Rural Talks.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 14003, 11 September 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

Rural Talks.

. (By Koratli.) STOOK THRESHING. Mr Scannell, president of the Millowners' Union, went to a good deal of trouble to explain why the millowners agreed, at tlio Conciliation Commission at Waimatc, to the abolition of stook threshing. He put the case for the mill-owners very well when conversing with the "Herald" representative. -But his explanation is but poor satisfaction to tho farmers who count upon' getting some of their grain, of not the whole of it, knocked out of the stook. ■ A feeling is. abroad that thq mill-owners were not very keen on stook threshing and 'threw it overboard without . compunction to save the contract system. . The stook threshing difficulty is not a new one. In the Workers' Union gave notice that it ,\yi.shcd the Arbitration. Court, when fixing the award, to insert a clause providing that ,the men should 1)0 paid by the hour when stook threshing, half-time wages to be given when, the mill. was idle througli wet weather. If that clause had been inserted in the award th<s extra payment would, of course, have been, passed on to the farmer. . There is a. good deal to bet said on the men's side in this affair, and " mill-owners; themselves are not at all fond of stook threshing. ! The farmer-gets all the benefit under tlio existing system,. ''He stands to loso nothing and if luck is with jiim i, he will get his harvesting done, cheaper Iby at loast ( two shillings acre than' life would if he 'had to stack his grain, the mill-owner has liis plant lying idle : after every little, shower; and his men, ' get discontented. ■- ■ The 4nen should ■ have something extra'for stook thresli- • ing, and tlie farmer should recognise that tho mill-owner in order to pay his men more, and in order to compensate himself for • loss, of time,: must ; charge more for stook threshing than for stack thrcshiiig. ; MilU-menhave 'to leave harvesting work to go stook threshing, and they thus lose, their harvest wages. Mill-owners will not employ them unless they undertake to >0 With the mill directly it pulls out. If damp weather comes these mill-men Ire often idling round for days and sometimes for weeks, waiting for stqoks to drv. If they were,, working at ordinary harvest work they would have 'a chance at something. Cutting, stook; 'ihg, re-stooking and stacking may ->e ■all'going on when stuff is not in a. fit ■condition to thresh from the _stook. Mill-owners make very, little out of stook ■tbresliing except in seasons like last harvest. They pull their mills into Stocks to kc/ep their clients together by obliging them. ; It seems to me that if the farmer wishes to save money, by threshing out of the stook the l'igk of loss by unsuitable weather should hot be borne wholly by the mill mrn. Thev should be recompensed for total loss' of time' in stook threshing, when bther harvest work is going' on all round theni where they are lying idle. The mill-owners' could get over the difficulty "by paying their men more wages for stook threshing arid they could effect this by; adding another halfpenny a bushel to his charge for threshing out of the" stook: Another way,'woukl be to stipulate v.that the farriier niust pay the men direct. That is not a good plan, however, andfor various reasons. , , ! I have often thought that it wouiu be a good plan for mill-owners to refuse to go to any farmer to .thresh out of the stookunless a certain, proportion of the crop were stacked so that the mill would have something to fall back on when catchy weather was about. The trouble would, bo, :• of course, that .tho stacks would not, be threshed out if fine • weather•.prevailed, because there would ■ b.o an outcry among waiting neighbours it a mill stt into stacks while therfe. were .stpoks about. Still tho'stacks would be there to go to when opportunity offered, an tho mills could be kept' going ; fairly well. Apart from the broken tinie stook threshing is a nicer job for the mill men than stack threshiug is, especially when the farm hands man the four drays, .as-was ihe .case last year, leaving one of "tht< mill men at the inill board to ■help to keep t'ae inilL running full aIJ the time. In stook threshing the mill can always be set to. suit the wind, and tho forking can always be donfe from the highest ground-or, from the windward; sido of the mill. _ ;Mr; Scannell drew attrition to some of the evils of stook ithresliing, t.'.ie chief one being that of threshing stuff be- . fort it is lit, andputting. it on the market, thus spoiling the: toiieof the market-. Euriners who do : these things are very foolish. It is possible; to .have- the/ grain fit for milling purposes, wheii it is knocked out the. stook, aiid threshing should not bo done till then; The fault docs not lio 011 the fact of stook threshing, v It' lies in- putting graininto bags before it is properly fit when there is a big harvest, and when spme exporting has, to bo resorted, to ■•farmers must take. carc that their grain' is in good order. If the season is unfavourable for stook threshing they should, in their -own interests, stack their grain, v But the case, cheapness; and speed in bnrvestiug with' the ■ rnill is: so great' that a, : great many grain growers will abandon itonly when they are forced to. >lf mill bwners' will, or cannot, thresh out of? the stook for them, tliev will 1 purchase 'their own mills either individually or .by co-bperii-tion. Look sit the " Wanted " column in the "Herald" this week, and you will see that already fanners are offering to buy .mills. If they arc determined to- thresh out .of the stook tlicy will not stick at a trifle like. that.

