTION OF DAUGHTERS. In the Journal of Dairy Science Mr. Lyon Copeland declares that there is undoubted correlation between the production of a cow and the production of the daughters, and that therefore the selection of females from high record dams should result in a herd that should produce in excess of the breed average. He deprecates the selection of a bull purely on the record of the dam and declares that the record of the dam is almost twice as reliable a measure of the production of her own daughters as it is of her son’s daughters.

Mr. Copeland stresses the point that too much information cannot possibly bo obtained by anybody selecting an untried young bull. Investigation should be made into the average of the dam’s record, the dam’s sisters’ records and the dam’s daughter's records. If the dam has no record, the average of the records of her maternal, sisters and of her daughters gives almost equally dependable results.

CHAMPION BUTTERFAT BULL.

FIVE SUCESSFUL DAUGHTERS.

The latest champion butterfat bull is Mr. C. G. C. Dermer’s Vivandiere’s Prince who won the title by reason of having five daughters from different dams that have reached certain standards of production. That Prince jshould prove a great 'butterfat &ire is only what might be expected, as the dam, Vivandiere, is the champion Jersey cow of New Zealand on twice-a-day milking, her record being 103611). of fat in 365 days.

BUSINESS-LIKE FARMING.

ELIMINATION OF LOW PRODUCERS.

Increasingly every day dairy farming is being conducted on a more busi-ness-like basis. The advent of group herd-testing has paved the way for a better system of farm management, making as it does for the elimination of unprofitable animals and the retention of only the profitable ones. Herd testing is really yet in its infancy in this country, but when farmers realise still more its immense potentialities it is evident that it will become the greatest factor in the advancement of the industry. It is inconceivable that there are still dairy farmers who refuse to take advantage of it and continue to keep cows that are not paying for their keep. It is obvious that the elimination of low producers is the first step in developing a really profitable herd. A study of the herd testing sheets opens the eyes of th . testing farmer to the possibilities in the right class of cows and ths enormous im>portanc6 of securing the prepotent sire of good butter-fat backing.

CERTIFICATES OF RECORD.

PARTICULARS FOR LAST YEAR. The Director of the Dairy Division in the March issue of the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture gives particulars of the Certificate of Record testing for pedigree dairy cows in 1931. _ F° r that year, 503 yearly . nd 97 305-day test C.O.R. were issued for Jerseys; 95 yearly and 9 305-day for Friesians; 18 yearly and 1 305-day for Milking Shorthorns; 11 yearly for Ayrshires; and three yearly for Red Polls. The average production, for Certificates of Record (Ist class) for 1931 was: — Breed. Yearly T. 305-day T. Friesians 559.011 b. fat 423.641 b. fat Red Polls 505.871 b. fat — Jerseys 486.251 b. fat 421.121 b. fat M. Short. 446.131 b. fat 416.511 b. fat Ayrshires 428.841 b. fat — The average production for all First Class Certificates of Record (yearly test) since the introduction of this test in 1912 to the end of 1931 is:— Breed. lb. fat. Friesians 485.06 Jerseys 451.77 Ayrshires 439.92 Milking Shorthorns 439.02 Red Polls 375.46 The Director of the Dairy Division also gives the following interesting list of cows holding certificates under C.O.R. test on yields of 10001 b. butter-fat or over: —

In addition to the above list, the Friesian cow Rosevale Queen Sylvia Triumph holds a second class C.O.R. of 25453.81 b. milk and 1055.251 b. fat. MANURE FOR TOPDRESSING. DECREASE IN USE. In sympathy with the reduction in the consumption of superphosphate in the Waikato, the use of nitrogenous manures has dropped by a third this season, compared with the quantity consumed in previous seasons. Referring to the position of farming, Dr. H. E. Annett, of Hamilton, said that the regular use of phosphatic manures was essential to success in grassland managment. There was a general and growing recognition of the value of nitrogenous fertilisers in promoting and prolonging pasture growth in the. Waikato particularly, as well as the need for subdivisions and rotational grazing. The application of manures formed an important part of farm management, but it was not the only factor Which made for success.

Dr. Annett referred to two Matangi farmers, who had in recent years greatly increased the production of their herds by constantly reading periodicals which dealt with farming and hy trying out the many . suggestions contained therein which were the outcome of scientific research,

A NEW ZEALAND RECORD.

J'UVENILE HEIFER’S FEAT.

A New Zealand record for monthly production amongst junior two-year-olds has been established by the very juvenile Jersey heifer Alfalfa Jewel, whose latest monthly return under semi-official test is 77.301 b. fat. This heifer, which started test at the tender age of one year 310 days, is owned by Messrs. A. E. Baker and Son, Pukearuhe, and was bred by Mr. F. J. Saxby, “Alfalfa,” Hamilton. Her sire is Alfalfa Flying FoX, a double grandson of Waipiko Masterpiece C. 8.8., whose first born daughters established some little time ago a world’s record average for age. PHENOMENAL JERSEY COW. SENSATIONAL RECORD IN SIGHT. At the rate she is. going . the four-year-old Jersey heifer Woodland’s Felicie, the property of Mr. P. J. Peterson, Wajtara, gives promise of breaking not only the New Zealand record, but also the world’s production record. For the last few months she has consistently produced over 1001 b. fat, each monthly effort showing a slight increase over the previous period. The culminating point was her latest monthly return of 112.301 b. fat and she now has 656.451 b. -fat to her credit in only 195 days. When it is recognised that the average production for all cows in New Zealand is only about 2001 b. fat, Felicie’s feat in producing three times that amount in a little over six months can be more fully appreciated. This dairying queen, who was bred by Mr. H. C. Sampson, New Plymouth, is a daughter of the Canadian-'bred bull Bright Sultan (imp.). Thus she is carrying on the work of an illustrious ancestry, for Bright Sultan is line-bred to the great Island bull, Golden Maid’s Prince, who begot Fauvic’s Prince, the only side with three daughters with records exceeding 10001 b. fat. It certainly looks clear at.' this stage that New Zealand bred Woodland’s Felicie will easily exceed the 10001 b. mark for the full 365 day?. The present New Zealand record-holder is Holly Oak Annie, C.O.R. 10561 b. fat. STRIPPING IS IMPORTANT. A PRACTICAL TEST. Not long ago, to satisfy my own curiosity, I tested the very first milk of a Jersey cow whose average test was 5.5 per cent., and then tested the very last strippings, writes a contributor to the Jersey Bulletin (U.S.A.). 1 found that the first milk contained .8 per cent, fat while the last milk tested 12.4 per. cent, fat—ls times more but-ter-fat in the last drawn milk. Stripping is important not only because this milk contains much more butterfat, but also may help avoid much udder trouble.

Name of Cow lb. milk lb. fat Alcartra Clothilde Pietje 31312.5 114'5.24 Holly Oak’s Annie 18'522.7 1056.49 Hilda Minto De Koi 27773.8 1046.31 Vivandiere 17282.1 1036.09 Totara Sylvia Colantha 26310.1 1024.37 Pretty’s Flirt 16684.1 1010.49 Monavale Queen Bess 26461.8 1002.20