ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 42, Issue 1, 20 January 1931, Page 72

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.

FEEDING LAMBS ON BLUE LUPINS “ Constant Reader,” Raetihi: —

Kindly advise me as to the proper time for feeding blue lupins to lambs—before or after the flowering stage ; also whether it is advisable to provide a runoff or to feed the lupins continuously.

The Live-stock Division :—

Blue lupins are not considered a. particularly suitable feed for lambs. Some care is necessary with this crop, as with rape and others. The crop, if fed to lambs should be used before the flowering stage ; it ' is more succulent then. It is always advisable to provide a run-off on grass when feeding-off any forage crop, and this applies particularly in the case of lupins. Lambs should at first be allowed an hour’s daily grazing on the lupin crop, and be removed to a grass paddock at the end of this time. It is perhaps not generally understood that lupins contain poisonous properties. The yellow lupin is considered to be the most toxic. All parts of the plant are poisonous, but the toxicity is increased at seeding-time ; hence the advice to feed before flowering or seeding. If care is taken and the sheep are not put on to the crop when they are hungry, and thus eat only a small quantity to begin with, the crop may be fed off in the usual way, but a run-off on pasture is essential.

SEPARATED MILK FOR FOWLS.

D. M. W., Waitara :—■

I live on a farm where I can get an abundant supply of separated milk for my fowls, but I have been afraid to use it, fearing it is of too forcing a nature for the breeding-hens. I am at present giving the birds one good feed a week of the milk. Will you please tell me if I could use it at present entirely instead of the morning meal of pollard, bran, meat-meal, &c., with wheat at night? If not advisable now, could I put hens on to it at the close of the breeding season ? Also, how will it affect young chicks, either for pullets or cockerels ? Is it best to give . the curds to the fowls heated, or in the uncooked state ?

The Chief Poultry Instructor :

You did the correct thing by not giving your breeding birds an excessive amount of milk to drink ; nevertheless a greater quantity could have been provided without bringing about undesirable results. Now that the close of the breeding season is at hand, and eggs will not be required for hatching purposes, you may give the birds as much milk as they can drink. Of course, in the event of ovarian troubles, or many double-yoked or shell-less eggs making their appearance, the milk ration should be reduced. It is a mistake, however, to compel the laying birds to drink a large quantity of milk merely for the purpose of quenching their thirst, particularly during hot weather. Water in addition to milk should always be available in a separate receptacle. If this course is adopted the risk of the above-mentioned troubles making their appearance will be greatly reduced. Skim-milk by itself is insufficient for the morning meal. In addition to it a mash of whole-grain wheat, maize, &c., should be provided. Seeing that you have an abundant supply of milk, there is no need to add meat meal to the ration. There is no need to cook the curds. After the whey has been poured off, it is a good plan to place the curd in an open-woven sack and allow it to drain well before being fed to the birds. There is nothing better for growing stock than milk or milk-curd, but with growing pullets too much is apt to promote egg-laying at too early an age. Hence, when it is found that the birds are showing evidence of prematurity the milk should be used sparingly, or, better still, be cut out of the ration.

SPARTINA TOWNSENDII FOR HARBOUR MUD-FLATS

Herbert Neal, Port Albert: —

Could you let me know if the seed of Spartina Townsendii can be obtained from seed-merchants in New Zealand, and if there are any restrictions as to the planting of seed. I have a farm partly bounded by a salt-water river, and the bank is washing in a good deal, and also slips towards the mud-flats that are partly along the bank. I should think, by the article printed in the Journal for November, 1920, that this grass would do a lot of good on many of the mud-flats in the Kaipara Harbour.

The Fields Division :—

The seed of Spartina Townsendii is not stocked by any of the local seedmerchants. Mr. K. W. Dalrymple, Parewanui, Bulls, Wellington, has been cultivating the grass for some time, and you would be well advised to get in touch with him to see whether he can supply you with seeds or plants. One-year transplants give better results than sowing seed. Mr. Dalrymple has other strains of Spartina growing, but the only satisfactory kind is Spartina Townsendii. S. Townsendii is a tall-growing, rather rigid grass, with creeping rhizomes, which grows best below the tall .vegetation (consisting usually of rushes and seatussocks on Kaipara Harbour) adjoining the mud-flats. This position is just below the high-water mark of spring tides. It will exist only on sea mud-flats, and does not do well where the flats are at all sandy. In planting seed,' push it into the mud just deep enough to ensure its not being washed away—the shallower the better. Coverings of algae can be utilized by putting the seed just under the surface mulch. The cuttings are planted by laying them in niches in the mud, made with a spade and closed up by trampling. The rhizomes should not be more than 2 in. or 3 in. from the surface. Plant just below the marginal strip of salt marsh turf in rows parallel to the shore, and not more than 3 ft. apart. S. Townsendii would probably grow satisfactorily on the Kaipara Harbour mud-flats.

DIPPING OF GOATS.

