RURAL TOPICS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXII, Issue 9633, 23 March 1910, Page 7

RURAL TOPICS.

(Specially Contributed.)

Dangerous Bulls. —A New Device. — A Blind folding Hood.—Farmers

Should Keep Books.--A

Judge's

Oohirneuts —Argentina.— The Fat - jfcunb Trade—Adverse Climatic Cou-■-fptious.—A New Fodder Plant.— Good, as a Drought Resisfcer.—Gomi'ort of Youug Oalves. —Neglect Causes Needless Suffering.—Agricultural Progress iv Cape Colony.— Co-operative Creameries Being Established.—Rugging Cows. —How the Milk Yield is Affected.—A Practical Demonstration. — DeJioruiug Dairy Cows.—Strong Corroborative Testimony.

From time to time we read of bulls turning suddenly vicious aud goring (frequently with fatal consequences) either their attendants or other persons. Indeed, it is scarcely sate to trust auy bull, for nearly every breed has proved treacherous. Onco a ball has shown auy dispositiou to viciousuess, it should never be trusted again. I recollect being at a Show at Hawo'ra at, which au exhibitor of a prize animal was gored to death iv its stall while in the act of attending to it. I thiuk that it is a good rule never to trust any bull, however quiet or a_i.areutly good-tempered aud geutle. bulls thar. "auyoue could dr- anything with." as the saying is, suddenly, from some cause or no cause except innate viciousuess, attack their attendants, aud a fatality lias to be recorded. A very reliable device for in.udling-a dangerous bull is a blindfolding hood. It cau be made of good harness leather, about twenty-eight inches iv width and eighteen inches in depth. The ear-holes are throe inches in diameter, aud tuoso for tho horns two aud a-half inches. A saddler could take the required measure accurately so that the hood would fit the animal comfortably aud not cause it auy irritation. The hood is laced uuder the jaw, and securely fastened. Such a device is a wise precaution, aud if adopted iv time might prevent a serious or possibly a fatal accident. Occasionally—not very ofteu—farmers come to grief financially and have to appear before the Bankruptcy Court. Some farmers appear to be uuder the impression that there is no occasion for them to keep bonks, iv order to show* how they have been trading. In a recent case in Weia farmer was applying for fsPdischarge. His couusel admitted that the bankrupt had uot kept proper books, remarking that it was not usual among farmers to keop books. This remark was promptly taken up by the Judge, who expressed the opiuiou that farmers should keep boons, going on to explain that in all up-to-date farming districts proper books are kept the same as in commercial centres. Farmers should bear in mind this remark of his Houour's, aud endeavour to keep some books in a plain simple manner, so as to be able to show their position, aud whether their operations have been remunerative or otherwise.

It has been said that Argentina is likely to prove a formidable competitor of New Zealand in fat lamb production. A former resident of the South Island, who has returned to this Dominiou after having beeu some years in charge of a sheep station in Argentina, declares that that country will never be in a position to compete with New Zealaud in fat lambs, on account of adverse conditions of climate. At tbe same time, it must be borne in mind that Argentina has several advantages over New Zealaud iv cheaper laud aud labour aud greatly reduced distance from tho market. Sam always on the look-out for information about uew fodder plauts. A Southern paper has been shown a new fodder plant- which has been grown with great success upou the light plains laud. The plant can be grown easily from seed. Its technical name is Phalaris commutata, and it is a fast-spreading plant, standdrought well, aud grown ou a dry patch without any artificial watering attained a height of nearly seven feet. It is. said to be frost-proof and to have a good growing power in the winter. Ie suits both sheep and cattle. It is claimed for it thac it will produce eight tous of forage to the acre. I will keep a look-out to ascertain what results may have been secured from the new plant iv parts ot Australia where it has been tried.

I am afraid that on some dairyfarms insufficient attention is paid to the comfort of the young calves. "Very often no shelter is provided, and. when the thermometer iv the shade is registering in the vicinity of SO degrees the little auimals must suffer acutely. Very ofteu they do not have access to water, and the paddock where they are coufiued may have or no green herbage. It is iWf difficult to imagiue what calves must suffer under such conditions— aud if they fail to thrive need it bo a matter for surprise? Probably, not mauy of my readers are aware that agriculture is makiug marked progress in Cape Colony. During the last few years co-opera-tive associations have been formed. The Irish Department of Agriculture was applied to for the services of its .superintendent, who was possessed • ■of considerable experience in Europe. Canada, and the United States, and •eventually took charge of the schemes propounded Dy the Cape Government for the assistance and education of the farmers in that portion of South Africa. The resulc has been that numerous conferences have been held, explaining the most modern aud most, .approved methods of agriculture. In almost every centre of Cape Colony farmers are now actively at svork in the development of the resources of the country. The minds of the younger generation are also being directed to the important part they are expected to take in the future life of the country. A large number of co-operative creameries have been established on the models which have •proved most readily adaptable based /ajfcrish and Danish experience. The improvement of various breeds of live stock is also receiving consideration and in this most important progressive movement the Government is 'financially assisting. Altogether the .agricultural aud pastoral outlook in iCape Colony is now more hopeful and .animated than hitherto.

I have, ou several occasions, referred -to the iinportauce of raggiug cows st> as to conserve their milk-producing resources. I notice that that very excellent English authority, the Agricultural Gazette, expresses very similar views in a, recent article entitled " Weather and Milk Yield." There is .a general opinion among dairy farmers, it says, that a cold snap diminishes the yield of milk, and also reduces the duality. Every storm or spell of bad weather to which the cow is exposed so that she suffers from it, diminishes the yield of milk. When the bad weather comes, the animal .«ats more than usual, for there is an extra call on the vital powers of the as she takes first from her foWthat which is requisite to maintain bodily warmtli, and the surplus ; _he uses for milk production. Anything that causes discomfort to the cow will tend to diminish the milk yield. If the weather keeps cold, and the cow lias no adequate protection in the way of shelter- or a rug, she may consume more food, but both the quantity and quality of the milk she produces will be restricted. Let any-

one try the experiment in his own case, and see whether he has the same relish for fatty, heat-proddofug food iv hot as in cold weather. The dairy farmer will find that it pays him to provide shelter for his cows, so that they cau be fairly comfortable, aud to rug them if shelter is uot available, aud iv mauy case eveu when it is. 1 make uo apology for again reaffirming the merits of dehorning. A contributor to a periodical specially devoted to rural matters asserts that all cattle in inilkiug herds should be dehorned, as the paiu suffered by delioruiug is not so groat as that undergone by cattle which aro beiug horned aud knocked about every day. The bruises aud the hurts received by the herd aro inevitable while the beasts have horns with whioh to assail one auother. Notice how quietly a dehorned herd Stands in tho yard while the cows aro awaiting their turn iv the inilkiug shed. Ou the other baud, whore cows have not boon dehorned tne more nervous animals cau hardly he got into the yard through tlmir fear of being knocked about by the other cattle. Tho result is that tho nervous cows are not iv a fit state to be milked, aud do not givo their milk freely. It is mistaken kindness to leave the long sharp horns on cows which, in a souse, disfigure mauy cows iv milkiug herds, aud render them sometimes not only dangerous to haudle, but also very objectionable to each other wheu in the yard at milkiug time.