FARM TOPICS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18248, 5 August 1921, Page 7

FARM TOPICS

JOTTINGS. Only about 2 per cent, of the live stock in ffngland is classified as pedigreed.

The Docking or Horses Bill, under which it was proposed to make illegal the practice of docking horses in Great Britain, and which has lately been before the Hoqse of Commons, has been withdrawn by the promoters.

At a recent inspection of Victoria River Downs Station, N.T., it was calculated that the property 11,572 square miles, is. carrying 138,000 head of cattle. Included in this huge number are 44,000 cows and 17,000 bulls.

Preliminary Live Stock Returns for France give a fait increase in sheep for the past year. The total at 31st December, 1920, was 9,376,630, and in 1919 8,990,990, but in 1913 the number was 14,038,000 heal. Cattle at the end of December stood at 12.755,000, as against 12,668,000 in 1913.

In a short article on anthrax spores in wool, which appeared in the last issue, certain data was published relative to the freedom of Australian fleeces from this disease. We Regret that through an oversight credit for the collection of these facts was not given to the Australian Woolgrowers* Council.

Young mulga, which is seldom seen by the oldest bushmen, is reported to be springing up in all direction in Central Australia this season. Apparently the recent heavy rains have caused seeds to germinate freely. The re-establishment of this valuable fodder will be of inestimable benefit to the country.

Further reports are being received regarding the remarkable lambing season experienced in England. Amongst the Lincoln flocks in the counties of Lincoln, Notts ,Derby, and York the percentage was 145. Records are taken of 421 flocks, containing 59,416 eWes. The total number of lambs dropped Was 86,368. South American exchanges are talking of Bolivia as a source of meat, supply in the near future. The number of cattle in Mojas district alone is variously estimated at from 250,000 to 1,000,000 head. A representative of one of the Chicago packing houses is supposed to be studying the position with a view to establishing Works at Cochabamba. According to the Minister for Liberated Regions, France has already spend £880,000,000 on reconstruction work, plus £120,000,000 on repairing roads, railways, and canals. So far only 18 per cent of the total loss has been made good. Eightly per cent of the agricultural land has been cleared of projectiles, and is again under crops. £100,000,000 has been spent In this work.

According to recent New York cables, American'bankers are working on u scheme to financially assist the live stock industry in the .States. One report says that arrangements have been made to advance £10,000,000 in the form of long termed credits. It is hoped by this means to obviate the necessity for Government aid, but another message states that the President is being urged to help through the banks.

The New South Wales Forestry Commission is prepared to supply graziers with seedling of fodder trees suitable for stock In drought time sufficient to plant up to 10 acres. The plants comprise kurrajong, Wilga, tree lucerne, carobbean, and casuarinas. The seedlings are supplied free, but the recipient has to pay rail freight, and undertake to properly cultivate and care for the plants when he receives them.

The accumulated deficit on the Northern Territory under the Commonwealth administration, commencing Ist January, 1911, and to 30th June 1920, stands at £4,245,387. The accounts for 1919-20 show expenditure £462,470, revenue £86,734, leaving a deficiency of £375,736. The fact that the population, exclusive of aborigines, at 30th June was only 3931, of whom 165 were Government officials, perhops helps to explain the position.

With a view to improving the quality of stock bred on the average farm, Mr. S. F. Edge, the wellknown English stud breeder, proposes to make available each month at ordinary market prices 10 per cent, of his natural increase in jedigreo animals for local farmers. He will not knowingly sell mort than one pedigree animal un’lcr this scheme -to any particular man in a vear. He Suggests that other breeders should follow this example.

The manager of the Wagga (N. - W.) Experiment Farm Mr. H. Ross, states that the average cost of making pit ensilage for the last, ten years has been 10/- per ton. This is apportioned as follows:-—Ploughing and putting in the crop, 4/3; seed and manure. 1/4; cutting and carting, 4/5. He adds that one cubic yard of pit ensilage weighs approximately half a ton. The cost of excavating the pit he put down at about 1/2 per cubic yard. A remarkable droving feat has Just been completed by Mr. W. Oliirk in the delivery of 8017 wethers at Coonamble N.S.W., out of 8100 with which he started from Lucknow Station, Boulia, Q., twenty-nine weeks previously. Mr. Clark has a poor opinion of stock travelling facilities in the north-west of New South 'Wales. After crossing from clean country in Queensland he had to contend with Bathhurst burr and pay fees amounting to close on £4 per thousand head. *

An i aglish exehanga reports that “a <•■.., .‘‘c to „*r. iirniiiiii, of SariT.'t ; t-„crvuir, Lugia.nl, has gire.i bir-h to six iambs, ail o whmu are alive anu lu.iy ueveiopid. Tire name owe gave birtii last season to hve lambs. This is regarded as a recore. During the period of the war the cattle holdings of France were reduced by two and a half millions, and those of Germany by four and a half millions. The total decrease for all Europe, outside of Russia, is estimated at over 9,000,000. The decrease in swine in the same territory is placed at 19,000,000. There has been a wonderful recovery of these figures since the war.

