FARMING WORLD.

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20786, 22 April 1939, Page 26 (Supplement)

FARMING WORLD.

Function of Shows Are our agricultural shows as valuable from an educational point of view as they should be'.' Undoubtedly some classes at the shows serve a very educative purpose, bait it can be safely said in the majority of cases that they are merely beauty parades for stock. There is little educational value in judging dairy cattle merely on appearance. An Australian authority, in recently discussing the question as to whether there was any correlation between form and function in a dairy cow, stated that sometimes, by a coincidence, good form and function occurred in the same cow, but there was little, if any, correlation. This was equally true of al! the breeds. No authoritative body had ever been able to discover any worth while degree of correlation, even though they had earnestly set out to do so. Dr. J. Gowan, of America, had given much time to this work, and, after comparing 738 pairs of daughters with their dams and sires, he had stated that the larger the sire in any given conformational measurement, the larger the daughters tended to be, and also that the large cows produced more than small ones. Professor A. D. Buchanan Smith, of Scotland, had said that there was some correlation between measurable parts and functions in a dairy cow, but so little as to be useless. He also said that size- measured by weight was the only definite thing worth while. The use of the escutcheon as a guide to yield was useless, and it would be unwise to use conformation as a guide when selecting cows for yield. Many other world authorities agreed with them. Indicative Value of Rump It was remarkable, continued the Australian authority, how many breeders, farmers and others held the opinion that “goose-rumped" cows were generally good milkers. Nothing was more certain than that cows did not milk well because of that’conformation, but, rather, they did so in spite of it, as also did cows with square rumps. The shape of the rump had nothing to do with the secreting power of the udder. It was known, however, that more poorlyattached udders were found on cows with low tliurls and pin bones, as such cows had more room underneath for udder development. That was the main reason why cows with such rumps were recommended as breeding stock. Good udder attachment, however, was one tiling; but the secreting capacity was quite a different matter. It is a good thing to see, however, that more production and progeny classes are being introduced into our shows and it is to be hoped that this movement will continue. Cattle breeders could do much for the advancement of their respective breeds by encouraging such classes. Treatment of Sick Stock If at all possible there should be a loose box or an isolation hospital on the farm for the accommodation of sick animals. Such a building should be lightsome and roomy with good ventilation, properly drained, whitewashed and disinfected. The doors should open outwards, as often the patient is found lying against it and cannot get up like a healthy animal. The sick box is not intended for animals suffering from accidents, for, as a rule, these prefer company. An animal with a broken leg will endeavour to follow' its fellows, but an animal with inflammation or any disease always stands alone. We know, In dealing with human beings, that many a life has been saved more by the skill and attention of a good nurse than by the medicines prescribed by the doctor. In the same way many an animal’s life can be saved by offering a variety of digestible, nourishing and palatable foods at frequent intervals and by attention to all details. Sick animals should be induced by every possible means to feed themselves. A natural appetite, however slight, is far preferable to the maintenance of strength by forced feeding. The majority of attendants nauseate them by suffering too great a quantity of food or an insufficient quantity of food to be placed before them. There is an art in inducing sick animals to feed, and many animals will feed for one man and for no one else.

Soil Texture The injudicious ploughing in a wet j season of a good and productive clay I soil will frequently have the effect of •' so seriously injuring its physical con- J dition that it becomes practically use- j less for crop production, often for a j period of from two to three years. The elements of plant-food in the soil j have not been altered, but its physical structure has been changed and impaired. In the case of unproductive lands, the first step in their improvement should be attention to their physical condition. This usually j consists in thorough and careful til- ! lage, drainage and sometimes the ad- i dition of humus. The first and im- j porlant consideration is to make the i soil a suitable medium, so thaL plants j will readily prow in it. The addi- . tion of fertilisers is a secondary mat- j ter. which can be attended to subse- j quently. Because the soil particles i are made smaller, a fine tilth or good ! physical condition of the surface soil ! presents a greater surface for the i feeding action of the roots. The j roots obtain their soil food by con- ! tact of the root-hairs with the sur- ! faces of the soil particles, and if the ! surface area of these particles be in- I creased, the feeding area of the soil j is directly increased in proportion. A i friable, mellow, and finely-divided soil is more productive than a hard and lumpy one. Idle Manure ‘'ldle manure is not merely idle money; it is wasted money,'’ said a West Australian Government expert, discussing the assertion that unused manure of farm animals represents a ! great loss of national wealth each j year. On very many dairy farms ! this waste can be seen. About four-

fifths of the food consumed by farm animals is excreted and the fertilising constituents of this manure are equal pound for pound to the best obtainable. Animal manure left unbroken on the surface may lake years to decompose. The direct result of this is that a definite area is temporarily spoilt for grazing and when eventually pasture develops around, or through, the heap it is ignored by stock until there is nothing else left, by which lime the pasture has aged, become harsh, and lost much of its nutritive value. The material, which accumulates in sties and stalls or where animals congregate should he tipped into a nearby excavation, and the excavated earth banked to form a runoff. A covering of palings, old posts, sheets of iron, or other suitable material should be used to avoid trouble to stock and inconvenience to farm workers. Manure piled in the open and exposed to the weather loses much by fermentation and by bleaching. When land is to be manured, the pit ran be opened and the material removed. Where the paddocks are large and the droppings widely distributed, a system of conservation is not practicable. In such cases periodic visits should be made with a rake and the manure under shelter trees, around watering places broken up and scattered. This allows the material to dry quickly and continuous tramping by stock soon works il into the soil. The benefits derived from farm manure are twofold. It supplies plant nutrients and it is also an excellent medium for the production of humus —the organic water-conserving colloid of soil. The daily production of manure per 10001 b live weight is approximately -521 b in the case of a cow, 401 b a horse and 501 b a pig. Thus, on a farm running 35 cows, 4 horses and 4 sows, there would be a weekly production of six tons. If only one third of this were collected, 100 tons of good fertiliser would be obtained every year. Jersey Heifer Offering The attention of Jersey breeders and dairymen generally is directed to the sale of Mr H. Wilson’s pedigree .Jersey heifers to be held in the Te Awamutu saieyards on Thursday, April 27. Mr Wilson has bred a beautiful line of heifers which are particularly strong in the famous Majesty blood. The two principal sires, Punga Nui Napoleon and Meon Orlando, are breeding exceptionally well and have some of the greatest butterfat support obtainable. The heifers are well developed and have been reared on clean, healthy co-un-try and the auctioneers can confidently recommend them to anyone wanting this class of stock.

Yuleba Vanessa 'imp.'. First Prize Sow with Litter and Champion Large White Sow at Te Awamutu, 1939, the property of Mr J. K. Parsons, Belford Stud, Pukeroro, Hamilton.