On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 2 July 1914, Page 53

On the Land

GENERAL. W There was a big pay-out to Edendale Dairy Factory Company s milk suppliers the other day. It represented the bonus of per lb on the results of the export season s (October 1 to May 30} cheese sales, plus the proceeds (id per lb net) on whey butter, and amounted 4.0 the tidy sum of £B6OO.

The Taihapo Dairy Company, like all other dairy companies in the district (says the Wanganui Chronicle'), has had a phenomenal season, and even during the month of May a large quantity of butter was manufactured, the total reaching 96001 b, or one and a-half times in excess of tho quantity manufactured last year. What is probably the heaviest yield of oats in the Fairlie district (says the 1 nnoru Herald') was secured by Mr. Sam Dale in a paddock on the flat above the A. and P. Association’s grounds. The crops, while not a strawy one, bulked up well, and it was expected to thrash well to the bulk. A few days ago tho mill was got in, and a tally of 103 bushels to the acre was made.

The danger of eating ‘ poisoned honey,’ much feared by some people, was referred to by Mr. T. W. Kirk in an address to the Beekeepers’ Association at .Wellington. Mr. Kirk said that it had been found by experience that such poison as bees sometimes gathered from certain flowers was extremely volatile and always disappeared before the honey was matured. There was, therefore, no risk at all in eating honey that had been properly ripened.

At Addington last week there were moderate yardings. The entry of fat lambs showed a considerable falling off. Store sheep sold well, especially ewes. Fat lambs sold at previous week’s rates, and fat cattle showed a rise of about 2s 6d per 1001 b. Prime fat sheep were firm. Fat Lambs. —Tegs, 19s Gd to 20s 3d ; a few extra prime heavy, 28s; average freezing weights, 18s 4}P 19s; light and unfinished, 14s to 17s 6d. Fat Sheep.—Extra prime wethers, to 38s 3d ; prime wethers, 23s to 28s; others, 17s 9d to 22s Gd ; prime ewes, 20s to '2ss 3d; medium, 17s to 19s Gd ; aged and light, 11s to 16s fid; merino ewes, 10s Gd to 13s Id. Fat Cattle.—Steers, £7 17s Gd to Til 10s; extra good steers, to £l7 ss; heifers, £5 15s to £8 10s; extra good heifers, £lO Iss; cows, £5 to £lO 17s Gd ; beef, 29s to 33s per 1001 b. Pigs.—Choppers, £3 10s to £5 10s; extra heavy baconers, to £3 10s; heavy baconers,- £3 to £3 Gs; light baconers, £2 10s to £2 18s—price per lb, 5d to s]d ; heavy porkers, £2 4s to £2 8s ; lighter porkers, £1 18s to £2 —price per lb, Gd : large stores, £2 to £2 8s fid; medium stores £1 15s to £1 19s; small stores, £1 2s to £1 14s ; wcaners, 13s; sows in pig, £3 10s. There were only medium yardings at Burnside last week. Fat Cattle.—l9s head penned. The bulk of the yarding consisted of cattle of good quality, and contained a larger proportion of bullocks than what have come forward lately. The demand was better, and although the sale was erratic, prices may be quoted 5s to 7s Gd per head higher than previous week’s rates. Quotations; Best bullocks, £l2 10s to £l3 10s; medium do, £lO 5s to £ll Vis; light do* £8 10s to £9 10s; best heifers, £8 10s to £lO 10s; medium to good, £7 10s to £8 10s; light, £6 to £6 15s. Fat Sheep. —23oo yarded. Very good quality sheep came forward, and the yarding consisted largely of ewes of medium quality and lightweight wethers. The sale was firm at previous week’s rates for medium sheep, but prime wethers and ewes met with good competition. Freezing buyers were operating freely at up to their limits. Quotations; Prime wethers, 24s to 26s Gd ; extra, to 31s; medium, 2A-s Gd to 22s fid ; light, 17s to 19s ; best ewes, 19s to 22s ; medium, 16s to 17s. Fat Lambs.— 2soo penned. Included in the entry were some good quality lambs. Competition throughout the sale was very keen. Quotations: Best lambs, 19s to 22s ; extra, to 245; medium, 16s Gd to 18s ; light, 14s fid to 15s; unfinished, 13s to 14s. Pigs.—A small yarding of 26 fats and 15 stores. 'As a consequence of the small yarding of fats competi-

tkm for this class was good, and prices were somewhat firmer. Store pigs were not in request, and met with -a poor sale.

SOUK MILK FOR PIGS.

A correspondent of tho Journal of Agriculture asks: • Would you please say-why the Department condemns sour milk for pigs. What are the dangers of its use? Many experienced farmers in this district never use anything else but sour milk, and their pigs thrive.’ 1° query the Department replies: ‘ The reason why the Department does not recommend sour milk or sourmilk products is that it is not a condition in whi»h nature intended such food to be given to the animal Most animals have been, provided with a stomach in which certain glands secrete a milk-curdling ferment, and this is quite sufficient for the purpose of preparing this food for the action of the digestive fluids proper and its subsequent absorption. We are aware that in some districts it is the custom to feed both calves and pigs by products soured to such a consistence as to allow their being cut with a knife. Usually the result is persistent diarrhoea, detrimental to the health and growth of the animal, without some nitrogenous matter has been given in addition. If the souring of milk were simply due to the lactic-acid bacillus, probably no great harm would result, but there are other more deleterious organisms which act in the same way, and their presence, together with their products, or “toxins” as they are termed, may give rise to serious trouble. The cramps, lameness, and other conditions usually termed rheumatic, which are common in young pigs, and usually put down to cold and damp, may, after all, be due to acidity. Regarding the pigs that you say are fed wholly on sour skim-milk and are thriving, they must surely get something else, as the only feeding substance in the stuff is lactose or milk-sugar—a carbohydrate and non-nitrogouous substance.’

WINTER DAIRYING.

In the opinion of some, winter dairying is best for the cows. When they freshen in the spring their lactation periods are quite well advanced by the time they have to bo changed to a system of dry feeding. This has a tendency to dry them up and to shorten the milking period. It is natural for a cow to produce a heavy flow of milk for the first few months after freshening, whether she is on pasture or dry feed. If they freshen in fall, it will not be difficult to keep up the milk flow during the winter on hay or silage and grain. Then, when spring comes, and they are turned out to succulent pasture, they are given a fresh start. The tendency then is to prolong the lactation period, while the former way is to shorten it. Still another advantage is that a cow is dry at a season when it is difficult to keep up' the milk flow on account of hot weather and flies. It-is better to have the dry period come at a time when it is hard to keep up the milk production than at a more favorable season.

EXPERIMENTAL FARMS.

Among the subjects touched upon by the Prime Minister at the Agricultural Board meeting at Wellington last week was that" of experimental farms. Good work was being done at these farms, he remarked ; but he believed that improvement was possible, and that the tax-payer could in future get better value for his money. ‘ Then,’ added Mr. Massey, ‘ there are the students at work on those experimental farms, and I want the board to look into this, and satisfy itself as to whether the agricultural education which is being afforded to the students who are resident at the experimental farms is such as will fit a man of small capital to make a living for himself when he goes into business on his own account. Most of those students are young fellows, whose capital will not exceed £IOOO, and if they are to do well when they become farmers on their own account they must have proper training at the institutions where they are to-day supposed to be reaping the benefit of the practice of agriculture. I hope the board will look into this point’.