THE FARM

Waikato Times, Volume 91, Issue 14133, 9 August 1919, Page 9

THE FARM

AGRICULTURAL EVENTS FOR WEEK ENDING AUGUST 16. MONDAY. Dairy Cow Sale at Cambridge. , Stock Sale at Ohinewai. Clearing Sale at Mr 0. V. Adlam’s, Waha roa. Clearing Sale at Mr F. McCormick's, Tauhoi. Clearing Sale at air P. Crago’s, Te Awamutu. Clearing Sale at Mr A. E. "Ward’s, Timwhare. TUESDAY. , . Dairy Sale at Matamata. Stock Sale at Hikutaia. Horse Fair at Hamilton. Clearing Sale of Mr C. C. Buckland’s Friesian Cattle at Monavale. WEDNESDAY. Dairy Sale at Hamilton. Stock Sale at Otoruhanga. Stock Sale at Tirau. Stock Sale at To Aroha. Clearing Sale at Mr Ft. Irwins, Ngatea'. Clearing Sale at Mr D. Jones’, "Waihon. Clearing Sale at Mr J. C. Montefiore’s —Horses, etc., —at Tc Awamutu Yards. THURSDAY. Stock Sale at Hamilton. Clearing Sale at O'Connor Pros.’, Taihoa. Clearing Sale at Mr A. Bunting’s, Paeroa. FRIDAY. Clearing Sale at Messrs - Stewart Bros.’, Taupiri. Stock Sale at Morrinsville. Sale of horses, pigs, implements, etc., At Messrs C. C. Buckland’s, MonoClearing Sale at Mr G. K. Peat’s, Tirau. SATURDAY! Clearing Sale at Mr G. A. Lindemann’s, Waltoa. GOOD PRICE FOR WETHERS. The record price for the coast for sheep was secured at Otaki recently, when Dalgety and Co., Ltd., sold on behalf of Mr A. J. Podevin a line of 120 fat wethers at 55s 4d. The animals, bought by Messrs Moore Bros., and the Tc Ara Meat Co., • were certainly very fine, and elicited keen bidding. The , price of 545, secured by the late Mr John Davies, of Koputaroa, some considerable time ago. for his large Moscommons, had, previous to this sale, been unbeaten. \ STOCK IN MESOPOTAMIA. Camels, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, ; and donkeys arc the principal or sole j sortree of wealth of many of the inhabit- ‘ ants of Mesopotamia. The camel is a i characteristic feature of the dry, un- j cultivated plains. Good breeds of Arab , horses are to be found both in Northern J and Southern Mesopotamia. Sheep are , bred in immense numbers in most parts. ■ Cattle are used for ploughing, irriga- j tion, and general draught work in the •better-watered grazing grounds near the,rivers, and buffaloes are 1 kept in great numbers in the marsh country. Donkeys are very common in Irak, but ; there is little breeding of mules. Fodder is the great live stock difficulty, as the grain dries up in the hot weather, and it is this difficulty of providing fodder wbjch is at the root of the nomadic ! habits of the Arab. They are obliged . to go after it with their flocks and herds | to the foot hills. Lucerne grows well j where it has been cultivated, and. being j a leguminous crop, would benefit the | soil by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. If j Mesopotamia is to become the home of a settled population, the provision of fodder in hot weather, especially for shcep, must receive early attention. COST OF A POUND OF BUTTER. “Small Dairy Farmer” writes as follows to the Evening Post: In view of the generally accepted opinion that butter producers get too high a return for their work, the following statement showing the cost of producing a pound i of butter delivered at the factory door, j will be of interest. The figures given are based on present costs that would apply to anyone taking up butter producing at the present moment. Charges Against Dairy Cow. 1918-19 Season.

Feed—Grass from £IOO worth of lan<l rent or interest at 6 per cent, £6: "extra winter feed, feed for two horses, regrassing and artificial fertilisers £1 10s; rates and taxes (per cow) *£l. Total. £8 10s. Herd Upkeep Interest on cow worth £lu, at 6 per" cent, 18s; loss from deaths and diseases at 10 per cent, £1 10s. Total, £2 Bs.

Milk Delivery.—lnterest on £IOO invested in horses, cart, harness, etc., at 6 per cent, £6; depreciation, repairs, and renewals, £7; horse-shoeing and upkeep of horses, £5; total for average 30-cow herd, £18; per cow, 12s. Keep of Bull.—lnterest, depreciation and feed, £lO 10s; for average 30-cow herd., per cow, 7s. Buildings.—Depreciation and maintenance on buildings valued at £SOO, at 5 per cent., £25; insurance (say) £1 10s,: total for average 30-cow herd. £26 10s! per cow. 17s Bd. Incidentals. —Calf and pig food (concentrates), wire, staples, nails, cow covers, leg-ropes, upkeep of windmills, purngs, etc. (say), 15s, 4d. Labour—One (1) man milking at rate of 20 cows twice daily at 10s per dav for 12 months—per cow, £9 2s 6d. Total.. £22 12s 6d.

By-products.—7s per cent of cows producing calves selling at £2, for average 30-cow herd, per cow, £1 10s; return from pigs, £l. Total, £2 10s. Cost of produced 2001b' of butterfat, £2O 2s Od. Cost of producing lib of butterfat, 2s. Price paid for butter delivered at factory door, Is sd. Loss 7d.

