FARM AND GARDEN

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15033, 2 September 1922, Page 15 (Supplement)

FARM AND GARDEN

agricultural events for week ENDING SEPTEMBER 9. MONDAY. Stock Sale at Cambridge. ' TUESDAY. Stock Sale at Hamilton. WEDNESDAY. Stook Sale 1 at Matamata. THURSDAY. Stock Sale at Claudelands. Stock Sale at Tirau. Spring Horse Fair at Cambridge. Clearing Sale, Mr A. D. Fisk, Manawaru. „ , * Clearing Sale, Mr C. J. R- Lundon, Tatuanui. SATURDAY. Stock Sale at Te Awamutu. - NOTICE TO FARMERS. Recognising the importance of giving the farmer highly scientific advice, we have made arrangements for articles to appear weekly from the pen of a recognised authority on agricultural matters. Farmers are invited to address any queries on farming matters to "Practical,” care of Waikato Times, and they will be answered in the succeeding week’s issue.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. “PASTURE. Stock select those grasses and clovers in a pasture which suit their taste. Often this results in the disappearance of a particular species from the' pasture, and two fields laid down with the Y same seed mixture will often in subsequent years show pastures so esesntially different as to be scarcely creditable. This profound change is due mainly to the nature of the grazing. Where possible, sheep and cattle should be alternated on pasture, so that one pasture plant will not secure undue ascendancy over others. “CAMERON.” —Sugar beet is scarcely likely to rank as a prominent stock fodder in the Waikato, owing to its being unable to compete in yield with mangels. The latter are much easier to deal with as a crop, for sugar beet grow deep into the ground, require digging out and washing before being fed out. Sugar beet roots seldom go above 71b or 81b in weight, whereas mangels scale much higher.- Theii’o food value is, of course, high in relation to their weight, but the food produced per acre compares unfavourably with mangels. FARMING DURING A PERIOD OF PRICE DEPRESSION. (By “Practical.”) Every business house, every Government department, has been forced by the necessities of the times to adopt new policies, befitting a period of depressed prices. Already most farmers have also mapped out a course of action, designed to mitigate the baneful effects of one of the most serious falls in values that have ever beset New Zealand. All indications and all estimates of the world’s economists seem to point' to a fairly h ' prolonged period of comparatively low • prices for all primary products, and gf&i therefore we may expect to find the : ,4 price of butter-fat ’returning somewhere between Is 2d and Is 9d per lb to the farmer for some years to come. 1 On this basis, then, the farm practice of the next few years should be laid down; and values assessed a<L. cordingly. In order to put farming on a business basis, such changed circumstances requii’e the closest attention and revisions, economies, and retrenchments made in order that a reasonable degree of prosperity be maintained. Every farmer has at his disposal three main agents of production: (1) The land or soil of his farm, which embodies certain elements of fertility, . capable of being changed into marketable products; (2) the labour which he, his family and his workmen render by use of head and of hand during the year; (3) the capital represented by his stock, buildings, implements, machinery, teams and' ready cash. The interaction of these three agents of production result in the production of some form of wealth, which on most of the farms of the Waikato is concretely represented by butter-fat. Butter-tat, therefore, represents wealth, and the greater the amount of butter-fat produced, the greater the wealth, and the greater the general prosperity. To maintain prosperity under low prices, two courses are open: (i) The production of more butter-fat at the original costs; (2) the production of the same amount, or, preferably more, at a reduced cost. In both cases it is obvious that a higher level of farming practice is imperative, and this is secured by perfecting the organisation which acts as the connect- .. ing link between the three agents of .. " ’.production—land, labour and capital — ; mentioned above. The times therecall for farm management of a higher order, for a management that can ascertain where leakages and extravagances occur, and can remedy them. Many farms are already burdened seriously by these and by other hindrances, and unless controlled differently the pressure of low prices will drive their owners to the wall. The subject of farm management would require a book to itself, so this article proposes to dqal but briefly with one or two phases that have direct bearing upon the season’s farming. In the, first place, attention should be directed to the land — bought, alas! too often at too high a figure. From the acres of the farm have to be drawn the grass and fodder, which the metabolism of the cow’s body will change into butter - fai. The pastures should be closely examined to notice whether they are' improving in growth and quality, or slowly losing both. Those that are beyond recall should be marked out for ploughing preparatory to a catch crop or a fodder crop before the land Is returned again to a sole of permanent pasture. Too often our fields carry grasses of less quality than they » are capable of doing. Too often good A V grasses arc allowed to grow rank and / coarse, the fields becoming foul with W excess’ of unscattered animal manure. On the other hand, over-hard grazing for a long period will have the cfrect of eating out the palatable grasses, allowing coarse twitches and weeds lo invade areas hitherto occupied by good grass. A pasture running lo all one kind of grass is not desirable, in that it does not afford beasts tiiai choice and selection of fodders which whet their palates,, and, further, stock grazing on unpalatable and innulrittous pasture cannot from it produce l the quantities of butter-fat it could ' \ jf provided with a mofe congenial Generally speaking, the quality of o.ur pastures should receive a

