FARM NEWS AND NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1935, Page 12

FARM NEWS AND NOTES

LAMBS COMING FORWARD. Lambs are now coming forward to the freezing works in very large numbers by rail and road from all parts of the district. In order to cope with the number offering lorries are to be seen on the roads every day of the week. Generally the lambs appear to have done well, there having been an abundance of sunshine, in which they thrive. It is stated, however, that in some cases they are not up to the standard of last year. ,

Brightening, the Roadsides. The brave display of pink and red riiade by the geraniums planted on the bank at the Tapuae hill cutting by Mr. H. E. Staveley’s property gives a bright touch to an otherwise dreary hilL At Tataraimaka, too, Mr. H. D. Moss has created a very effective colour display in front of his premises. These touches of colour are greatly appreciated by pass-ers-by and do much to create a favourable first impression of a district. They could be followed by others with benefit.

Trying Weather for Farmers. While the hot weather that has prevailed for the past few weeks has been very trying for everyone there is one section of the community for whom it might have been particularly difficult, and that is the dairy farmers and the dairy factory managers and staffs, who have to handle and manufacture milk and cream into cheese and butter. The position is perhaps not quite so bad with milk, as the evening’s milking is done when the sum is beginning to sink, whilst the morning milking is completed and the milk delivered to the factory while the day is yet early. Provided the farmer has an adequate supply of water for cooling from a well it is possible to keep the milk in good order. Water from the streams is unsuitable as the temperature of the water is far too high for cooling. With cream, however, the position is much more difficult. Cream in some cases, where the lorries have to coyer, a long round, is left out near the gate sometimes for two or three hours, and though in many cases the eream is in a stand built under the shade of trees, there are some instances where there is no shade, except that provided by the stand, and the cream naturally suffers. In a few cases there are no stands and there, of course, considerable harm is done. The cream lorries in most cases have covers, but the two or three hours at least that elapse between the time of separating and of the arrival of the cream at the factory must have a deleterious effect. Most farmers realise the necessity for giving every attention to the cream with the object of sending only finest grade to the factory, but they are faced with great difficulties in such hot weather, and as a result it is understood that in at least one home-separa-ting factory trouble has been experienced.

Value of Korimiko. Korimiko, a native shrub, is recognised by the Maoris and by European farmers to have a medicinal value in treating young calves for certain troubles. It is evidently used commercially to a considerable extent, as a New Plymouth nursery firm some time ago had to execute an order for a South Island firm for one hundredweight of dried korimiko foliage. Rain Tree of Peru. The rain tree, one of the wonders of Peru, is the country’s saviour in times of drought. Its' huge umbrella-like leaves condense the moisture of the atmosphere and precipitate from 10 to 15 gallons of water a day. Testing of Seeds. Some idea of the work carried out at the Department of Agriculture’s seedtesting station at Palmerston North may be gathered from the fact that no fewer than 17,122 seed samples were tested for the calendar year ending December 1933, an increase of 3205 on the number tested during the previous year, the increase being due largely to the very considerable number of trade samples of rye grass submitted during September, October and November. There were 242 tests for purity only, 8939 for purity and germination 6117 for germination only and 1824 teste with ultra violet light. In none of the grasses and clovers were there marked deviations in average purity from general standards. Generally germination capacity was up to standard: The average figures for perennial rye grass were not markedly different from those of the previous year. Hawkes Bay, Poverty Bay, North and mid Canterbury and Central Otago were still the most favourable districts for rye grass as far as germination was concerned. For New Zealand seed, the ultra violet light method rf examination continued to give satisfactory results in the indentification of lines of relatively superior type and it was employed as a check test on samples of all lines of certified perennial rye grass and for the classification as “perennial” of commercial samples, submitted by the trade and growers,