FOR THE FARMER

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXII, Issue 222, 13 December 1926, Page 3

FOR THE FARMER

BY z

"AGER CULTURA."

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

HERE AND THERE. a " Spain produces more wool than anj other European country. New Zealand has now not only a protective price for all the products of industry, but a world-level price for its farm products. If it paid to breed and fatten beef, much that is now heard about * ‘ deteriorated” land and encroaching secondary forest growth would be heard no more. The dairying industry among Maoris is extending in the Rauatorea district and next season there will be many new suppliers to the company operating there. “This year Australian farmers have had quite a good season with their lambs which, compared with last year, have improved greatly in weight and quality owing to the use of the Down ram,” stated Mr D. Heenan, of Can-! terbury, who has just .returned to New I Zealand after a visit to Australia. The milk is pouring into the Mataura factory, and Saturday’s intake amounted to over 10,500 gallons, which beat last year’s record day by over 100 gallons. The present supply is running the factory at its full capacity and the company is replacing a 700 gallon vat with a 1000 gallon one.

The statement .from Auckland that a pair of bullock’s kidneys weighing 1141bs was a world’s record is contradicted by Mr M. 8. Jones, a butcher of Wellington, who says he had a note of a three-year-old heifer, which weighed ■ 7001bs, producing kidneys weighing 131 Albs. The animal was slaughtered in Victoria about 10 years ago.

In Southland the canny directors of one of the largest cheese factories (Edcndale) paid only 9d for last month’s butterfat, and there -were rumours that a neighbouring company, whose suppliers wertf overpaid last season, intended to guard against a similar mistake this year by paying out only 6d for October.

Stock throughout South Canterbury is now looking exceptionally well. Everywhere there is an abundance of feed (states the Timaru Herald), and now that the seed is appearing in the grasses the latter have greatly increased fattening qualities.

In spite of the fact that some grain crops arc not expected to recover from the damage inflicted by the recent heavy hailstorm, there arc bright prospects before both sheep and wheat farmers (reports the Ashburton Guardian). A bankrupt farmer in Auckland stated that his farm at Netherton has been flooded five times in the course of a few years. A well know'n To Aroha farmer and a member of the Piako County Council, Mr Hugh. Magil, had his leg broken through being knocked over by a sheep when mustering on his farm. The quantity of milk coming forward to the factories in the South Wairarapa is -well up to previous records, although tests arc uniformly lower than usual. Grass is plentiful despite the high winds and varyincg temperatures. ’ Why farming does not pay —simply because the land is too dear. This is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. When we get down to production values it will pay not before. Why waste time by a committee of inquiry? The music must be faced —the sooner the better for all concerned.—A correspondent in the Auckland Star. Leading farmersJn the Wairoa district are quite satisfied with the prices received for their clips, at the Wellington and Napier sales. An improvement as the season advances is generally anticipated in the district.

Mr Staples, of Christchurch, who has just returned from England, says New Zealand lamb was popular, but he felt quite sure that some of the “Canterbury lamb ’ ’ showing in some of the shops had never seen New Zealand There was substitution going on.

Provided the weather is suitable lucerne may still be sown early in December in well worked ground. Where grass or other growth has become established in old stands as a result of consolidation during the earlier part of the season the stad should be well loosened with a cultivator having narrow pointed tines and all such growth torn out aftei’ mowing.

Mangolds, swedes, turnips and carrots may claim special attention during December if weeding and singling have not yet beOn carried out. All root crops handsomely repay any extra attention during early growth, and none more so than mangolds. Intercultivation retains moisture and destroys seedling weeds and should be continued until the crop meets in the rows, after which it will look after itself.

The demands for farm 7 workers in country districts of South Auckland is in excess of supply, judging by the inquiries being received. Private employments bureaux in Hamilton find a difficulty in obtaining sufficient labour to meet the employment offering.

In discussing the farming prospects for the present season, a Taranaki man intimately acquainted with the position reports that although the prices for dairy produce were not very good, the fat stock market, in so far as his firm’s business was concerned, was promising.

“1 am testing 220 cows, and have herd tested for the last three years,” said a North Island factory director. I have raised my average by 501 b a head. Now 501 b of butterfat at Is 6d is £3 15s. So I have increased my return per cow by this amount, and this increase per cow, or £825 for the herd, has paid me many times over for the cost of testing.”

Though, lambing percentages were uniformly good throughout Otago and Southland the season has not been without its troubles. x Unreasonable snow and cold rains accounted for not a few in most districts. Renal congestion took off a good number, especially in the Taicri while in North Otago a mysterious malady attacked the young flock to such an extent that expert help was sought from Wellington.

An indication of what the farmer can do in the rearing and careful feeding of prime young beef for local consumption is given by the killing of prize animals at Westfield last week. Tffc Two first prize two-year-old fat steers at the Royal Show went purchased for £l3 15. each and were killed at the abattoir. They weighed 8081 b and 7751 b respectively. r It has been stated by sheep farmers that prevalence of rust in grass is a sauce of poor percentage of lambs, and at last year’s annual conference of the Royal Agricultural Society the Department of Agriculture was requested to investigate the subject. An investigation was accordingly carried out bythe various District Superintendents, who are qualified veterinarians, but they were unable to secure any data in confirmation of the statement in question. "New Zealand, with a population of 1,400,000, consumes 15,000 tons of butter each year, equal to one-fourth of our annual export,” remaked President Mackrell at the annual conference of the Chambers of Commcrcd in Wellington. “If we doubted our population, we would consume 30,000 tons of butter per year, equal to half of our present annual export, and so the problem of finding markets for butter and all other produce of the land to which this comparison applies would Ije lessened.”