FARMING NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXV, Issue 11648, 23 April 1913, Page 5

FARMING NOTES.

(By "Agricola.")

Intestinal Worms. , Sheep are liable to be infected with many varieties of intestinal worms, such as threadworms, tapeworms, and round worms. The symptoms the worina produce are in many instances very obscure, sometimes not at all manifest. Instances have been recorded in Wairarapa where a sheep apparently in excellent health and condition when slaughtered was found to have many of these parasites in its stomach and intestines. The eymptoms they give rise: to are connected, first, with the digestive organs, and secondly by sympathy with the brain. Thus a loss of appetite, or a liking for dirt, old mortar on walls, together with constipation and. diorrhbeti alternating, irritation about .the nose or anus, indicated by the animsil rubbing these parts, and a short, >iry or husky cough. ;ire signs of irritation in the bowels, which may well oome from worms The h«ad symptoms are dizziness, us shown by staggering or frilling, soirptimos convulsions, impairment of the sight, running into obstacles, etc. The positive sign, of course, is to find some of the worms in the excrement; or to discover them on opening the intestines, in which case it may very justly be presumed they prevail extensively in the flock, for these species of parasites rarely appear alone The prevention of worms is bf-st secured by allowing a liberal quantity of salt. A Wairarapa farmer informs mo that if he suspects worms in his sheep he gives them the following tonic once a fortnight:—Common salt, two pounds, «nlphtite of magnesia one pound., sulphate of iron half pound, powdered gentian half pound, mix with ground fodder. This quantity is suffioiont for one hundred sheep. Ordinary wood soot collected from the chimney, is a vermifuge often used by Wairarapa farmers for sh?ep suffering from worms. It is generally mixed with salt, or sprinkled on the fodder. Another cheap and useful vermifuge often used is one pound of quick-lime and five ounces of sulphate of iron mixed with five gal lons of water, and given at the rate of a pint twice a week. A good drench for round and thread worms is two ounces of linseed oil and half an ounce of oil of turpentine.

Bacon Company Matters. At a meeting of the shareholders of the Wellington Bacon Company held at Pahiatua on Friday last, the chairman of directors (Mr J. C. Cooper) stated that owing to the lack of support the Company had incurred a steady loss ■each month, with the exception of February. During the past twenty weeks the average number of pigs received at the works per week was SO.There were some weeks when the company received no pigs at all. The approximate loss up to March 31st last had been £607. The company had put through 600 pigs, and sustained a loss of £fioo, the cost being therefore at the rate, of £1 per pig. The company had sold their bacon at ninepence per pound, whereas other companies obtained 9.) - In putting a new article on the market if was advisable to accept a lower price than was ruling for other brands. The cost of running the plant was too much in proportion to the output. Mr Cooper stated that at the present time the Wellington Farmers' Meat Company was purchasing pigs in order to keep the connection going. The annual meeting had passed a resolution in connection with the purchasing of pips from shareholders only. He advised an arrangement being come to with the Wellington Farmers , Meat Company so that the shareholders of the Bacon Company could be taken in as shareholders of the meat company, and to run the bacon business as a trading concern. Mr Eddie drew attention to a circular the eompanv had issued, and he maintained that this had frightened th<- farmers. So much so that one farmer had sent 40 of his pigs to another factory. Mr A. McFarlane, a director of the Bacon Company, said that the company did not have enough capital to start with, which was a heavy handicap. The company was not in the same position as a dairy company in regard to making advances to suppliers. Some of the shareholders had sent all their pigs to the company's works, and loyally stood by the company, while others liad nor done so. Mr T. Moss contend that the circular issued by the directors had shaken confidence in the company, and that a number of shareholders were dissatisiied with the management. He proposed that a committee, consisting of five shareholders of the Bacon Company confer with the directors on matter 3 relating to the Company. Mr A. Barrell, in seconding the motion, said that he was of opinion that the circular sent out by the directors was an ill-advised action. The genera) impression seemed to be that the company was riding for a fall.

Eventually Messrs A. Barrell (Mangatainoka), T. Moss (Newman). M. Alpass (Mangamaire), A. Pryde (Nireaha), and A. Eddie (Mangahao) were appointed a committee to confer with, the Board of Directors at Mastcrton on April 24th.

