SHOW DRAWS TO A CLOSE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21084, 9 July 1938, Page 21

SHOW DRAWS TO A CLOSE

Successful Week Ends To-day Many Attractions Public Displays Keen Interest “Fanners’ Day” in town yesterday was not complete without a visit to the Winter Show, when large attendances thronged the building and displayed considerable interest in the many attractions. Parties of school children spent an enjoyable time and showed keen appreciation of the many exhibits. The schools represented yesterday were:— Temuka District High, St. Andrews, Craigmore, Claremont, Salisbury, Tycho and Timaru South. Interest will be keener than ever to-day—the last day of a successful week. The entertainment side of the Show proved as popular as ever. Entertainment Unlimited provided a pleasing half-hour in the afternoon, while at night the Timaru Boys’ High School Band played selections and a song and dance recital by the pupils of Mrs Lyne and Miss Orma Ford was a fine attraction. Selections by an orchestra were popular additions to the programme. SHEEP LOSSES VALUE OF PROPER FEEDING The important part that proper feeding and attention played in the war against parasites in stock was explained to a large gathering of farmers at the Winter Show yesterday afternoon by Colonel J. Stafford, M.R.C.V.S., of Christchurch, in an address on “The Care and Management of the Ewe at Lambing.” Mr A. Ward, who introduced the speaker, spoke of the desirability of having all available knowledge brought to bear on the subject. Farming conditions had changed considerably to-day from what they were, said Colonel Stafford. There was more intensive farming in an endeavour to make land produce more than it really could. There were certain branches of farming which did not run

together, such as wheat-growing and stock raising, unless the farmer knew how capably to manage his land. The great requirements for land for cereal crops were sunshine and dressing, and in the breeding of stock there were hundreds of things that had to come from the land and find their way into the systems of animals. They required an enormous quantity of lime which was more than valuable as it controlled the whole system of the body. Correct Feeding Necessary Colonel Stafford referred to the serious mortality in sheep and lambs and said that there were certain food products fed to ewes which caused bad condition and the climate had assisted. Algerian oats, when wet, were a positive danger, while all cereals, oats and the like, were deficient. It did not matter how much lime was in the pastures, but if there was no sunshine stock could not get the benefit of lime into their blood. Stock raisers should not nowadays look for something to shove down a sheep’s throat. They must take notice of all they were told, sift the chaff from the straw and assimilate what they were told. Intensive farming, he considered, was the cause of most of the trouble. A child could not live on butter and a man live on gingerbread, and therefore it was necessary to have a variety of feed for animals. It was far more economic in the long run. It had been thought by some farmers that a good crop of turnips was all that was needed to put sheep on. but turnips would not supply all that sheep required. Colonel Stafford explained that he knew of 2500 sheep which had been placed on five acres in North Canterbury. They had grass of a kind up to their knees, but were eating the gorse hedge and were dying like flies. That proved that it was not the quantity of grass that was grown that mattered most, but the quality. Long rank grass was definitely no good. While a ewe was in lamb she was using up an enormous amount of materials which had to pass through her blood to the lamb itself. That lamb, when born, would contain in the system two to four ounces of lime according to weight, and if it doubled its weight in 14 days, double the quantity of lime would be necessary. A large amount of lime walked off a farm as a result. Balanced Food Supply Another important phase in the management of sheep, said Colonel Stafford, was to have a balanced food supply grown from balanced land. If there was an enormous amount of super in the grasses there would be an upset of balance, and the system would not take it out. “The whole thing in management.” he said, “is to treat ewes as animals should be treated. They must have a variety of diet. The more intensive the farming and the more over-stocking is carried out, the greater the trouble to be expected from disease.” Last year had been a bad season for parasites. It had been shown that in a damp summer parasitic trouble was more prevalent. The parasite must have moisture to develop and if there was no moisture on the grass it would not be able to travel at night on the tips of the leaves. Lambs were infected soon after birth, and it was necessary that the ewes should have received proper attention and fed in a reasonable manner. In bad weather the feed must be supplemented. To make a success of sheep farming in the intensive principle a farmer must have a system so that he could see whether the lambs were gaining or losing. A farmer must realise that supplementary feed was essential to give the animals a certain amount of resistance. It had been said years ago that good feed and exercise was what was necessary and that was perfectly true to-day. Hay was one of the best supplementary foods especialy for inland ewes, and a good supply was the cheapest and best feed. Plenty of Knowledge “There is as much known about parasites to-day as would clean New Zealand up.” said Colonel Stafford when emphasising that the knowledge was useless unless farmers availed themselves of it and did their job. He expressed regret that more was not done to check hydatid cysts which were taking toll of human beings, and said that it was criminal if farmers did not do their utmost to rid dogs of the tapeworm which brought about the disease. It was an easy method. Each year lambs were condemned because of hydatid cyst, and all that trouble could be avoided if sheepraisers followed accepted principles. The time to get rid of parasites was in the autumn. Replying to a question Colonel Stafford said that there was no cheap time for feeding so far as sheep were concerned. After weaning they should be built up. It was advisable to drench a fortnight before weaning, but for infected sheep drenching would have to be done earlier. It would not be long, he said, before the Agricultural Department would be able to advise farmers what to do as a result of droppings forwarded to the Department. Mr E. J. Lukey, Government veterinarian, confirmed what Colonel Stafford had said. A parasitologist was at work in Christchurch, and it should not be long before the facilities were available for that further service. On the motion of Mr Ward, Colonel Stafford was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address. To-Day’s Attractions An eventful programme is promised for the children this afternoon, when “Aunt Pat,” of Station 3YA, who has many young friends in South Canterbury, will give a talk to the children at 3 p.m. This will be preceded at 2 p.m. by a children’s fancy dress parade, which makes provision for several classes and for which prizes will be given for the best fancy dresses and most original costumes. PILES ARE DANGEROUS Zann Treatment will cure them quickly and permanently. Send 9d stamps for generous trial treatment Zann Pty., Box 952 8.C., Wellington