The Farm and Dairy

Waikato Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 3229, 7 June 1924, Page 7

The Farm and Dairy

AUSTRALIAN GRAZIERS’ CONFERENCE ABOLITION FEDERAL LAND TAX. MELBOURNE, .Tunc 5. The Graziers’ Association Conference carried a motion that the Federal land tax be abolished, and it decided to inge that rural lands be exempt from operations of the Valuer-General’s Department. A motion asking Parliament to prohibit the exportation of Merino stud sheep from Australia was defeated after considerable discussion. THE JERSEY BREED. IXOKeasing copularity. Although the previous year constituted a record in the matter of registrations (says the annual report, of the N.Z. Jersey Association), the total number of males and females registered during the past year was 864 in excess of those figures, being males 3252, and females 3900. The number of animals being transferred still continues to increase, a large number of them being transferred to new members, and to other farmers taking up the Jersey breed. This provides tangible evidence of the fact that the popularity of the Jersey cow is ever growing, the number transferred during the year being: Males 3063, females 2362. This total shows an increase on last year s figures of 756. general. At a, meeting of the glaxo suppliers held at Matamata, Mr F. J. Nathan gave it as his opinion that the taimeis of New Zealand did not give enough attention to the pig-raising industry. How many, he asked, attended to the cleanliness, warmth, or coolness of their pigs'? Air Nathan predicted that in a few years the pig industry would be worth half as much as dairy produce to the country.

A district fanner remarked on Saturday last that the Waikato is experiencing the wettest winter for quite a number of years, and he remarked that his observation showed that a very dry summer such as we experienced last season is usually followed by a wet autumn or winter, This winter ha,s not shown an abnormal rainfall so far, but there has been a long period of completely bad weather. However, there are compensations.

During a discussion on farm economies at a meeting of the Taranaki Agricultural Society last wock, the opinion was expressed that a greater knowledge of the analysis of artificial manures was needed among farmers. Hundreds of pounds were expended yearly on the application of artificial manures which were practically thrown away because they did not contain the ingredients necessary for the manufacture of plant, food for the crops to which the the manures were applied.

A Shannon farmer has shown a Levin Chronicle representative a fence containing rnacrocarpa posts which he put in about. 15 years ago, and although some matai and t.otara posts had rotted off, the rnacrocarpa posts were almost as good as the day they were erected. It is evident that many settlers do not realise the value of this timber for fencing.

A gentleman well versed in dairying matters expressed the opinion at Gisborne that cream grading was now becoming an absolute necessity (says an exchange). At least one of the local

Items of Interest.

factories intends instituting this system next season. The gentleman in question said that where’ several factories wore competing for cream, there was a tendency to buy, irrespective of the quality. If farmers knew that they would receive a penny less for second-grade cream they would do all in their power to ensure that only a first-grade article was produced. A Wairarapa settlor, Mr Arthur Tocker, of Waiwaiwa.i, grew an exceptionally fine crop of mangolds this season, which is expected to average over 75 tons to the acre.

In the past season nearly 42,000 opossum skins were taken in the Wellington district, and for the last three years 73,000. It is nut anticipated the yield this year will be nearly so heavy. Speaking at Raglan, the Hon. R. F. Bollard said: “Give me the man who is not afraid to work —the man who refuses to allow others to carry him on their backs; that’s the fellow that helps to make this country buzz in progress.” THE SWEDE CUP. PUTARURU FARMER WINS. The 100-guinea, cup donated to the Waikato Winter Show Association by Frank M. Winstone Merchants Ltd. was won on Tuesday last by Air J. 'E. Worth, of Putaruru. This cup is awarded for the best swedes in the show grown with “Ideal” seeds and manures and carries with it a silver entree dish valued at 12gns. The second prize of a silver entree dish was won by Mr H. Worth, also of Putaruru. The land on which the swedes were grown was taken out of the rough and except for being allowed to fallow received no special treatment. From 21cwt to 3ewt of “Ideal” turnip manure was used to the acre. In the previous two years in which the cup was competed for it was won by King Country farmers. The cup is to be won twice in succession or three times at intervals before it becomes the property of the holder. COWS’ PRODUCTIVITY. A good dairy cow should not show any marked falling off until after ten years of ago. The quality of the milk produced by heifers is somewhat better than that of the older cow, for a decrease has been noted of one to twotenths of one per cent in the average fat content of each year until the cows have reached the full age. This is caused by the increase in the weight of cows with advancing age. Young animals use a proportion of their food for the formation of body tissue, and heifers require a larger proportion of nutriments for the production of milk, and butter than do older cows. After a certain age has been attained —on an average, seven years —the food required for the production of milk or butterfat again increases both as regards dry matter and digestible components. The length of time a cow will maintain her maximum production depends on her constitutional strength and the care with which she is maintained. The cow that will pay, and will pay longest, is the well-fed animal which comes of a first-class milking strain.