“ Goats/’ Tahekeroa :—

Is it advisable to dip goats which roam the hills eating blackberry, &c. ? If so, at what strength should the dip be used ? The Live-stock Division :— It is highly necessary to dip the goats, as these animals get lousy. Use the same strength of dip as would be used for sheep.

GROWTHS IN COWS’ TEATS.DEATH OF CALVES. AFTER WEANING. C. C. Hobbs, Otonga : — I would like information on the following: (1) Cause and cure of growths about the size of a small pea in cows’ teats, in some cases stopping the milk-flow. (2) Cause of calves • falling away rapidly and dying after weaning. The Live-stock Division : —■ (1) Growths in cows’ teats' are generally resultant on an attack of mammitis, and treatment of same is unsatisfactory. An operation performed by a qualified veterinary surgeon may effect a cure, but it is doubtful. The Department does not advise the use of milk siphons in these cases. (2) Mortality in calves after weaning is nearly always due to parasites. AH calves should be drenched at weaning-time with a teaspoonful of kerol or lysol in a cupful of milk. This should be repeated in a week’s time. The calves should be put in a good clean dry pasture.

Manuring of Early Potatoes.- — use of sulphate of ammonia with the early crop of potatoes in the Pukekohe district, as recommended by the Fields Division, is becoming a practice there.

INVENTIONS OF AGRICULTURAL INTEREST.

Applications for patents, published with abridged specifications in the New Zealand Patent Office Journal from 20th November to 18th December, 1930, include the following of agricultural interest : —

No. 64210 : Manure-distributor ; E. Ryan and R. A. F. Ryan, Masterton. No. 64330 : Hay-rake; S. C. D. Davies, Manaia. No. 65188 : Manure-distributor; J. Taylor and Co., Ltd., Eltham. No. 65285: Grab for hay-lifting; C. W. Holman and W. Black, Hamilton. No. 65736 : Artificial cream ; Dickenson's Ltd., Dunedin. No. 65769 Brushing-machine for sealing eggs ; T. F. Aston, Bath, England. No. 64056 : Raising pole for hay-stacker ; R. H. Brinkworth, Matangi. No. 65515 : Pulsator for milking-machine ; International Harvester Co., Chicago, U.S.A. No. 63980 Animal-ear marker; W. Fleming, Rahotu. No.'63988; Levelling implement ; C. Anderson, Shannon. No. 64370 : Milkingmachine stripping attachment ; H. T. C. Champion, Wellington. No. 64716 : Animal-trap ; J. H. Purvey, Wellington. No. 65932 : Reconditioning musty grain ; E. von Horvath, Munich, Germany.

Copies of full specifications and drawings in respect of any of the above may be obtained from the Commissioner of Patents, Wellington, price is. is prepaid. ■

FORTHCOMING AGRICULTURAL SHOWS.

The following show - dates have been notified by agricultural and pastoral associations :—

Helensville A. and P. Association : Helensville, 29th January, 1931. Feilding A. and P. Association : Feilding, 3rd and 4th February. Dannevirke A. and P. Association : Dannevirke, 10th and nth February. Buller A. and P. Association: Westport, 13th and 14th February. Masterton A. and P. Association : Solway, 17th and 18th February. Te Awamutu A. and P. Association : Te Awamutu, 18th February. King Country Central A. and P. Association : Te Kuiti, 21st February. Marton A. and P. Association : Marton, 25th February. Auckland A. and P. Association : Auckland, 26th, 27th, and 28th February Katikati A. and P. Association : Katikati, 3rd March. Taranaki Agricultural Association : New Plymouth, 4th and 5th March. Waikato Central Agricultural Association : Cambridge, 4th and 5th March Mayfield.A. and P. Association Mayfield, 14th March. Hawke’s Bay A-. and P. Society:. Tomoana (Autumn Show), 18th March. Methven A. and P. Association : Methven, 28th March. Oxford A. and P. Association : Oxford, 2nd April.

■Treatment, for Rhizoctonia in Lucerne. — No definite cure is known when this root fungus disease has appeared in patches. Cultivation of the stand should be stopped to avoid its further spread. To check the disease patches may be dressed heavily with burnt lime, or treated with sulphate of iron at the rate of 2 cwt. per acre (1 lb. to 20 square yards).

Chou Moellier for Sheep. — Mr. M. Voss, Karere, near Palmerston North, favours chou moellier for sheep. Last season he grew 86 acres. On fertile land he sows 2 lb. of seed an acre through every coulter of a grain drill. Sowing was done at intervals from early December till mid-January, and ij cwt. of super per acre was applied at the same time. Eighty acres of chou moellier, plus 40 acres of good pasture as a run-off, provided the keep for 600 hoggets from February till September. For hoggets chou moellier is considered preferable to swedes because of ; teeth considerations. Further, on Mr. Voss’s heavy damp land swedes are tramped in unduly in winter. Fields Division.