Canadians are strong advocates of dehorning. Like their neighbours over the border they have a weakness for figures, and a writer produces the following bill in advocacy of’ the following bills in advocacy of the operation:—One firm operating on the Union Stock Yards, Toronto, bought 50,000 cattle in 1919, and only half of these cattle were dehorned. On those retaining their horns the loss in selling averaged 3s per cwt., or £40,000 in all. On the cattle marketed in all Canada last year it is estimated that the losses by failing to dehorn aggregated £200,000.

It is not in New Zealand alone that dairying has provided a sheet anchor. The “Saskatchewan Star” (Canada), in commenting, on a Provincial Agricultural Conference recently held at Saskatoon, says:—-"One thing stands out prominently in the deliberations. It is that even when all else fails, dairying is a safe and sure industry in Saskatchewan, excellent from the standpoint of an industry by itself and excellent as a secondary industry to tide over bad crops and low prices for other farm products. Dairy products, while they have been reduced somewhat, still have suffered less in the general price decline than anything else, and the dairy farm continues profitable. Saskatchewan needs a diversity of agricultural interests, and in dairying has one that, while still in really an incipient stage is nevertheless great and rapidly growing greater.” CONDITIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA? A Hawke’s Bay lad, now at Sanderton (South Africa), writes to the “Hawke’s Bay Tribune” of conditions in that country, and mentions wages that would surely satisfy some of our Labour malcontents. “There is no scope here,” he says, “for unskilled labour, as all manual work is being done by kaffirs at an average wage of £2 per month. This seems very low, but the kaffir generally is not intellectual, though in ways not quite the fool he is thought. One ‘Jim’ does the housework, and another the cooking, etc, all for the £2 per month. A white man’s Wages here are very high—much to the annoyance of many. A tramwayman gets about £4O a month; a railway engine-driver, with overtime, earns aobut £BO. ‘Land’ he continues, “which in New Zealand would be worth £lOO an acre is here worth about £l5. It will carry one cow to six acres uncultivated. Under proper Government control this country would be one of great chances, and possibilities, but it will never be the peaceful land New Zealand is, nor can it ever be called truly British. It is the ‘Britishness’ of New Zealand that makes it what it is. Thef-e is great fear here of the Nationalist (de Wet’s party), whose leaders go about agitating, and tend to stir up strife." It is to be hoped that our present South African guests—the footballers • —will be treated off the field in a manner that will enable them to go back to their country with an added respect for Ihe Flag, and so help to break down the prejudices that exist in the old school of Boers.

WOOD OUTLETS. It was recently announced from Yorkshire buyer in the wool market. This, in view of the detrcciaUon of the mark, may be taken as an indication of a keenness on Germany’s part Io re-establish her industrial position. When Central European aTairs settle down, Poland will likely be another large consumer. The Poland ci to-day is a vastly different country to th a pre war Poland. Thi n a vassal st a l .:, or a number of tuem, lacked on In luissia, G<n .d Austria, it is .now the sixib largest nation ir. L’uropn. with ? nonr’..; v , of 30,00(1.090. The Country is piedomffiantly agricultural, but it possesses a highly developed textile trade, specialising in the n.-ua'M-ti re of course and carbonised wool:,. O; two occasions during the , i.st year Great Britain has supplied sui.sta.itia] wool orders, anu no don.; the one-time shuttlecock nation of Il ripe will later provide a leading o"‘h! for the Imperial Gt vernment’s ace of coarse weeds. And the 'Polish people l>y thia time must be lairl;. anxious to settle down to the arts of pjcnce. Only for brief periods siren 1914 ; las Poland been free of mi'tary domination, and assuredly it i nly requires financial bn!i> tn enable her to re-osfablish her industrial position. Britain, with her 2A million bales of wool, appears in a unique, position amongst the nanons to give the help in kind. EXPORT OF HORSES TO GREAT BRITAIN. The Colonial Office, Great Britain, has sent to the Agricultural Department in Australia copies of new regulations governing the introduction of horses into Great Britain and Ireland. Such horses must be accompanied by a certificate from a qualified veterinary surgeon of the district in the country or origin, stating that the horse is free from certain scheduled diseases, and has been tested with mallein without reacting. Certain exemptions are allowed in the case of horses which are intended to be re-exported from Great Britain within fourteen days. The English Department of Agriculture reserves the right to re-test any horse after introduction.