ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXVII, Issue 5, 20 November 1923, Page 342

ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

IN order to ensure reply to questions, correspondents must give their name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith Letters should be addressed to the Editor.

CALCULATION OF LAMBING PERCENTAGES. H. E. Harper, Ashhurst: —

A number of farmers in this district just take the percentage of lambs from the ewes that are yarded at docking-time, not counting the ewes that have died during lambing. Others take it from the ewes that were put out with the rams. For' instance, one farmer puts out 100 ewes, loses io, and gets 90 lambs, claiming 100 per cent. Another farmer puts out 100 ewes, loses 10, gets 90 lambs, and reckons 90 per cent. Kindly advise as to .the correct way of ascertaining the percentage. .

The Live-stock Division :—

The correct method is to calculate the percentage of lambs on the number of ewes put to the ram. , To take an extreme case : If two ewes were put to the ram and each produced twin lambs, and one ewe died in the process but the lambs lived, it would obviously be incorrect to claim a percentage of 400. The correct figure is 200 per cent. Official statistics are calculated on the number of ewes put to the rams.

MAKING BUTTER AT HOME

“ Subscriber,” Pihama : —•

Kindly advise me as to the best way to make butter at home from separator cream. I cannot complain about the flavour of what I make, but although I work it well it is inclined to be streaky.

The Dairy Division :—■

The cream should be cooled down to as low a temperature as possible—say, 60 0 F. or underas it leaves the separator. This is best done by allowing it to flow from the separator over a cooler through which cold water is passing and then into a can. The can containing the cream should be removed to a place where the atmosphere ■ is kept fresh and cool, and left there for four to six hours to allow the fat-globules in the cream to become completely cooled. The churning may then be proceeded with. Experience has proved that to produce butter with long-keeping quality and of mild flavour the cream requires to be churned as sweet as possible and cold. Where a fuller flavour is desired and long-keeping quality is not of vital importance the cream may be allowed to sour a little before churning. A light sourness is usually present about twenty-four to fortyeight hours after separating. Temperatures much over 60 0 are high for churning. The lower the temperature, the firmer the butter will be, and the better it is handled without causing greasiness. The churning should be continued until the butter forms into granules about the size of wheat-kernels. The buttermilk should then be run off and replaced with a little more than an equal quantity of water of about 4/ lower temperature than the cream, for the purpose of washing the butter-granules. The washing should be repeated, and the second water come away almost as clear as when placed in the churn. After washing allow the butter-granules to drain for a few minutes, then place them on the worker and sprinkle the mass with salt at the rate of about 1 oz. of salt to the pound of butter.- Divide the mass into three, and then form into rolls by pressing and folding each about a dozen times ; afterwards remove to a cool place, and let stand from four to six hours or longer to allow the salt to dissolve. The butter will then have a streaky appearance, and should be placed again on the worker and each roll worked about a dozen times, or until the colour is even and all traces of streakiness disappear. Probably the streakiness you speak of is due to the uneven distribution of the salt, and may be overcome by working the butter a little more.

FOWL-MANURE AND SAWDUST.

“ Inquirer,” Springston :

Further to the advice in the Journal for June last as to the way to preserve fowl-manure, could you tell me if the value of the manure is lost if it is mixed with straw litter, put in a heap, and allowed to rot ? Would it be better if kept dry ? Has sawdust any harmful effects when used as a dressing ? I have heard it said that sawdust is not good for fruit-trees.

The Horticulture Division

The advice given in the Journal, and to which you refer, details the best known means of preserving fowl-manure without loss of its fertilizing properties. If mixed with straw litter it may still be valuable material. No manure can be exposed to rain without loss, as rain leaches out a proportion of the soluble contents. * Some amount of moisture is necessary, however, to promote decay of the straw. If this condition can be secured the material would be best under cover. When heat is generated in the heap and vapour escapes a large amount of ammonia goes with it, and some value is lost. For this reason, if the manure is not in a fit state to allow for its immediate use, or if it is not convenient to use it at once, the heap should be turned over to check violent fermentation.

Sawdust should not be regarded as manure, nor used as such. - If applied to supply humus it would be very slow in decaying, and would form shelter for woodlice and various insects. Other evils would also follow if it were used in any quantity. Authorities dealing with the utility of horse-manure where sawdust is used as bedding state that it is quite safe to use it, as it can absorb liquids that otherwise would be lost, but the dry portions should be discarded. It may be assumed that moderate amounts used in this,way will be useful on any but light soils. Clean sawdust, however, could only do harm, especially to fruit-trees.

WARTS ON COW’S TEATS

E. A. M. L., Mairoa

Would you be good enough to advise me of an effective method of getting rid of warts on a cow’s teats and quarters ? I omitted to treat the cow when it was dry. She has since come in.

The Live-stock Division

The only effective method to rid a cow’s teats of warts is to clip the warts off with a pair of surgical scissors during the period when the cow is not milking. After the operation, when bleeding has ceased, the teats should be washed, and the spots where the warts have been should be lightly dressed with tincture of iodine. In the meantime, if a little castor-oil is occasionally smeared lightly over the teats it will have the effect of softening the warts and preventing them from becoming sore.

GETTING RID OF SILVERFISH

A. H. S., Auckland :—

Our house is infested with silverfish, and I shall be glad if you can tell me how to .get rid of them. • ' .

The Entomologist : —

As silverfish attack farinaceous matter, they may be controlled by means of poisoned flour-paste. White arsenic mixed with paste and spread on pieces of paper which are put in places frequented by the insects should attract and poison them. However, this is a dangerous practice wherever children are about. Another method i‘s to dust infested places with sodium fluoride. If the silverfish are seriously damaging wall-paper, the latter and the scrim should be removed, and the wall-boards sprayed with crude creosote before being rescrimmed.