LAMBING DOWN. It pays to give the ewe.flock very careful.- consideration during the lambing period. Good percentages are lookeel for • nowadays, and these- cannot be procured without, looking after the ewes and lambs. every day, and almost all day. Several farmers in So.utn Cantor burj* have- got quite a. reputation tor big percentages, and their .successes may bo ascribed very largely to their methods at this time of' the year. It is true that selection and good management all along are also factors in their success, but these would be very largely 'nullified by carelessness and neglect during lanibiiig. The- ewe flock si 1011 Id be looked through quietly several times a day. Before lambing tins should be conir nicnced, so. that when the lambs arc arriving' the sheep .will be so .»■■ .accustomed to the sight ot man and dog tUat will not bo disturbed. .11 is a great mistake to take into the pnd.c|ock »' pack of clogs' jusfc off the, chain. One old dog ..that will ..keep > close . lo heel is quite "sufficient for ; paddock work. He may bo needed to catch a ewe occasionally, and an old< dog .will soon • lfirn" to do tins: in n liusiue." way, whereas ii'yoiinger- dog would; bo

spoiled by.being allowed to chase and hold a sheep. The ewes should be cnitehed at the end of July or the beginning of August. It-is too early to do it in the autumn. Even June is too early when the lambing is to take place in September, because in three months a good deal of wool will grow about the udder. . Some farmers are not favourable to crutohing ewes. Tliey say that if cold weather sets in the removal of wool from tho hind legs and udder, is likely to cause injury to the reproductive organs. . But in tur. modern heavy -woolled sheep the,removal of the wool from the udder is a. necessity, in order that the lamb, when it arrives, may have free access, to. the teats, and so that it may .not get the chance of sucking locks of "wool, and thus contracting wool-ball in the stomach'. Ewes may •be crutclied quite close- up to- lambing provided they aro not crushed in the. yards or pens, or legged out of the catching pens by the criitehers. Ewes; with only one teat should bo marked so .that if they liave twins one of the set may.be taken away. If ewes have beet oil -turnips, they should, before lambing, be distributed over the paddocks in which they are to lamb, according to the quantity, each paddock will carry. it is better to have; tlieiit sso distributed, at least for a time*,, than to' have 'them • iii larger mobs which have 'to be moved from tinie to time. When lambing* is over the smaller mobs may be put ; together if it is desired to clear a paddock or two. It is no doubt a good .idea to have one paddock of good grass upon which to put the- ewes: with twins after they nave lambed. .......

The principal objects of the, person placed in chai'ge of a ewe flock at lanibing tunc should - be-,..t0-.see.- that, every ewe gives birth safely to her offspring, and that every lamb lives. -A few hurdles should be j[}lsiced «bout the paddocks to form small yards here and there. I'heso liurdli;s ti<jd together, in the shape of a triangle will do very well, and the hurdles should be light so that they may be removed . easily l it necessary. Jn.,these, small'-yards ewes that \Vill not mother their, lambs,should be placed,, also ewps that. have to ; act as-foster mothers.A ewe; having-jost. her-own. lamb, should always: be made: to - take one of twins or else'an .orphan it there happens to he- one. If a ewe has lost her own lamb,,and. has to 'ino- • ther another, the skin of her. ,o\vn .iamb should be placed over the iamb to, be - adopted. If this ,is done neatly, the ewe will readily . take 'tlie .stranger. If these small hurdle yards are not provided,, the ewe may liave to .bs !tet!itred to ; something so that the lamb - may get /a chance to get somo nourishment irom : .her. Where it is possible, trie ■ heat , way is .to a light sledge, drawn by a quiet old hack. Two or. three .cues alia lambs may be placed uj on it, and conveyed to uie woulslieJ, where the mothering up may take place 111 a quiet; tiark corner, and where they can be constantly, attended to, if necessary. Instead or-going to tli3 trouble or putting the stun nom the dead lamb on a live one, it will be sufficient to rub the lamb with whisky, or some other strong smelling liquid, rubbing some on the ewe's nostrils. This trick is easily performed and it is most effective. bick ewes may be given a drink ot gruel and ginger, ana it they are found to be affected with paralysis, a, tew doses of Ked Drench will be found to be a good medicine. • „ Shelter is ii great thing for ewes that are lambing. On undulating and steep country* there is always a lee side in the hill to shelter under from the cold winds. .On flat land gorse fences are - a great liejp -to sheep .in bad, rough weather. Old straw stacks are appreciated, and plantations and scrub ot any sort are always weLonie. Whcro straw is plentiful it ; is not a had idea to place a few rough sheds in corners where three, or toui paddocks freet. A rough frame work should he made of almost anv\ timber. Blue gum rails a'nswci for the. purpose adimrablv- Upon tins tranicwoik <iiiu round three sides of it souie . straW sliould be threshed at. harvest time. ,As> the 'straw leaves the elevators, it may •'be placed where.'desned,. and. a lough but cosy shed may easily thus be cwistrueted. A few dotted above t,he farm will be lound most useful u only hospital purposes. >