greater measure of attention than it does. High' priced land should carry d correspondingly high quality cl grass. Further, from this land must he grown supplementary' fodder in quantities appropriate to the amount of stock carried. By foresight in this direction the carrying capacity- of a farm can be increased, or the present stock rendered more efficient producers. Time and again it has been pointed out to farmers how the lean periods of late winter and midsummer deduct pounds and pounds from their butterfak yield. This represents leakage of a direct sort, readily observed, readily cured, yet . all too readily overlooked It is more often good management, rather than good selection, of a seed mixture that makes for good pastures, and on those portions of the farm where the nature of the soil prohibits good pasture, then plantations for shelter and timber should be established. These will afford opportunities for both the pasture and the stock in the vicinity doing better in times of rigorous weather, while an area w'hich would possibly become weedinfested will be prevented from so doing. Generally speaking, most or our farms have their 'paddocks too large in area. Small paddocks afford ready means of giving the stock frequent change of pasturage—a factor whose great value is often and they economise grass which otherwise would be lost through the tramping of restless animals. The Importance of drainage,weed control, farm designing, and a number of matters which promote efficiency and a higher product per acre from the land must be passed over for the present, and the problem of farm labour examined. Most of our farms suffer from a lack of labour, and when the supply is not deficient the organisation leaves much to be desired. Sharemilking, often an effective method of dealing with the labour required, is as often an extravagant device. Generally the duties of each worker are allotted in a vague manner, so that anybody’s business is nobody’s business, and important details of work are neglecteci. Too often milking machinery is left in a filthy condition, the yard left unswept, manure stacked too near to the shed, and all these mdke for milk dr cream flavours of an injurious kind. Another bad feature is the poor distribution of work throughout the year. There are jobs of a maintenance nature which can be done in the slack periods, but, which left till the .busy season, place undue strain at an inopportune time, and are probably never so well done. Certainly they are then more costly to do also, for at that time the labour could be employed to better advantage in other directions.

Passing on to capital economies, we are confronted with a host of problems, and but few can be dealt with in the scope of this article. A large part of a farmer's working capital Is centred in his cows. To these he must direct his attention, for the New Zealand butter-fat average per cow is but about 1601 b per annum, representing a return at Is 6d per lb for butter-fat of £l2 per annum. At the same time, it has been computed that an average cow costs about £l3 10s at least to maintain. Obviously the number of robber cows must be legion. From last season's butter-tat returns farmers can get a rough idea of their herd average, but they must in most cases to increase this by securing a quality of cow capable of yielding over 3001 b of butter-fat for the season, as has been done under rather adverse conditions in Denmark. Every farmer should either put his whole ( herd under the supervision of a herd-test-ing association, or else should use regularly the Babcock tester and scales to ascertain his worst and his best cows. The eye and the judgment avail nought in this assessment, and the Babcock tester should be far more generally used than it is. It cos„ts as much in time, labour and feed to keep a scrub cow as it does a good butter-fat producer, but for the same cost one yields much more produce than the other. This, therefore, can be sold cheaper. The farmer with high-producing cows can therefore withstand lower prices than he whose herd is comprised of “scrubs.” The . cheapest way to “grade up” the herd is to follow eacli year a system of rigorous culling, and also to give great consideration to the purchase of a bull with some milking pedigree to substantiate him. Soon it will be the season for the bull sales, and farmers must make for the topnotch progenitor, so that his heifer calves will be worth rearing, and his herd of the future capable of high yields of butter-fat. Visitors from abroad have commented on the poor quality of our dairy herds, and the justification for this must be removed as soon as possible. x\nnually there is an appalling loss of slock through disease, much of which coulck,be obviated were our farmers trained even slightly in veterinary practice. At this very time too many cows'are dying of milk fever that could readily he saved—and it is always the most valuable cows that are lost, while throughout the season frequent sickness among the herd often reduces the profits which should accrue, turning them to losses. Much of this could be avoided by a belter understanding of the relation of diet to stock health, ancl by a little knowledge of stock doctoring. Again, the herd must be encouraged to maximum production by the provision of a copious supply of fodders such as lucerne, mangolds, turnips, hay and kale. Careful and regular scrutiny should also be regularly paid to all farm and dairy machinery, for failure in this respect often entails heavy expenditure for repairs, and, at the same time, inflicts serious harm on the stock. Milking machinery too often is allowed to become foul in the pipes owing to the peculiar nature of milk. Consequently too much stress cannot be laid on regular and efficient cleaning, for'in Ibis age the farmer cannot afford to have his product graded down, and receive less in payment.