MAKING GREEN-HIDE LEATHER

S. H. Smith, Dannevirke :■ —

When ma, king green-hide leather, what is ' the ordinary process for taking hair off the hide ? What amount of water should be used for, say, a 40 lb. hide, which would require 2 lb. of chromate and 1 lb. sulphuric acid for the first solution ? What, amount of water should be used in the finishing solution — lb. hypo and 1 lb. sulphuric acid ? Would the amount of water used in both solutions have any effect on the finished leather ? What is the best method for making leather soft and pliable ? The weights given are taken from recipes given in the Journal for May and August, 1921.

The Live-stock Division

A solution containing lime, or lime sulphite of soda, is usually used for removing hair from hides, and you should find the recipe given in the August Journal for 1921 quite suitable. The hide should, however, be thoroughly washed afterwards to remove all evidence of lime.' The amount of water to be added to the . chemicals appears to be immaterial so long as there is enough mixture to thoroughly cover and saturate the hide. The amount of chemicals, used is based entirely on the weight of the hide. After . tanning, the hide requires to , be partially dried and is now ready for " perching ” or stretching. This is best done with a wooden crutch which has an old hoe-blade fixed. When . stretched, and to make and keep the leather soft and pliable, whale-oil is then well rubbed in.

BEES AND DECAYING FRUIT.

“ Inquirer," Ettrick :—

Kindly advise me what benefit bees can get from overripe apples which have been thrown out. They gather in large numbers on any heap of apples left uncovered, and I wish to know if it is advisable to allow them to do so.

The Horticulture Division :—

Bees are attracted to overripe fruit by the juices set free at decayed spots. Where large quantities of fruit are concerned it should be protected from bees, otherwise it is likely to set up intestinal troubles in them.

HAND REARING A FOAL.

H. W. E., Maungatapere : —

Kindly advise me how to rear a foal by hand. It only had one good drink from its mother, which has since died. I have so far given it milk and water, half-and-half, with a little sugar.

The Live-stock Division

The complete hand rearing of a foal from birth is a matter beset with many difficulties, and necessitates extreme , care and patience. In the first place it is advisable to use the milk from one cow throughout. To approximate the composition of cow’s milk to that of the mare, water must be added to reduce the fatproportion, and sugar must be used to compensate for the much smaller quantity present in cow’s milk as compared with that of the mare. During the first month the proportion of water to cow’s milk should be one part of the former to two of the latter. At the second month it can be used one to three, and at about three months water may be excluded. The water should be warmed to blood-heat, with a little sugar dissolved, before adding to the milk. The milk used should be as freshly drawn from the cow as possible. Cold, stale milk will cause diarrhoea. Strict attention must be paid to the cleanliness and previous scalding of milkvessels. Feeding must be frequent—not less than once hourly after birth, extending the intervals as time goes on, but always observing regularity in time of feeding. If the foal should suffer from indigestion a little lime-water added to the milk will prove helpful, or two teaspoonfuls of baking-soda. If the'foal becomes constipated this can be remedied by giving 1 oz. of castor-oil, or an enema of glycerine and water. (

BLUESTONE-WATER AND PASTURE.

Simon and Vowles, Moerangi :—

Is bluestone-water poisonous when it is the strength of 8 oz. to the gallon ? I use it in a foot-bath for foot-rot, and wish to know if it will poison the grass.

The Live-stock Division :—

Bluestone-water at the strength mentioned is poisonous if partaken of in any quantity. There is little danger, however, of the sheep carrying enough on their feet to render the grass poisonous, more especially if they are allowed to stand in the yard for a time before being turned into the grass, -

WARTY GROWTH ON HACK’S LEG

S. R. Dickson, Te Rauamoa :—-

, A six-year-old hack has during the last twelve months developed something like a wart, nearly as big as a penny, on a hind leg between the hoof and the fetlock. It is raw, and may have been caused by striking timber, as the hack is used on bush country. Will you kindly advise me what is the best treatment ?

The Live-stock Division :—

As the growth appears to be of a warty nature and has been in existence for a considerable time, probably the best treatment would be to cauterize the part with the red iron. Afterwards apply a dressing of the following powder twice daily Oxide of zinc, £ oz. ; boric acid, | oz. ; iodoform, 15 grains. Keep the part covered with a bandage to protect from dirt.

CURING CALF-SKINS.

Horace Simon, Orakipawa : —•

Wduld you please give me a reliable recipe for curing calf-skins with the hair intact ?

The Live-stock Division

The most reliable method is as follows : In 1 quart of water thoroughly dissolve 12 oz. alum, 4 oz. salt, 4 oz. oatmeal-, and 2 oz. saltpetre. Rub this mixture thoroughly all over the skin on the flesh side, and fold (flesh to flesh). Allow the skin to remain for three weeks, turning once weekly. The skin should then be exposed to the wind and air until it is half-dry, when any flesh should be scraped off and the skin should be pliable. Then dry thoroughly, and it is fit for use.

Noxious Weeds.— Gorse, foxglove, and ox-eye daisy have been declared to be noxious weeds within the County of Hauraki Plains, and foxglove within Kiwitea County.

British Market for Peas and Beans. -The following information was cabled by the High Commissioner, London, on 3rd November : Peas—-Market quiet and tendency lower. New Zealand Partridge stocks very heavy and selling very slowly at 60s. to 75s. per quarter; Tasmanian small spot supplies making 80s. to 85s. ; English 55s. to 60s. New Zealand blue nominally £17 to fig per ton ex store; Tasmanian fig to £20 ; small business has been done with Japanese forward shipments at £20 (spot value about ; English offering at fig to fo.o ; New Zealand on passage offering at fiy ips,, but no business reported.