ASSISTANCE IN LAMBING. A feu jeurs ago 1 c.uuc across an article containing a, tew hints as to assistance to .the ewe in lajiibHigi and J. l put it b,v lor future reference. I here reproduce it. There are seveial hints' which are useful in bad > castfe. . : The shepherd should carry a bottle and if lie does Ins own mixing care should be taken not to mix it too He should also carry a yard tape, which should be disinfected with a touch ot. the oil before being- used. To turn a., lamb which is coining tail first ; an easy way is f as' follows : —On each end- of tho tapemake a running noose, place one noose over, the linger and thumbj insert the arm, push the lamb back into the womb, find-a foreleg, islip the noose over it —above the fetlock lor preference—then -do the same witlr the other noose to the-other- foreleg. Maw find the hind, legs and push tlicm. geutlv inwards; at ( the same.-.time. pull steadily on the tapes which are attached to the forelegs, and the lainb will come round easily in nearly every case- To remove a lamb when the, forelegs are turned back, and the head protrud-js : In these, eases the' head of tlie ,lanib soon swells to a .(great size, aud the lamb,can be moved neither one way. nor the other, so the head must be cut oft: Close to the ears cut through the skin and flash ot the lamb'sneck and throat. ■■ Then as far iroin 'the 'head as possible, • sever the neck bone at one ot, tho, joints. This should leave a good flap? of skin and flasli;: draw the skin forward'," and tie a piece of string tightly round it. The hone of the neck stump is now covered and will not: cause injury to the, womb. Tie, the tape to tho string-—tape is less liable: to .ca-use injury than string t—and so-at is better to rise-it for pulling.' !!Sow push, to posit ion ; jwll tho legs, aiid at tlie same time draw on the tape,, and tho .lamb should come easily. , Many ewes are lost m these cases, through the 'shepherd cutting"oft the head' and pushing tho -lamb back filto the womb, where the neckvboue being uncovered, almost always esuises such injuries as cause the .death <jf the ewe. In nearly every difliciillv the. shepherd will find that a litll' alteration to--suit circumstances .nit adaptation of the above main ideas will see him through.■; In cases : where the ewe requires assistance, the-.-shepherd's;' business is, if : possible, to got -the lamb into the position Nature intended itshould" come. Some will endeavour to retmove the ' lamb without doing this, but it should be remembered that a ewe cannot stand much pulling, and. that if tlie .shepherd pulls as hard as he. cua. or llearlv as hard, the ewefc will seldom ■ recover, , 'besides ... wjncli these -attempts generally end 111 havinc to get things right before thelambwill come.", I'ET LAMBS. In a former noto; I ■ have said that orphan ■' lambs-- should,-.whenever sible,- be given a: foster motjier. bowe-. turves 'theso IiflVG- to be . kopfc, for a-time at the-' homestead bcfoUva

