JOTTINGS OF INTERST TO FARMERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 291, 8 December 1928, Page 22 (Supplement)

JOTTINGS OF INTERST TO FARMERS

Curing the Kicker. The most common v ice of the dairy cow is that of kicking when being milked. Cows always kick a little at first, either from fear or pain, and if not handled properly thi s may grow in to a habit. Under no circumstances should one strike a cow that kicks. It does no good, and always maacs them worse. Gentle measures, however, will not work with all cows, and some old cows that have been taught by mismanagement to kick cannot be cured by the best of care. Such animals should always be tied during milking. One way of doing this is by means of a rather heavy strap with a strogn loop. Ihe strap is put round one hind leg above the hock and the end drawn through the loop. The strap is then put round the other leg and buckled so that the two legs are held close together. The cow may struggle a little at first, but soon learns to stand quietly as long as the strap is in place. Another method is to tie a rope or strap tightly around the bodv just back of the hip bones and in front of th’c udder. Ina short time the cow will stand quietly with the rope thrown oyer her back. The Wool Sales. Dominion woolgrowers will no doubt be content for 'he remainder of the season to accept the average rates as established at the Wellington sale recently. It must, however, be recognised that it is dangerous to hope to stabilise thg market on such a small offering as was brought forward. It was juite evident that a number of buyers were anxious to sec-re a small quantity of the super wools for early shipment, but when a heavy weight of crossbreds comes on the market during December, January and February it might just, happen that the average range of prices might be forced to a slightly lower level. Experts consider that sound rates will lie obtained throughout the remainder of the season, and do uot anticipate that there will be any violent fluctuations in the rates at prevent established. It must, however, be recognised that the early shorn wools ire much lighter in condition than those shorn from December onwards, ind the extra condition which will he noticeable in the latter shorn wools must naturally tend to establish a slightly lower range of prices.

The Beef Market. Each successive year the fact that graziers in New’ Zealand are not paying the requisite attention to breed in the raising of beef rattle is becoming increasingly evident. Beef offerings at

most stock sales to-day are mostly .made up of a motley assortment aud any straight line of beef cattle commands immediate attention, generally to sell at premium prices. While it is admittedly not always possible or >ound to use only the best class of cow for breeding purposes, there is littJe or no excuse, for using low grade bulls. Seedy Wool. Sometimes the whole clip is seedy, and if there i s only one breed of sheep on the place two classes should be made, one containing the fleeces which are slightly seedy and the other those which art* carrying the most seed. The former should he entered in the wool book as “Slightly seedy” and in the latter “Very seedy. ” <>n no consideration shoultl seetly wool be packed with clean wool. All lots must be kept separate if full value is to be received for clean lines. “Seedy fleece,” “Seedy pieces/* ‘‘Seedy belly-wool,’* “Seedy locks,” “Seedy stained pieces,” respectively, is the best way to mark each line which is carrying seed. Enter it thus in the wool book, then there is no chance of it being put up for sale wijh I the clean wool and interfering with tnc prices the latter will realise. Shy Breeders. Dairy farmers are substantial losers through the well-bred heifers failing to hold, and there is no well recognised rule to follow to overcome or even minimise the trouble. However, some success in other countries appears to have been achieved by feeding sprouted oats to the culprits. A recent report from Hawaii supports conclusions arrived at elsewhere in this direction. The Hawaii experiment covered both cows and sows. The oats were fed to animals that had previously failed to show oestrum or had been bred but failed to conceive. Over half the animals treated seemed to have been definitely helped by the oats. The theory is that sprouted oats are rich in Vitamin E, which has to do with reproduction. Cows were fed two pounds and sows one pound of sprouted oats daily, based on dry weight. Corriedales Abroad.

A Canadian farm paper last month recorded the importation to that Dominion of some Corriedale ewes and a ram. The Canadian paper refers to the matter as follows:—“ With thg object of discovering the most suitable breed of sheep for the Alberta ranges, a Corriedale ram and five ewes have been imported for the Lethbridge Experimental Farm. This breed, which has

been bred in New Zealand and Australia for the past 40 years, has had its type fixed for the dual production of wool and mutton, and of the 75,500,000 sheep in these two dominions the Corriedal.es are claimed to form a large majority.’* The Corriedale, truth compels it to be stated, does not yet represent 3 per cent of the 1-0,000,000 sheep of flic “two dominions,” much less a “large, majority.*’ Homs and Hides

A deputation of Christchurch butchers recently waited on the Minister of Agriculture requesting legislation to compel the tlehorning of heef cattle. Some time afterwards a reply was received by the deputation that there was not time last session for the Minister to introduce the desired legislation. As the Minister was amongst jthp political casualties, someone else will have to be persuaded of the necessity of this reform. There are no figures in the Dominion as to the damage as a result of the laxity in dehorning, but in the United States the loss in damaged hides alone i$ set down at the enormous figure of £4.000,000 annually. What is lost in the condition of travelling cattle can only be estimated. It is interesting as showing what can be done by breeding that

there are herds of Ayrshireg in the States that seem to have the polled or hornless chiracteristic firmly established. Is there not some significance in the fact that horns, which cause much of the £4,1 ('6,000 loss in l.>c<'s, have o?en successfully bred off in eeliain string of Ayrshires—’.he breed with the most deadly horns of any of our common Leeds of stock. If the bjest brecdeis of ‘he countr/ deleted all th*:if eflo’.ts to the task it would take generations probably to bree I out the horn producing character from all of our domestic cattle, but so far few, if any, individuals have made any attempt. In the meantime, however, much loss and suffering mjght eb avoided among our herds and particularly among the stock market, if there was widespread use of the dehorning clippers and of caustic on the horn buttons of the calves. A decent hide to-day in New r Zealand is worth about £3—surely worth while looking after. Grass Seed Prospects.

The changeable season in Canterbury is likely to affect the weight of the small seeds crop this season. Stock owners who generally are in a position to close up a paddock or two for seed were forced during the dry September and early October to turn their shpep on (says a Christchurch paper). Growth has jumped ahead this last month, but it is doubtful if it has been far enough ahead to permit the reservation of paddocks to the usual extent. There is every prospect of the ryegrass crop being lighter on this account. Clovers are in very much the same position. A wet spring is necessary for a good white clover crop. This we did not get, and the later rains will not be helpful to much extent. Stocks of perenni.nl ryegrass and white clover in merchant’s hands are smaller than usual, and good weight machine-dressed perennial is worth close on Us a bushel, whilst white clover is worth up to 12d per lb. for farmers’ dressed. A good deal of last seasons’s cowbrass crop was of indifferent quality, and met with a poor market. Dictionaries were formerly much more simjde than thev are to-day. In an obi volume “dog” is described a“A mongrel or mastiff; a creature well known;’’ while a horse is simply defined as “a boast.”