FARM NEWS AND NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, 13 October 1934, Page 24 (Supplement)

FARM NEWS AND NOTES

Great Transformation. A nikau palm standing like a. lone sentinel and one or two stumps are all that now remain of what eleven years ago was standing bush on a farm in the Onaero district. Hard work and progressive farming methods on th 6 part ot the owner, Mr. A. Cole, have transformed the area, into level, well-kept pasture land, which is now carrying a large number of sheep and cattle. Lambs in Hawke’s Bay. Hawke’s Bay is looking remarkably well at present. Although farmers complain that the drying winds have taken up a lot of the moisture the pastures are coming away very well. That, together with the sunshine that has been experienced, has caused the lambs to do remarkably well, and Some particularly weighty ones are to be seen in many paddocks. Last they were also to be seen in many butcher’s shops at Hastings. The forward condition of the lambs indicates that if the weather continues reasonably fine there should be a good supply of stock available when the works open for lamb killing. Herd-Testing ki Taranaki ' The August returns for the Taranaki Herd-Testing Association show that 8473 cows were tested in the 19 groups for an average of 6581 b milk (4.6 test) and 30.411 b of butter-fat. That is an increase of 442 cows, or about 5 per cent., on the same month last year when 8031 cows were tested for the same average of both milk and butter-fat. The Okoke group has the highest average with 38.141 b. fat. Okau-Tongaporutu has the highest producing herd, one of 12 cows which averaged 50.91 b fat. Last year Oakura-Patua headed the list with a herd of 18 cows, producing 47.41 b fat. Inglewood possessed the highest individual producer, 761 b -fat, while last year Oakura-Patua -topped the list with a cow which produced 791 b fat. It is too early yet to give a comparison of the lowest producing herds as many of the cows only came into profit late in August. The same (thing of course applies to the higher, producing herds as welL It is pleasing to note that there is an increase in the number. of cows under test as, in these days of low prices of primary produce, ■ the dairy farmer more than ever’must be certain that he is not milking robber cows.

Advocate of Paspalum. Mr. W. R. Wright, Rahotu, is a believer in paspalum, which he regards as a wonderful autumn grass. He can speak with some weight as he has had experience of paspalum for 50 years—perhaps longer than anyone else in Taranaki. Mr. Wright considers he was the first to introduce paspalum into Taranaki, though as far as he was concerned its introduction was accidental. In 1884 his father sent him from England a case the contents of which were packed with hay, which was thrown out on to a paddock. Later some grass grew up, which Mr. Wright identified as paspalum and which gradually spread, being assisted later by seed sown by Mr. Wright. Later at the first sale held at Rahotu the late Mr. Newton King was advocating the claims of paspalum, a new grass which he held had just been introduced by his firm. He considered it was not possible that Mr. Wright had already established paspalum on his farm, but a visit to the property on his way bkck to New Plymouth convinced Mr. King. Paspalum has to be controlled to get the best results.

Half-brother to Woodlands Felicie. Mr. W. J. Freeth, Ngahiwi Stud, Pukearuhe, was among those present at the New Plymouth Jersey bull fair last week. He was after Woodlands Financier, the half-brother to the world’s champion Woodlands Felicie (12201b5. butterfat) and because of the present day trend of prices he secured the bull at a remarkably low figure. This should prove a good blending with the Ngahiwi butterfat. strains. Mr. Freeth has also disposed of a yearling son of his champion butterfat bull Ngahiwi’s Silent Knight out of one of his best cows to Messrs. Greenaway Bros., Hillsborough. Shipments of Meat.

The shipments of meat from New Zealand. to the United Kingdom during August totalled 288,136 carcases of mutton, 752,211 carcases of lamb, 8,058 quarters of frozen beef and 570 quarters of chilled beef. In the same month there were shipped to the United Kingdom from Australia 50,513 carcases Of mutton, 52,514 carcases of lamb and 90,162 quarters of frozen beef, and from South America 24,902 carcases of mutton, 184,911 carcases of lamb, 1,118 carcases of frozen beef and 416,330 quarters of chilled' beef. Pastures Backward.

In some districts this year the pastures are not as forward as is usually the case' at this season. The grass started to grow well early and then received a setback from rough weather and wind. The warm weather of the last few days following the rain is now bringing the pastures along. No doubt the economising in top-dressing that has been forced on farmers during the past two or three years is also having its effect Taranaki pastures responded readily to slag, which for many years was in great demand. The high prices ruling for slag owing to the exchange and other factors has practically ruled that fertiliser out with the dairy farmer, as is shown by the fact that the imports during last year to New Plymouth were a mere handful—only 550 tons, compared with 10,324 tons the previous year, which was itself a’ comparatively light year. The importations of phosphate have increased about 4000 tons and other fertilisers 1800 tons, but this is not sufficient to make up the leeway. Friesian Bull for Inglewood.

Mr. C. Goble, Piakau, Inglewood, has just secured from H. North and Sons, Omimi, near Dunedin, a three-months-old: pedigree, bull calf by Rosevale Regina Echo-Rosevale Burkeyje Sylvia Posch. He has plenty of butterfat backing, as his dam produced 17,908.61b5. milk and 586.071b5. fat at 1 year 236 days, and went on improving each year until at 7 years she produced 20,7461b5. milk and 752.51b5. fat. The dam Burkeyje Sylvia Posch produced 26,2261b5. milk and 983.2 lbs. fat, while the dam of the sire produced 21,490.71b5. .milk and 823.661b5. fat. Mr. Goble commented on the fact that the bull if shown this year would have to compete against yearlings as he was bom in June, and in show schedules July 1 was the date from which the age was taken. The new regulation introduced by the Taranaki Agricultural Society last week fixing the date at June 1 will just fit this case. Incidentally, at the Jersey bull fair' at Inglewood last week a two-year-old Friesian bull submitted by Mr. Bishop made top price, 17 gns., the purchaser being Julian Bros., Oakura.

Subterranean Clover. Subterranean clover has been responsible to a considerable' degree for better production being obtained from many of the lighter lands of the Hawke’s Bay province. It is being realised more and more what an excellent fertility builder subterranean clover is, building up the nitrogen and humus content of the soil. In Australia where the plant figures prominently on lighter lands it is recognised as having contributed a great deal towards pasture improvement. In some districts it has practically revolutionised farming practice. “I was very much taken with the results of using subterranean clover in a pasture mixture when I visited a property laid down wjth this valuable plant at Ongaonga,” stated one Hawke’s Bay farmer to the Hawke’s Bay Herald. “I saw these pastures when they were in scrub and fem and when I used this clover the first time, I made two bad mistakes. I sowed it without manure and in the spring, the results being a total failure. Other farmers have possibly done the same. A neighbour of mine sowed down 50 acres on light hard shale country in the autumn with English grasses and superphosphate, and the results were very pleasing, the subterranean clover doing well In the pasture mixture. He can now get fat lambs off land which he

had never been able to fatten on previously. There is no doubt that this plant is proving a success, where it is used on lighter land, providing that it receives proper treatment. On heavier land and richer soils rye-grass and white clover are better propositions. Taranaki farmers have established subterranean clover with considerable success, z ■ . 7 -