mother can he found for them. Tliey must, of course, be fed while they aro waiting. It occasionally happens that no opportunity offers, and a foster .mother cannot be provided, arid somo farmers take tho trouble to put motherless lambs-011. to lam bless mothers. They are then reared at-tlio homestead, and they, usually pay for such rearing - provided that there is a suit-able-place ill' which to keep them. If they are allowed to get into the, garden,- and. run through the house they arc a nuisance, aiid the vexation they cause makes people -vow :never to .-havo anything to do with them again. ' If pet lambs are kept-they must be kept in a secure little- paddock, or atXaoyrate they must be kept,away froih tho garden and the dwelling liouse. Childre" are particularly foiid of them; and will rear them successfully. • : - The most c6nimon, way to feed' them is to a strong' india-rubber teat made , for the purpose';.' which ' fits into the mouth of ah" ordinary, quart bottlel A piece ofl'aglicd. to the spout -of • an old tea pot, ■ or to tho -spout of ail oil feeder serves the purpose very well, -but is not. so good as the india-rubber teat. The best way of all is to teach thenvto drink, out of; a trough or a bowl, like pigs or calves. Tliey must, be given tho finger, at first; 'just:as'|iri-reariiig calves. By gradually withdrawing tile finger they will learn to drink by themselves, arid they arc then very little - trouble to.feed. A first they must not bo given too much milk at a time. A little aiid often, is- the .safest ..maxim. ..If the.v are chilled- when they aro brought in they: sho.uld bo w-armed by the fire to bring .up..the circulation. They should be given some new milk with skimmed milk, fol; a commenceAs. they grow- older . tho new >milk may be gradually, withdrawn. Half and half nt..the' first giyes thema - good chance,, given; in, small doses four times, a day. The. number,-of times of feeding may be reduced from four to three, and finally to two- as the' lamb gets stronger. Tliey preciate a; bit of shelter in rough, weather .and at night.:... When ithey be- • gin ito pick a bit for; themselves, they will-..500n..- put on r flesh; Pet lambs seem to do bettor i( than r paddock lambs. They get a., great variety of feed round the steading, -and pick Aip many, sweet-tit-bits of > weeds .and grass. They arc afraid of:, neither, iitoit nor beast; and will poke about, 'into odd corners■ and pick •up a. very- good living. .. It is estimated that the milk from one cow will-feed ten . lambs. It pays-better to rear a few. lambs thau to'raise a calf with l the same-milk.

JOTTINGS. : The ,cold- snap ; oifc- Tuesday.'- evening quickly, passed.: over, atid the following day wns • brilliantly 'fine. It was j expected that another 'fine spell would v follow Tuesday's outburst. 1 - ' A .fall' of snow on the: lulls led |)eople' to- anticipate a few frosty ■ nights: - Some lambs were lost in 1 tlie: storm. ! \Theso cold, roußh sUaps aro not infrequent in lambing "time,' and"' they invariably claim a few victims.

The crops are-looking alnitost too well in some instances, and tlic ground has been too wet to turn sheep in to eat the rank- growth do\Vn. If we get anything like the average rainfall during the coming months, there will be a: tremendous .amount of straw next ,harvest. The grass grub is ex- • acting a bigger toll. tlian it lias doim for ' several years past;arid fears of the caterpiHar are eiitertainpd. JJeerbeihiii stated last July that the average yj<?lds "of jyheiit will bo tho result of the liaryest in most countries, ; with the exception of tho Argentine.' The drought there v put the sowings behind, but it is probable that tho ordinary. acreage was,. sow n. 'I he lateness 'of the sowings, will proVbly "f" . feet the yield and the time ,ot liar- , vest. In New South Wdleij a good many Farmers have ■ found .'that they,. hiivo -held on to their wheat,:to«\ long, w lieu , the cereal was .rising tliqy : hejd out • for a further: rise .of a penny •. or t\y». 'Victorian and South Australian jhoUU oris arc now. trying ;to undersell the New South Wales grower. There has I been plcntv of rani,- and the liarvest will - probably be &< good one, so that there does not appear to be, much probability ot New, South Wales w heat going up to • Its old level. ■ >; ■ / • )ii .New AVales .the, llailw a.V; Commissioners are • making, prqpa™-: tions to: litt an exceptional harvest. One man alone has a contract for -building 1001 ten-ton wheat tiueks, it ml ■ ever v workshop • liv- tjie nty.' .ui'l suburb's is busv nuking rolling stmk. i .Wiitriiies aroalso bciHJX ;luhclo * aud are Ikmdk imnorted ell. T"" . Government is placing large, sums ot monev at the disposal of tllti Coiiiiiuvsioners, and the wheat will be brought down as rapidly a« the «in«lc lines o railway will , permit.. It is exoectcd that" a large fleet of bhips w ill ' J <j -available to take the wheat a\\a\, »u<« the latest loading facilities will help to cope with the rush that,is sure to set/ in. , . • In Melboui ne liumih'vs in new,.season's.wboat. «.vV \' u 3s Hid per biiblicl. , s . The local, market lucki.. animation, yaiid -it seems probable ; that the . nign>st price has been readied and passed. It is' a considerable i'.me to harvest, however, and .-it is not likely that outside competition , w ill loiuc . luto tli question. ..-j. -