On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 12 September 1912, Page 53

On the Land

GENERAL. The relative positions of manure from various animals are: —-Pig, cow, sheep, horse, fowl. Fowl manure contains a high percentage of nitrogen, therefore it should be mixed, while fresh, with materials which will act as absorbents. Loss of weight when wheat has been left standing in the paddock, as compared with the weight immediately after reaping, has been noted by men who are careful as to small things. The loss has in cases amounted to as much as a quarter of a bushel in the bag. A ton of farmyard manure is more expensive to handle than two or three hundredweight of artificials, and this, of course, reduces its relative value; but, on the other hand, farmyard manure has a beneficial influence on crops just because it is a heavy, bulky substance, so that these two considerations may be held roughly to balance or cancel each other. It is most important to have a good supply of pure water in the dairy. It the water is contaminated it should be boiled and cooled before being used, until the trouble can be remedied. It is also imperative to have a good supply of clean water on the dairy farm. If cows are allowed to stand ’n stagnant water the legs and udders become charged with obnoxious organisms which enter the milk during milking. It seems to be the prevailing opinion among horsemen that a colt’s size at maturity can be determined as soon as —viz., that the number of inches from the top of hoof to centre of knee represents the height in hands at maturity. Also that a colt never lengthens any between the top of the hoof and the centre of knee. Thus a foal that measures 14in from the top of a hoof to the centre of knee will make a 14-hand horse and no more. A handsome silver - challenge cup, valued at 50 guineas, has been offered by the Alfa Laval Company to the dairy farmers of New Zealand for the best milch cow in the Dominion. The conditions are that the winner shall hold the cup for twelve months, and the first to win the cup three times, not necessarily in succession or with the same animal, becomes the absolute owner. The judging of the cows will be on the annual money value of their butter production only, and no notice will be taken of the breed, age, conformation, etc., of the animals entered for the competition. At Addington last week there were fair entries of stock. Fat sheep were in good supply, and there was an average attendance. The short yarding of -fat cattle caused a rise in prices. Store sheep, except in forward wethers, were easier. Fat sheep opened at rather lower rates. Fat pigs, which were in short supply, advanced in prices, and there was a keen demand for store cattle. One hundred and fifty-nine fat cattle were penned. With few exceptions the cattle were of an excellent class. Owing probably to a smaller yarding there was a keen demand. Prices showed an advance of Is per 1001 b. Steers realised £8 to £l2; extra, to £8 12s 6d; heifers, £6 10s to £ll 15s; and cows, £5 17s 6d to £9 10s; extra to £l2 10s. The entry of fat sheep showed a considerable increase on the previous week’s total, the- quality being mostly good prime. The largest proportion was useful lines of wethers. The range of prices were:Extra prime wethers, to 295; prime, 20s to 245; others, 18s 4d to 19s 6d; extra prime ewes, to 28s 3d; prime, 17s to 22s fid; merino wethers, 14s 2d to 18s Id. There was a small number of fat pigs, principally of a good class. The demand was keen, prices compared with the previous week making a substantial advance. Choppers made £3 10s to £5 10s; heavy baconers, 70s to 755; and light sorts, to 65s —equal to s£d to 54d per lb. At Burnside last week, there was an average yarding of sheep for which prices were on a par with late rates. The yarding of fat cattle was . of mixed quality, and prices were scarcely as high as those which

ruled at late sales. There, was good competition for pigs of all kinds, with a slight slackening off from, the extreme rates ruling at previous sales. The range of prices for the 176 fat cattle yarded was as follows: Prime bullocks, £l4 10s to £l6, extra £l6 10s to £2O 7s 6d, medium to good £ll 10s to £l3; best cows and heifers £lO to £l-1 10s, medium to good £8 10s to £9 10s. The fat sheep penned totalled 2939. This number was in excess of butchers’ requirements, and prices receded sufficiently to let freezing buyers come in, and about 800 of the entry were secured for that purpose. Best wethers brought 22s 6d to 24s 3d, extra to 295, medium to good 19s 9d to 21s 3d, best ewes 18s to 20s, extra to 24s 3d. There were only 350 fat lambs penned, these' being mostly of medium quality. Prices were on a par with those ruling recently. Eightyfour porkers and baconers and 69 store pigs were penned. There was good competition, but the extreme rates lately ruling were not maintained, porkers and baconers showing a reduction in value of from 2s to 3s per head. FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE. Foot and mouth disease (writes Mr. Primrose McConnell, B.Sc., F.G.S., in an Irish exchange) is one of the five great scourges of our . cattle kind, and its ravages have been known for many, many years. In common with the others it must have been known to the ancients, and may have been some of the ‘ plagues ’ or murrains or ‘pests’ mentioned by old historians or handed down by tradition, though in our day we have some more certain knowledge of it. It was first recognised definitely in this country in 1839, but there have been many outbreaks since, though it has been rigidly kept within bounds until this last occasion. This, however, appears to be one of the most calamitous of all the attacks we have had. It did not show itself in the United States at all until 1902, and may indeed be looked on as a European or Europasian disease—one of those that is always to be found in various corners of the Continent, which are never eradicated. The disease is characterised by the formation -of pustules, which burst and leaves ulcers all over the tongue, lips, and also round the coronet above the hoofs on the feet. In milk cows it may also show on the udder, but this is rather rare. Internally the animal is in a fevered state. The fat in the tissues seems to disappear very quickly. So long as the udder is not affected the milk appears to be good enough for use—at any rate, the present writer has drunk gallons of it raw without evil results, and never knew of bad results in other casesbut the animals become quickly run down in condition and emaciated and generally unhealthy apart from the extremities attacked. The question of the use of the milk does not arise now, however, as immediate slaughter must be carried out. ~ Foot and mouth disease is one of the most infectious of any. It attacks all stock, excepting horses, and the period of incubation after infection is from two to six days, so that it quickly shows itself when once an animal has got the taint. It is not necessarily a fatal disease, for most of the . animals would recover if left to themselves, but in such an emaciated state as to be worthless for future milking or beef-making. When a heard becomes infected, the trouble may easily be spread, for the saliva or serum matter from the ulcers drops on the pastures to come in contact with the feet of other animals, while it may be thus carried from farm to farm by dogs and foxes. The writer in his youth has seen hares affected with the disease, so that these animals would be especially active in spreading it. It does not appear that any given farmer can do much in the matter. When once an outbreak occurs on a farm the owner of the cattle must report to the authorities and the Board of Agriculture’s officers take charge and slaughter out and 5 disinfect. No medical treatment is possible or desirable.