FARMERS' FARM SCHOOL

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14711, 28 July 1921, Page 6

FARMERS ' FARM SCHOOL

DAY OF VALUABLE INSTRUCTION. FINE JERSEY DEMONSTRATION. LECTURE ON DRAINAGE. The Farmers’ Farm School was continued at Ruakura yesterday. In the morning Mr F. R. Callaghan, Mdealt with drainage. The various systems of open and closed drains wore outlined Open drains, said Ihc lecturer, served to carry off the surplus surface water, and represented the first ■ stage in dealing with wet areas. Made wide, shallow and following the natural water courses, these acted rapidly . in removing a large volume of water. As the drainage progressed these could be deepened, allowing the water-table to recede still lower, and where necessary such deepened drains should have their sides considerably sloped, and if necessary supported by boarding. Once (ho subsidence of the swamp had ceas- • ed, then under-draining, using ti-lroc faeincs, boulders, box or porous tile pipes could be instituted: under-drains should be placed at least three feet ■ below the surface, to avoid being disarranged by tlie tramping of heavy stock. The fall of these drains should be sufficient to wash out any accumulating silt and not 100 steep lo cause disruption of the drain itself. A minimum fall would he about t inch per chain, and a maximum G inches per 100 . feet of drain. To avoid blockages by silt and to increase sumpage area, it was advis- ■ able lo throw a top layer of turf im- . mediately over the pipe-line. When tlie pipe-line crossed soft patches it i was well to support it by placing stout . malai planks underneath. Underdrainage allowed of ready cultivation, ■ economised manures, and was a profitable venture on a great deal of our heavier fertile soils. Poultry Lecture. Mr F. C. Brown, Chief Government ' Poultry Instructor, delivered a lecture ' on ‘’Poultry Breeding” to a large number of interested hearers. Mr Brown, with birds to illustrate his remarks, ■ showed ids listeners how to select the good layers from tlie poor layers. A ’ particularly good point he brought out was if (lie hen lias a fine-textured • comb she will have fine texture right through the body—a most desirable attribute. The lecturer declared that it never paid lo keep a layer after her : second year. Most farmers, he said, ■ kept a fowl until she died of old age. Jersey Demonstration. During the afternoon a Jersey demonstration was given by Messrs H. E. B. Watson (official demonstrator of the K.Z. Jersey Society) and Mr A. E. Missen (president of the South Auckland Jersey Breeders’ Society) Mr Watson showed the main features to be looked for in selecting a dairy cow, viz., constitution as shown by well distended nostril, large windpipe and ample heart amt lung girth. The next thing of importance was capacity denoted by large, ilrm jaws, strong muscular lips, and length, width and depth of body, but along with these there rn.ust.be evidences of strong digestive powers, which are denoted by texture of the skin, which must be soft, pliable and covered with nice silky hair. Of utmost importance in the dairy cow was vitality or nervous temperament. which are denoted by the large, bold expressive eye, long, thin clean neck, clean withers, prominent and well-serrated verlabrae, together with an absence of becfincss about the hips and thigh. Another sure indication of a heavy milker, said the lecturer, was the presence of blond veins and arteries* running through the escutcheon and across tlie vessel and along tlie body of the cow-. Of utmost importance in any dairy cow was the udder, which should bo capacious, and to get this breeders required length and width, the udder being attached high and wide behind, and running well forward on the abdomen. Texture was of utmost importance in the udder, and fleshiness must bo avoided at all costs. The teats, remarked the lecturer, should be of uniform size, about 2-lin to 3in long, and placed as near as possible to the centre of each quarter.

Mr Missen shed interesting light on the way the Jersey breed was managed on its native island of Jersey. He showed that kindness to the cow was essential to heavy milk production, and declared that, properly cared for, the Jersey was the greatest butter-fat producing breed in existence. It must not be supposed, said Mr Missen, that the Jersey was a delicate breed, for she was kept in some of the severest districts possible to imagine. Mr Missen concluded by advising those who had a fancy for any particular breed to persevere with it, for “wobblers” were of no use to themselves or to anyone else. Mr Cockayne’s Lecture. Mr A. H. Cockayne, Government Biologist, repeated his notable address on “Feeding the Dairy Cow." This address is appearing in instalments in the Saturday’s supplements of the Waikato Times. At the conclusion of the address the lecturer was loudly applauded. In returning (hanks for the vole of appreciation, Mr Cockayne remarked that the best thanks lie could receive was for I hose present, to go back to their farms and feed their cows to their maximum power of production. (Management of Grass Lands. Mr Bruce Levy (assistant biologist) delivered ids lecture on “The Management of Grass Lands." With the aid of a powerful electric light, the many tine slides with which the lectures were illustrated were shown lo the very best advantage. Mr Levy specially emphasised Ihe importance of maintaining clover in the pasture as a means of stimulating the growth of Hie better pasture grasses. The lecture was keenly appreciated, and Mr Levy was heartily thanked for it. Agricultural Education. In the evening Mr F. R, Callaghan, M.A., dealt with ‘Agricultural Education.'' The speaker touched on . the necessity for holding farm schools for teachers in order lo equip them with a knowledge of the correct principles and the best methods of agriculture. This knowledge would lie disseminated by ihe teachers lo the senior pupils of the country schools of the province. The object of teaching agriculture in the country schools was not to teach practical agriculture, hut the elementary principles underlying agriculture. Agricultural education had received a setback owing lo the dearth of competent instructors in the subject, but, on the other hand, agricultural science had been steadily receiving more consideration at the hands of the educational authorities, until to-day it was a subject for the B.A. degree. At the end of his lecture Mr Callaghan was accorded a well-deserved vote of thanks.