Space does not permit further economies in respect to capital being touched upon, but in respect to land, labour and capital enough has been pointed out for farm management lo lake into consideration this season. Change may be gradual, but come it must, under the impulse of low prices and small returns, and farming is no longer such a haphazard business that any rough and reijdy handling will suffice. Its new status as a highly technical industry demands I hat more business-like methods he adopted in all its branches. THE PROBLEM OF FEEDING. The animal which, for want of proper feeding, is stunted in its youth, will be weak of constitution, incapable of assimilating a due quantity of food when full grown, and will in its

turn beget weakly offspring. Thus it may be seen that the question of judicious feeding is a much more far-reach-ing one than it would seem to be at first sight, and, indeed, that the question of successful farming is inextricably mixed up with the question of stock feeding from youth to age. The real point for careful study is economic feeding, and the economic feeder is the man who supplies to his girowing stoic an abundance of the elements required for the building up of bone, muscle and blood; to his dairy stock, foods which wit? induce an ample flow of milk; to his fattening steers and swine, sheep and poultry, foods which will increase the quantity of flesh, intermingled with fat; and to his working animals or beasts of burden, the foods which are best calculated to give strength and endurance.

Indigestion in pigs is brought about either by a chill or by indigestible food, and such cases are always accompanied by grunting. As soon as the animal is seen to be suffering give the following: Carbonate of ammonia, 2 drachms; tincture of ginger, . loz.; sweet spirits of nitre, loz.; turpentine, 20z.; water, 1 pint. Dissolve.the ammonia in water, and then add the other ingredients. If the bowels are constipated, follow this in six hours with Jib. of'Espom salts, 1 pint linseed oil, and ,11b. treacle. All other conditions being equal, if a pig digests a larger "percentage of grain, so converting it into animal increase, than a steer, a cow or sheep, it is evidently the most profitable machine; but if the labour and expense are greater and the price realised less on tile part of the pig, the question represents another aspect. Every farmer can easily turn these considerations to suit his particular circumstances, but with regard to the respective uses which our domestic animals make of food consumed he is working blindfolded. Experiments have been numerous enough to be conclusive on 1 , these points. Both Lawes and Gilbert in England, and other experimenters in Germany, prior to the war, have rendered farmers incalculable benefits, and the results of their experience have proved the vast superiority of the pig. Of the mineral or saline constituents of the food, Lawes found the pigs stored up 4.5 per cent., against 3.8 per cent, for the sheep and 2.3 per cent.'for the ox; and of the nitrogenous or flesh-forming constituents the pig stored up 14.7 per cent, against 4.3 per cent, for sheep and 3.8 per cent, for the ox. These and numerous other experiments prove beyond doubt that a pig is by far the most profitable consumer of farm products. There are thousands of little pigs from the best breeding stock ruined annually through improper feeding or from over-feeding, from weaning time to’ three months of age. Over-feed-ing at this age makes a short, fat, dumpy, Ipoor quality pig, before it has length and weight, and such pigs are fjable to become crippled. At four or five wetks old give the little pigs a creep that they may pass through into a separate pen in which they may feed. Let them have small quantities, of middlings or pollard mixed with sweet skfm milk. This prepares the little pig for weaning, and the scattering of a few handfuls of plump whole oats in the litter Is a good practice. Seeking for grain is good exercise, and encourages the foraging habit.

v BUTTER-FAT AVERAGES. A GOOD SHOWING. Mr D. F .Malone, who supplies the Jolt Company, had an average of 332.95 lb. per cow for last season with a herd of 48 cows (reports the Hawera Star). For . the previous two years it was 293.94 and 317.63. They were under the Factory Testing Association. Some of his best were as follows : Pedigrees.

