FARM NEWS AND NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1935, Page 24 (Supplement)

FARM NEWS AND NOTES

Apple Exports. Apple exports from Gisborne this season should be nearly the lowest on record since the district joined the export trade in 1926. So far only 3828 cases have left Gisborne for overseas, and other shipments are not likely to exceed 1000 cases, to bring the total for the season up to just under 5000 cases. It was realised at the outset that the season would be a small one for exports, but the results have been a long way below expectations. Margarine Complex.

That local authorities in England should celebrate jubilee year by providing inmates of public institutions with butter instead of margarine was urged by Mr. Will Thorne, M.P., in a letter which appeared in the London Press. He referred to the example set by the London County Council in this respect, and expressed the hope that every other local authority would likewise “remove the ‘margarine complex from its administration of public assistance.”

Two Crops of Seeds. In Central Otago a farmer has successfully harvested two crops of seed—ryegrass and white clover—from one paddock at different intervals in the one season. The rye-grass ripened first, and this was harvested directly with , the header-harvester, leaving the bottom 6in to Bin of the sward containing clover untouched. A few weeks later, when the clover was ripe, the crop was windrowed. When this was dry the windrows were picked up by the headerharvester and threshed. Double Record. A Friesian cow, Totara - C. R. Buttercup, has established a New Zealand record in being the first cow of any breed to exceed 10001 b of butterfat on two occasions. Her performance was all the more remarkable in that it was put up in successive years. As a four-year-old she produced 1079.141 b fat and this year as a five-year-old 1 she produced 1050.07 lb of fat, her milk production figures being the huge total of 28,0731 b. The Man and His Horse. No man who has to do with horses can be considered good unless he possesses the natural instinct that will enable, him to gauge the mentality of the animals he hap to deal with. Without that he canqot get the best out of them. The man and his horse must, above all, be good friends. Horses, as a rule, are sufficiently intelligent to know whether there is or is not a fellow-feeling between themselves and those who work with them- Like dogs, they are good judges of character, and if they show a marked antipathy to anyone while being well-behaved towards others, one may be sure that there is a good reason for it. Some horses at least know whether a person with whom they come in contact is fond of horses or otherwise. Far East as Market.

“While I was in Japan,” says Mr. J. Shand, a Dunedin business man, recently returned from the Far East,” I did a lot of prospecting, and found that there is a large potential market. I spoke of the high quality of Otago and Southland produce, and was told that if it were all that I claimed it to be there was a good market. At the request of interested parties I was asked to make small sample shipments of lamb, butter, cheese, and pork. I have since my return been endeavouring to affect shipment, but I have found my way flocked in every direction. Why such obstruction should exist I leave for your investigation, but there certainly seem to be big interests opposing my proposal in this end of the country.” New Zealand Wheat Dufies.

One of the arguments used by the opponents of the wheat duty is the hampering influence it has on the development of trade relations with Australia. The fact is overlooked that at present the Dominion imports twice as much from Australia as it exports there, comments the May issue of the Wheat Grower.. The actual figures for 1934, as a matter' of. fact, were £3,417,337 imports and £1,595,047 exports. If Australian State subsidised wheat were brought into the Dominion to the extent of 6,000,000 or 7,000,000 bushels annually, as jt would have to be if the protection were removed, the disparity of the figures would be more likely to be quadrupled, instead of doubled, as it is to-day.

Stringent Pig Grading. * Following an increase in the number of pigs classed as unexportable as the result of inspection at freezing works, the New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association, Hamilton, sought an explanation from the Department of Agriculture, remarks a Southland paper. The department has replied: “This position has eventuated as a result of stringent action being taken - by the Home inspecting authorities regarding the interpretation of the imported food regulations. In effect this means that a much more stringent inspection than was previously the case is being made in England of our pig exports, resulting in' the necessity for very thorough precautions at thip end in order to obviate condemnations and complaints in England.” Novel Cover for Silage.

The fields instructor, Greymouth, reports that a Rotomana farmer weighted silage in rather a novel manner. He put in a stack of about 40 tons of silage, then immediately stacked from 10 to 15 . tons, of hay on top. Both hay and silage are of very satisfactory quality, and there is no mould in hay nor between hay and silage. That was certainly a novel and effective way of covering the ensilage but it would probably necessitate feeding out the hay with the ensilage, or else carting the hay into a shed, when the silage was required to be uncovered. In the latter case the time taken in carting would probably only equal the time taken in covering the ensilage with earth as is the ’ordinary practice, and later the time required to remove that earth. Ensilage for Hoggets. It is commonly agreed among sheepfarmers that hoggets do not readily commence eating silage, and in consequence the method successfully adopted by a farmer at Taihape is of some interest, remarks the Fields Superintendent, Palmerston North, in the latest issue of the Journal of Agriculture. The silage being utilised is made from lucerne, but, unlike the usual material from this source, is almost dry, and approximates the nature of heavily sweated hay. There an entire absence of any fluid exuding from the pit, and the silage, although quite green in colour, has a very pleasant aroma. Absolutely no difficulty has ever been experienced in regard to hoggets acquiring a taste for this material right from the start. The methdd of making this class of silage consists of mowing the lucerne and leaving it in the swath until it would be considered ready for cocking as for hay. At that stage it is filled quickly into the pit and . covered. There is no doubt that the, resultant product is a very fine fodder for sheep. The method employed is indicated by the fact that the whole paddock on a recent occasion was cut, and when ready for raking one-half went into the ensilage pit, the remainder being raked and cocked for curing as hay. The later was a splendid green sample in the stack. . -