THE PARMER’S PAGE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15970, 12 November 1919, Page 6

THE PARMER’S PAGE.

TOPICS OP DAILY INTEREST.

Keep calves away from heat and flies during the day, and allow them out at night.

Any farmer owning at least 10 cows needs a silo, and plenty of silage should be provided.

Oil for farm machinery should invariably be of first-class quality, the low-est-priced oil not being the most economical.

Any rainy days can well be spent now on the hay-making machinery. Repair the broken parts and have everything in readiness.

Stale, sour calf buckets induce scours. Use hot water freely and expose the utensils to the sunlight.

Every farmer should keep some sort of account system of his business. It should show the profit and loss of all of his operations.

One thing which a herd testing association enables the dairyman to do: Spot the low producers, so that he knows which cows to sell and which to keep.

Some city folks think that it looks funny for the wife of a farmer who drives a good automobile to have to carry water to her kitchen from a well in the yard.

Turn out and vote at the coming election. There is need of big, broadminded men in Parliament, and you cannot put them there if you don’t vote.

If breeders generally would refrain from using the scrub sire and treat him as an outlaw, we could add considerably to the average value of flocks and herds throughout Australia.

There is usually a part of the summer when pastures are dry and parched and the milk-flow diminishes. That is when a summer silo, a special pasture, or green fodder crops are useful.

French buyers are purchasing pretty extensively in Great Britain from purebred flocks and herds. A correspondent sends word that three Large White pigs were recently despatched to M. Lavoiune. From Sir Gilbert Greenall were purchased a young boar, Worseley Turk 133 rd, and a young sow; and from Mr E. Wherry a young bear, Bourne Buttercup 79th (reserve at the Royal Cardiff Show).

At Mr J, Putnam's sale of British Friesland cattle, the imported oow Route Jantjo was bought by Miss Guest for 5090 guineas. The imported oow Moordale Meibloen went to Mr G. H. Thomas for 3000 guineas, and her heifer calf to the same buyer for 1600 guineas. Two cows bred by Mr Putnam realised 1650. guineas and 1200 guineas respectively. Hie highest price for bulls, 1500 guineas, was realised by Ronta Dutchman (imp.). The average price of .£540 17s 2d was obtained for 48 head.

Mention is made in Popular Mechanics of a small grain-threshing machine, the product of a Michigan factory, which is proving suitable for small farms It is 19fr. long, Sft Sin high, weighs with all equipment 36001b and handles 150 bushels of grain per hour. A 16 h.p. tractor will drive it. The threshing mechanism consists of four claws on arms revolved by a crankshaft at 228 revolutions per minute, stripping the grain ell as the crop passes between them. The elevator arm is adjustable to discharge into a waggon of any height.

A new wheat, named Ruby, has been developed at the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. Canada. It is a selection from the progeny of a cross between Downy Riga and Red Fife. Ruby wheat ripens as a rule a week or so earlier than Marquis. The kernels are somewhat similar to those of Red Fife, being hard and of the popular reddish brown colour. The heads are beardless. 'The straw in some localities is rather shorter than Marquis, and of good strength. Ruby produces flour of exoelk ut oo 1 our and high baking strength. In yield it produces slightly less per acre than Marquis. SOME CANADIAN RECORDS. Official returns just to hand from Canada indicate that 194 Ayrshires, 175 lloMcin-Priesian, 76 Jerseys, and 45 Shorthorns qualified for certificates under the Official Record of Performance test for the 1918-19 season. The champion cow of all breeds proved to be the Friesian Jemima Johanna of Riverside, with 30.373 ibs of milk and 10241bs fat. The performances of the best individual cows in the various breeds are as follows ; Ayrshires: Mature, 19,4051bs of milk and 7861bs fat;. 4 years, 14,872 and 59k; 3 years, 14,907 and 631; 2 years, 12,209 and 546. Holstein-Fire-sicns: Mature, 30.373 and 1024; 4 years, 20,911 and 816; 3 years, 33,274 and 843; 2 years, 16,714 and 677. Jerseys: Mature, 18,744 and 926; 4 years, 14,852 and 872; 3 years, 11,136 and 700; 2 years, 11,882 and 666. Shorthorns: Mature, 17,723 and 636; 4 years, 11,638 and 480; 3 years, 12,691 and 482 ; 2 years, 10,230 and 448. WOOL IN AUSTRALIA Tliere are now in Australia 1,100,000 bales of wool the property of the British Government. This is wool of the last clip and some from the previous clip, which Great Britain has not yet been able to move. It is estimated that the present clip, which has also been sold to Great Britain, will bring the total up to about 3,000,000 bales, or, roughly, 430,000 tens of wool. Advice has been received from the director of raw materials (Sir Arthur Goldfinch) that Great Britain hits extended for 12 months the freight contract entered into for carrying the wool from Australia to British, and, in the case of a certain proportion, to European or American ports. In view of the great quantity of wool to be moved and the difficulty of obtaining shipping. Sir John Higgins, chairman of the Central Wool Committee, thinks that Great Britain will do very well if she moves the ■ 3,000,000 bales bv the end of 1920. The present clip is the last sold to Great Britain under the present contract. ;

SALE OP CLYDESDALES,

Two important Clydesdale sales are reported from Great Britain. The champion Clydesdales Rosalind and Craigie Sylvia, both in foal to Craigie Litigant, have been sold to go to Canada. The beautiful Clydesdale oolt Ever Right, by the champion Everlasting, out of Glastullich Beauty, by Royal Favourite, has been sold to Mr J. Weir, of Lanark, to the well-known breeder. Captain A. M. Montgomery. Sometimes we cannot prevent outbreaks of live stock diseases on our farms, but we can and should ..always use every preventive measure and see' that proper precautions are taken when the disease first makes its appearance. Arrangements have been made for the instruction in pig-farming of a limited number of members of the Australian Imperial Force who desire to obtain experience in the United States. The training will be carried out at agricultural farm schools. *

Some people entertain the idea, now that primary producers are organised, that they desire to dominate the situation. Nothing is further from their minds. All they want is a voice in'the •government of the country, hitherto denied them.

Pasturing crops for pigs should be sown on especially well-drained and prepared. land that is either rich or has received a liberal application of manure Good results are not obtained except on the best-drained lands.

Sheep ticks are one of the commoflest pests of the flocks and cause a considerable loss each year by sapping the vitality, thus interfering with the thrift of the animals. Neglect to destroy them causes the loss of many pounds. Why not stop this leak? Dip the sheep twice a year if necessary. The only way to successfully eliminate weeds is to keep everlasting at them until they are under control or done away with. The best time to combat them is when they are youqg and before they have spread—as spread they will rapidly unless attended to at once.