COW TESTING COSTS* Sir George Hunter (Waipawa) has been pressing upon Ministers lately tlie importance of cow testing, and the desirability of assisting the farmer to weed out the unprofitable animals from the dairy herds. He suggested recently in a question to the Minister of Agriculture that provision should be made for testing to be done at the dairy factories, the expense to -be covered by a fee to be deducted from the monthly erream cheques. The Minister said, in reply, that the Department of Agriculture was already carrying out cow testing to a very considerable extent. Last season officers of the Dairy Division tested month by month some 24,000 dairy cows for but-ter-fat yield, the charge being 2/ per cow' per annum for those for which arrangements were made entirely by tiie Department—some 13,000 in all. The balance were tested by officers holding- Departmental warrants, but attached directly to dairy companies, which paid the major portions of the salaries. Many dairy factories were doing herd testing independently :.of the Department, an additional 21,000 cows being so tested. The testing was .done at a very low cost to the dairy farmers, and ■was quite distinct from the certillcale-of-record system of testing purebred cows belonging to breeders of stud stock. For these cows much higher fees had to be charged, since the work needed to be done throughout by the Department without assistance from factory managers. Sir George Hunter said in the House that he was sorry the Minister could not see his way to reduce the charges for the testing of purebred cows. He feared that the Minister was “penny wise and pound foolish.” The increase of the charge to £lO per cow was discouraging farmers from having tests made, and might lead eventually to loss of revenue. He hoped the Minister would reconsider the matter very soon and come to another decision. The present was an inopportune time for increasing charges. The Government should rather be. encouraging farmers to keep the best possible stock and improve their supply of milk* Mr \V. H. Field (Otnki) also urged the importance of cow testing. He hoped to see more co-operation among 'the small farmers. There wap no reason at all why New Zealand’s average per cow should be only IGOlb., when Denmark’s average was about 3001 b. The Hon. W. Nosworlhy said that lie was prepared as soon as financial conditions improved lo reconsider the charges. He realised the importance of cow testing. The charge for ordinary cows, 2/ per head, was low enough, but he had been compelled lo increase the charge for the testing of Hie stud stock, owing to the amount of expenditure involved in the work.

ARGENTINE BUTTER. The Canadian agricultural paper, the Montreal Weekly Star, has the following in one of its May issues;—ln these days of severe competition for markets, we may have been stressing to the point of ‘being tiresome the necessity for greater quality in our dairy products. Perhaps another illustration will be pardoned. It is gleaned from a recent circular sent out by the dairy branch at Ottawa. The Argentina Republic has always been regarded by the most of us as a country of almost unlimited resources, but practically undeveloped. We have never stopped to consider it as a competitor of serious dimensions on the export dairy market. Yet, according to the circular referred to, in the eleven months ending November 30, 1921, that country exported mostly to Great Britain 41,518,518 lb. of butter. Previous to 1914 the surplus for export seldom exceeded 10,000,0001 b. The exports began to increase under the prices that then prevailed.' It was supposed that, when pre-war prices again ruled the men of the haciendas would again return to the beef cattle industry, in which they had achieved an enviable reputation.' Information in the hands of the Department of Trade and Commerce, however, is to the effect that exports will be maintained, or perhaps increased, this year. The most significant thing for our consideration is the wonderful improvement that has been achieved in the quality of Argentine butter. A few years ago it wmuld scarcely grade as “bakers.” The cream was almost rotten when delivered, and the cows were seldom milked more than once a day. Now Argentine butter will compare favourably with of our own. Recently inquiries have been received from that country as to the organisation and regulation of the dairy industry in Canada, and they already have their own National Dairy Council. Apparently they have realised the wealth that is to be had from dairying, and are prepared to go after the dairy markets of the world with the same energy that gave them a foremost place in beef ”

