FARM NEWS AND NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1935, Page 24 (Supplement)

FARM NEWS AND NOTES

Paspalum for Summer Feed. Mr. W. J. Freeth, “Ngahiwi,” Pukearuhe, is a great advocate for the inclusion of paspalum. in the grass-seed mixture to ensure an abundance of feed during the hot dry season. That paspalum is admirably suited by such conditions is evidenced by the fact that the “Ngahiwi” pastures are looking remarkably well and are showing abundant growth. That, together with breeding on butterfat lines, is reflected in the butterfat production, as the “Ngahiwi” team of 10 cows and nine heifers under semiofficial test averaged for February 51.11 b of fat, easily leading the average put up by the next best Taranaki team. These results were mostly obtained from paspalum pastures. Valuable Lucerne.

The New South Wales Government agrostologist refers in a recent report to the conversion of big areas of weedinfested lands in the Macquarrie district to holdings carrying big flocks of sheep —all by the planting of lucerne. He states that on one property of 2000 acres, 1500 acres had been established in lucerne, the first sowing being made in 1926. Of the area, 160 acres are irrigated. The property carries 5500 sheep all the year round, with fat lamb raising as the chief activity. Between 4000 and 5000 lambs and sheep are marketed annually in prime condition, and this is possible only because of the extensive areas of lucerne. On another property 600 acres have been established. From this the owners fatten prime lambs, make hay, which is cut and pressed in the field, and harvest excellent seed. Electric Fences.

America has always been looked upon as the land of new ideas, and certainly the latest, idea in agriculture, emanating from that country is a radical innovation that has the touch of the futuristic about it It is nothing else but an electric fence guaranteed to save 10 times its own cost in one year. Comprising only a single strand of wire with stakes instead of posts and without gates, it can effectively prevent cattle from leaving their own particular domain. The single wire is given power to hold the animals at bay by a weak electric current passing through it, the current being supplied by a controller that is plugged into a light socket. One harmless shock from the electrified wire suffices to make the animals stay away from it in future, and they will neither attempt to go over it or under it. It is said to cost about 10 cents (approximately sd) monthly for electricity for 100 to 200 acres. Such are the eulogistic references of the manufacturers, who claim it as the “world’s cheapest and most effective livestock fence.” Production Offsets Prices.

How the decline in prices can be offset by increased production , has been demonstrated by a farmer in the Urenui district. Seven or eight years ago his property was carrying 33 cows and a few calves. As the result of the introduction of better farming methods, particularly in relation to pasture management, the property is now carrying 60 dairy cows and some ewes, as well as 36 pigs including six breeding sows. Though he has doubled the carrying capacity .the returns are little, if any higher because butterfat is now in the vicinity of 10d, compared, with Is lOd. However, the increased production has certainly enabled him to carry on, which he could not have done had his production remained at the same level as it was before prices slumped. The Second Waiwera. The arrival of the second Waiwera, a motor ship, in New Zealand waters, recalls the fate of. the old troopship of that name still remembered by war veterans. She was the first vessel to load frozen meat at Waikokoptr for the Home market, and finally, after doing her bit as a troopship, she was purchased by the Government and sunk at the Waikokopu bluff to break the range at the wharf. The stone ballast rolled her as she was struck by the seas, and now there is scarcely a scrap of her steel to be seen near the short breakwater subsequently built by the Public Works Department. The Waiwera, it will be remembered, created a red letter day for Taranaki when she arrived at New Plymouth on March 21, 1917, to take the first direct shipment of produce from Taranaki to England. Her cargo on that occasion was 12,000 freight carcases of meat from the Smart Road freezing ’ works. Mussolini Again.

At least one section of Italy’s population has reason to be proud about over-production in the dairying industry in that country. To dispose of the surplus economically it has been decreed by the Italian Government that the army and navy are to have milk and cheese with their rations. As previously their cocoa never included milk, and cheese never appeared in their bill of fare, the soldiers and sailors are naturally jubilant about this latest measure- to help the dairying industry. Italy’s younger generation, however, may not be so enthusiastic about Dictator Mussolini’s plans to rehabilitate the fruit industry. In attempting to encourage Italy to consume its own fruit output the dictator has struck at one of the pleasures of the young Italian by commanding parents to give their children fruit instead of confectionery. Utilisation of Crops.

Proper utilisation of crops as well as pasture is an important feature of successful farm management. Indeed it is almost as important as knowing how successfully to grow the crops. Taranaki farmers realise how important it is fully to utilise their pasture, as unless it is properly fed down or topped it deteriorates considerably. In the last issue of the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture Mr. R. P. Connell, of the fields division, Palmerston North, has . some interesting remarks on the utilisation of crops. Often during March, he says, a cut of hay or green feed is available from areas of lucerne. After such a cut, if weeds are a menace and if dry conditions prevail, it is likely to be advantageous to give the crop a stroke of the tine-harrows or of other harrows fitted with teeth possessing the fine points required to avoid undue injury to the lucerne plants. There is an occasional tendency to look upon cultivation as a routine part of the culture of lucerne. Actually, at times more harm than good has been done to lucerne crops by illconsidered surface-cultivation, Relative to this, before cultivation is begun an attempt should be made to gauge the prospects of materially reducing the invading weeds without at the same time correspondingly injuring the lucerne by cultivation. If the cultivation needed to reduce the weeds satisfactorily has to be so severe that lucerne plants are freely destroyed, then the lucerne area may become so thinned eventually as not to warrant persevering with it. Because of the resultant thinning the use of implements which cut the main roots of lucerne is as a rule inadvisable. Every year some areas of maize and of millet are allowed to become too woody or are cut down by frosts. Generally it is advisable to utilise them earlier and at times to employ the land thereby made vacant in growing one of the fall-sown forage crops mentioned above. Maize or millet that cannot be used effectively as green feed should be conserved as silage, provided the amount available is sufficient to make this worth while, having due regard to the relatively high proportion of waste associated with small quantities of silage.