Manufacture. —As the over-run Days for cost of manufacture, the price per pound for manufactured butter is the same as for butterfat. The price fixed by law allows Is od per lb at factory door being paid to the dairy company. If the above statement is correct—and an investigation of the facts will show that the figures have been under rather than over stated—then the producer is losing 7d ]>er lb on every pound of butter he produces. An allowance of 10s per day has been made for the farmer's labour, a small enough wage for a man who works from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. under very uncomfortable conditions for seven days a week for the Iwst part of the year. Tf, however, the farmer, as usual, takes no account of his or his family's labour, then the cost of production works out at Is Id per lb, which leaves 5s b'd per dav to cover the value of the labour of the farmer and his family to milk thirty cows, and do the farm work, a clear case of shameful sweating. Where is the incentive for increased production so urgently needed to pay interest and sinking fund on the cost of the war? If any adjustment in the cost of living is necessary in regard to butter it should b P in the direction of granting a living wage to the small butter producer. HORSE SOCIETY. At the. annual meeting of the Clydesdale Society, the president, -Mr .1. Knight, of FeUding, said, in moving ttie adoption of the report and balancesheet; that there was a lot said about the horse being displaced by motors and tractors. This was no doubt true in certain circumstances, but, so . r ar as could be judged at present, the end of the horse was not within sight by 3 long way, and it was just a question whether more draught horses would not be required in the future than in the past. There did not appear to be any great surplus of working horsis

in the country, and a livelier demand seemed already to have set in. The balance-sheet showed that £338 19s was received for subscriptions m 1918-19 as against £Ol 19s in 18, the total revenue bclhg £lOl 12s 9d, as against £7l 9s for the preceding 12 months, when the Society's work was at a standstill. The following officers were then elected: President, 'Mr J. D. \Vyllie (Gadcsbundcn) ; vice presidents (North Island), Messrs Quentin Donald (FcaIhcrslon), W. G. Park (Waikato), (South Island), Messrs James Dirties ( Waikonaili), and G. G. Thompson (Dunedin): Council (North Island), Messrs 1.. Bremer (Okaiawa), H. Gascoyne (Maraekakalio), J. W. Harding (Waipuknrau) and R. D. Knight (Bongburn) ; (South Island), Messrs James (low (Mosgicl), W. J. Taylor (Ashburton), W. Gardiner jnr. (N. Otago), and John Shearer (Ashburton). An extraordinary vacancy, caused owing In Hie resignation of Mr J. Boag, jnr., was tilled by the election of Air 11. EB. Watson, of Tai Tapu. A resolution was carried setting out in regard to the veterinary examination of 'the Clydesdale stallions that pressure be put on the Government to have a Bill passed on the linos of that now in force in Great Britain and Ireland. A copy of Iho resolution will lie sent to the Council of Agriculture as a remit for the conference. JERSEYS, SHORTHORNS £ GLAXO. In bright sunshine, keen bracing air, and under a clear sky the party of agricultural students from the High School started out on Wednesday morning last for a field excursion. The first stop was “Pencarrow,” near Tamaherc, where they were met by Mr' Day. This gentleman first illustrated the points of a good Jerseypicking out a line dairy type from his herd named “Lady Ruth.” By making comparisons with other members of the herd he showed the weak points, and also the strong features that indicated milk production. The year- I lings 'were visited, and inspected, aso the bulls, and finally before settling down for lunch the D.aby Jerseys and their mothers. The deer-like appearance of these youngsters of that breed captivates lovers of stock, especially those with aesthetic lastes. After being hospitably entertained by Miss Day at the homestead the party thanked their host and hostess and ngpved on to Matangi, where Mr Waishe showed the students through the glaxo factory. At about 3 o’clock the cars, seven in number, reached 1 Mr Ranstead’s gate, where the party alighted and were entertained at afternoon tea by Mr and Airs Ranstead. A visit to the stud flock was then made, and the boys evinced great interest in the' fine types of Shorthorns inspected, and followed with evident pleasure the worthy performances put up by Matangi Mary and other cows on the place. The questions pul to Mr Ranstead by the boys not only showed keenness, but displayed a fair knowledge of this popular breed. Co-operation of this kind in agricultural education, especially on the part of student breeders like Mr Day and Mr Ranstead is an undoubted aid in giving students a love and a’knowledge of live stock. All the adults present with the party admitted that education of this kind, which calls for keen observation, - and moreover taken in the open air, under the blue dome of heaven, was not unfortunately their lot when they went to school. Times have changed, and it is without doubt a wise move in a wise and comprehensive syllabus of instruction in the High School. —BLUEGUM. VALUE OF MANURE. Discussing the importance of manuring Mr W. B. Ellery says, in a communication to the Ashburton Guardian : In reading the report of the Agri- * cultural and Pastoral Association meeting I notice that Air John Grigg advocated the use of manure. I think that will do for my text. I have sold my farm, so perhaps I shall nof. want to sow any more manure, but I shall go on to the end of my (lays preaching “manure.” Some tell me that manure is no good, but I have proved otherwise. I hoard a man say last .year that he would not sow manure if it were carted to his place. Yet I notice that this season he is using manure. The result of no manure was very poor. 1 maintain if some of our enterprising farmers, before this lovely rain we have had, were to have sown two hundred-weight of manure per acre, they would make throe blades of grass grow instead of one- Of course, there is manure and manure. T wish we could get some of the old-fashioned phosphates, or you ran call it “Belgium” now if you like. I know we would get far better results than from the present class of manure. I reckoned where they’re giving us 25 per cent carbonate of lime and one is only sowing 751 h manure, what results are expected from this quantity As for carbonate of lime any scientists will tell you that it is not a manure. I believe if you were to put on five hundredweight to the acre it might he beneficial in time to come: but not as a quick-acfing manure. I was talking to a manager of one of our experimental farms, and I said: “What results are you getting from lime?” He just *hook his head. Ask some of the enterprising farmers their opinion of manure. The verdict will be “Kapai!” As I said once before, we have sown hundreds of tons of manure in the north with most satisfactory results.