Horse Dentistry. Veterinarians are not very gentle in some of the remarks they make about some of.the " horse dentists" who travel about the country. For instance, one veterinary surgeon says: "The possession of a set of tooth instruments and the assumption of the title 'horse dentist' does not endow a man with the possession of technical knowledge and proper skill. " Still there can be no doubt that Wairarapa farmers do not give proper attention to the teeth of their horses, and that a great deal of unnecessary suffering is endured by some horses on account of the state of their teeth. There seems to be every probability that the teeth of horses get out of order just as much as those of human beings. The teeth become sharp, and.pain is caused when the horse is being worked in bridle or blinkers. The bit presses the sharp edges against the cheek or the tongue, causing him to throw his head up and clown, and perhaps to jib altogether in his work. A horse with, teeth out of order cannot chew his food properly; it passes through him whole, •and consequently does him no good. Condition powders and other medicines will not do as much good as a little attention given to the teeth. There is no need to have a dentist in if filing the sharp edges off the teeth is all that is needed. Anyone with a proper rasp can manage that. But in many cases extractions have to be made, and the teeth have to be levelled down. A veterinary surgeon had bettor be called in to attend to matters of that sort, as a novice at the game may do more harm than good. * * # « Hints to Intending Settlers. The following hints are worthy '' of being noted by those residents of Wairarapa who intend investing in land, under any systems of tenure:— 1. Never buy land without seeing it.

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U. Examine it at least once alone or in the company of an expert, practical farmer, whom you know to bo disinterested. :;. Listen to alj the agent or the owner says, but obtain also tho opinion of neighbours who know and aro more willing to speak of the disadvantages. 4. Choose only the farm that suits first your capital, second, your special type of farming; third, your main crop's J an d the needs of your family.

5. *Ee«iomber that the askod price is only 5V part of the real cost. Find out the cost of repairs and improvements needed, tho expense , of stocking and planning, and the cost of living until returns come in. t>. Study the environment and learn its adaptations, its advantages, aud disadvantages, its peculiarities, its history, and its possibilities. . 7. Study every factor with equal reference to" the home aspect and the business aspect. Don't "go blind" cm aiivbody's advice.

Wheat Founder. One continually boars in Wairarapa of horses getting foundered through gorging wheat. This usually happens at night after the horses are turned out and is very frequently the result of carelessness. The fences are unsecure or the sates arc loft open, and then the mischief takes placo. Too much care cannot be taken where horses and wheat are not far from each other, us very serious results usually take place when horses get at the wheat. Secure fences and firmly fastenod gates should always be iv existence where horses arc kept* whether wheat is about or not, but they should certainly be more in evidence when horses, by breaking out of.their paddocks, can reach wheat. Accidents will happen on the best retrulated farms, but all care should be taken so that accidents may bo practically impossible. Founder usually follows a big feed of wheat, that is if death does not claim the victim first. Thi* consists of an inilammation of the sensitive layer of tissue that lies between the hoof and the bones of the foot. It is a very painful trouble. The symptoms are fairly well known. The horse shows a great disinclination to move; another is a certain amount of stiffness. The feet are pushed forward to take the weight off the toes, and the hind legs are brought up underneath the body. The action of the horso is jerky aud short, as if pain was being felt. The temperature rises; the pulse quickens, and ]>am is felt when the hoofs are tapped. Pounder usually occurs in the front feet, though the hind ones are not imuiuue from the trouble.

A groat change has taken place in the treatment of horses gorged with wheat. A few years ago linseed" oil was given as a drench as soon as it was found that the horses had been at the wheat. No water was allowed, and exercise was looked upon as an all-im-'poriant thing. Nowadays we are told that water in largo quantities has a

good effect. It is said to remove through the kidneys the poisons that are formed by an overdose of wheat in the stomach. A couple of ounces of bicarbonate of soda to the drinking water has been found to be an excellent thing. Tt neutralises the acidity and prevents the formation of toxin. Plenty of water with baking soda added is now looked upon as the best remedy when horses eat too much wheat, and this is a simple and an easy cure. All the same prevention is better than any iiire, however simple and easy it may be, and the best method of prevention is to have a good fence and a well-fasten-ed gate, or else to have the wheat locked up in a granary—or stored in town . •ft # * * Salt in Rations. All farm stock appreciate a fair amount of salt in their rations, cattle and horses requiring about loz. per day, and pigs and sheep about a quarter of "an ounce. It helps the action of the saliva and pancreatic juices. In the ordinary horse rations there is very little .-ah, for, while hay contains an appreciable amount, there is practically none in grain. Rock salt is supplied by many horse owners for animals to lick :it will, and where salt is not added to rations this is necessary to get and keep animals in the best of health. «■ * * « Potatoes for Pigs. Ou farms where jKitatoes arc grown, something has to be done with the diseased ones, and also tho small tubers. Pigs are obviously tho best kind of animals to utilise such produce, but if fed in a raw state they seem to give very poor results, and mixed with meal or sharps, they form a very good food for either fat or store pigs, the meal, of course, being added for fattening animals.