JOTTINGS. Hawaiians are buying merino sheep in America. It is stated that there are in Hawaii between 20,000 and 30,000 merino sheep, consisting chiefly of the smooth Delaine type. The first Ayrshire cow to giVe 2000 • gallons of milk in one laetation of 365 days in Britain has arrived. She belongs to Mr Thos. Barr, Hobsland, Monkton, Ayrshire. The cow is Hairshaw Tosh 111. (31052) by Willieland Gienil'fCr (7229), and out of Hairshaw Tosh. She was.close on fourteen years of age. “There has been a good deal of talk of late about’ increased production,” said Mr A. Pearce, at a meeting of farmers at Taranaki, “but I do not think that anyone has hit on the most important method of solving the problem. The road,” he said, “to increased production lies in dairy farmers using good bulls.’ Showing the value of prime beef in the Old Country, it is stated that a iOJ-cwt. bullock, consigned from Western Leochel to Messrs. Reith and Anderson’s mart at Alford on May 30th, totalled £sl 2/6 or 99/9 per cwt.

Recently the Times referred to the popularity of New Zealand iamb in England. The “Mark Lane Express.” in latest advices, says: “The Canterbury lamb from New Zealand is a popular joint in nearly every household, so that the competition which has tp be faced by English graziers and feeders is very strong, but all the same everyone prefers the home-fed article if only he can afford the price for it.” The Dublin Royal Show was held on May 16, in spite of political troubles. Mr Marshall, of Stanraer, won the Chaloner Plate for Shorthorns outright with Lanebrook Viceroy. Captain J. H. Greer’s Esmeralda of Curragh took the female championship. The Herefords were not strongly represented, but Kerries were an exceptionally flue display. Jerseys formed a small but choice class. A serviceable whitewash can be made by mixing a quantity of skimmilk with air-slaked lime. The consistency of Lhe mixture should be such that it can 'be smoothly applied with a brush. If ioz. of sale be added to each gallon of mixture it will prevent it being easily rubbed off. The salt should be dissolved in warm water before being added to Lhe lime and milk. Do not mix more whitewash than you can use the same day, as it gives more satisfactory results if applied freshly made.

The Bclvcdore and Dalcfield (Lower Wairarapa) dairy companies have each shipped two crates of cheese for the London Show to he held in October. Nearly half the frozen mutton imported last year in America from New, Zealand had to be re-exported, as there was no ready market. Giving evidence in the Supreme Court at Palmerston North, a stock agent of 12 years’ experience stated that there had been a falling off of 25 per cent, in the attendance of the public at stock sales. It seemed to him that the public took more interest in a football match in a country centre than was manifested in a sale. Formerly, when the country enjoyed more financial prosperity than was the case to-day, a sale would have attracted a larger crowd than a football match. A representative of a French firm, which has a Government guarantee, is visiting Australia for Lhe purpose of buying butter which France now finds it necessary to import in considerable quantities, since 15 of the north-east-ern provinces have caused to produce butter.

“People who pay 16/ a head for very ordinary mixed hoggets are certainly buying on the blind,”' said a well known farmer at the Carterton slock sale. He stated it was very nice to see this class of sheep going at the price, hut where the profit was going to come in had him beaten. An indication of the extent to wlPch deflation lias struck the Argentinian cattle man is afforded by the statements ci a Texas banker. Tli hanker reports having seen fat high grade 2-year-okl steers selling in the Buenos Aires slock yards for the equivalent of 9 dollars (37/G) per head in American gold. He saw calves sell at 3 dollars’ (12/6) per head and other cattle in proportion. The Argentine cattle market is said to be in the worst condition in its hjstory. Those who think that the farmer has had it all his own way for years past may be enlightened by hearing of the experience of a well-known Wairarapa scltier whose holding is about 2000 acres (says the Age). In 1911 his land was valued at £12.106, and on that lie paid in land tax and uper-tax £ls 12/9. This year his, valuation is £16,568, an increase of about 36 per cent. But his land tax amounts to £122 15/5, and his additional super-tax to £4O 18/5, making a total of £163 13/10. This is an increase of 900 per cent. When it is considered that the country referred lo is good average sheep country, and that prices la§t year are very much less Ilian those e«f 1 1 years ago, it will lie seen that I lie farmers have good reason for demanding a reduction in cost on all sides.

Lb. fat. L>ays. Snow View’s Pride. ... 540.92 306 Pea Blossom . . 432.35 306 Jenny's Princess .Maid 426.61 263 Annetta 432.39 303 Passion Creeper .... 410 269 Grades. Flo 402.69 333 Mollie 419.86 216 Pansy 464.48 292 Fancy 385.01 306 Birdie 387 284