On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 26 November 1914, Page 59

On the Land

GENERAL. The Canterbury farmers gave to the defence authorities over £3OOO worth of fodder in response to the recent appeal.

Avoid too heavy shoes when shoeing young horses. It tends to make them awkward, and it is an unnecessary burden for them to bear.

The Jersey cow which won the milking competition at the Carterton Show, in the morning gave 301 b of milk. The tost was 6.1, which is probably the highest test ever attained in New Zealand.

How is this for the weight of a lamb? Mr. Chas. Hawkins, of Primrose Park, New South Wales, recently donated to the Ariah Park School of Arts a six-months’ old Lincoln crossbred lamb which weighed 751 b.

‘ The early bird catches the worm ’ was well exemplified at Egmont Village, when an early-rising farmer managed to water his potatoes before the sun rose, and so saved them from the disastrous effects of the frost.

New Zealand’s exhibit of prime fat stock, frozen, for the Panama Exposition, is timed to leave the Dominion on January 7, 1915. The necessary steps are being taken through A. and P. societies to ensure that only the best will be sent.

A splendid mob of 1800 sheep passed through Gisborne recently from the Coast en route to the freezing works. The mob represented the subscriptions of the East Coast settlers towards the Britain and Belgian relief fund, and the sheep are being frozen on account of the Defence Committee for shipment to England. The sheep were in prime condition.

The following dates Have been fixed fur the New Zealand, wool sales for the 1914-15 season:November 12, Christchurch; 18th, Wellington; 21st, Napier; 26th, Auckland; December 2, Timaru; 7th, Christchurch; 11th, Wellington; 16th, Napier; 23rd, Dunedin; January 6, Timaru; 11th, Christchurch; 15th, Invercargill; 20th, Dunedin; 26th, Wellington; 29th, Napier; February 3, Auckland; Bth, Christchurch; 12th, Invercargill; 16th, Dunedin 19th, Timaru ; 23rd, Napier; 26th, Wellington.

Holders of the back country at Waiau state that the winter has been the best known for a number of years (says the Christchurch Press). The snowfall has been exceptionally light, and stocks . have wintered splendidly. Lambing has been going on. for some time "with little or no mortality, and indications point to the .year doing much to complete last year’s partial recovery from the losses suffered two years ago. Feed lon -the runs has been held back a good deal by late frosts, but is beginning to come on now, and a few weeks will see an abundance.

A demand for potatoes is setting in from Australia (says the Auckland Herald), and this is considered to be almost certain to continue. The crop in the Auckland province this year, although not as large as usual, is reported to be free from blight, which will make up the deficiency for export in quality. There is a tendency for prices of potatoes to harden, whilst another encouragement to farmers is that as the season advances the new potatoes, though they have decreased in price owing partly to Southern competition, are increasing in size, so that the yield per acre promises to compensate for the lesser prices ruling. The potato outlook is on .the whole good for the growers.

■ An unusual style of cowbyre or rather milking shed, is in daily use at Mr. P. Begg’s farm at Woodlaw (says the Western Star). Instead of the cows being bailed up at right angles to the walls of the shed, the animals stand in a race running round the shed. At first glance the arrangement looks like a sheep-drafting race. Near one corner there is the entrance, and a few feet further in a swing gate turns the cows alternately .to the right and left. On each side of the shed at the

far end of the race there is an exit. Every few feet, about the length of a cow, the posts necessary for the erection of the race have been built, and when the animal has walked up to its allotted stand a bar is placed across the race in front and one bar at the back of every animal. ' A steam milking plant has been installed, the necessary pipes running along the centre of the shed. The arrangements for cleanliness and ventilation are excellent., The following is the Burnside stock report for last week: Fat Cattle.—2lo were penned, a large yarding of fair quality. Prices were easier as compared with those ruling the previous week. Quotations: Best' bullocks, £l7 to £lB ss; medium, £l4 to £ls; inferior, £ll to £l2; best cows and heifers, £l2 10s to £l4 ; extra, to £ls 10s ; medium, £9 10s to £lO 10s; light, £5 to £7 10s. Fat Lambs.-148 were yarded big yarding for this time of the yearand prices were easier. Quotations: Best lambs, 18s to 19s; extra, to 20s 6d; medium, 15s to 16s; small, 12s to 14s. Fat Sheep.—lß4B were penned—a small yarding, of good quality. On account of a contractor for supplying the troopships operating freely, competition was good, and prices advanced fully 2s 6d on those ruling at previous sale. Quotations: Prime wethers, in wool, to . 455; good, 29s to 355; medium, 25s to 28s; shorn wethers, prime, to 27s 9d; extra, to 375; medium, 24s to 25s 6d ; best woolly ewes, 33s to 355; medium, 26s 6d to 28s 6d : ; inferior, 23s to 24s 6d.

At the Addington yards last week there were fairly large entries of fat stock. Fat cattle were rather easier, towards the end of the sale. Fat lambs sold well, and fully up to previous sale rates, and store sheep showed little change. Fat Lambs.—Best lambs, 19s to 21s 6d lighter, 16s 6d to 18s 6d. Fat Sheep.—Woolly wethers, 22s 5d to 26s fid; extra prime shorn wethers, to 33s ; ; prime shorn wethers, 21s 6d to 27s 2d others, 15s to 21s; shorn merino wethers, 14s 9d to 22s 6,d; woolly ewes, 22s to 25s 6d; prime shorn ewes, 20s to 25s ; others, 15s to 19s 6d; woolly hoggets, 20s to 22s 4d ; shorn hoggets, to 24s 6d. Fat Cattle. —Extra good steers, to £l6 7s 6d; ordinary steers, £9 to £l2 ; heifers, £5 12s 6d to £9 15s; extra good cows, to £lB ; ordinary cows, £5 7s 6d to £9. Beef, per 1001 b, 34s to 445. Dairy Cows.—There was a fair yarding, mainly of rough sorts. Poor classes were not in demand, but useful animals sold freely. Prices ranged from £3 10s to £lO. Pigs.—Choppers, £3 to £5; extra heavy baconers, to £3 12s; heavy baconers, £2 10s to £2 15sprice per lb, 5d to 51d; heavy porkers, £2 to £2 4s; lighter porkers, £1 15s to £1 18sprice per lb, 5d to 5-id. IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF MILK. A very practical method of improving the quality of the milk produced, and one capable of being used on every farm, is the habit of feeding cows just after instead of just before milking (says the Southland Weekly Times). ‘The practice of feeding cows previous to milking, which originated before cows were stanchioned, and which was practised to keep the cow still while being milked, is surviving its usefulness. ' Farmers today, when asked why they persist in feeding before milking reply that the cows stand better. However, men who have tried both plans believe that there is no basis to substantiate the opinion held. On the contrary, a dairyman recently told me: ‘I find that my cow stands better when I feed after milking. There is much le§s ranting and lurching now than when we fed and then milked.’ If, then, there is no basis for the argument advanced the method of feeding should be, in the interests of cleaner milk, changed to meet sanitary approval. There are four main sources of contamination in —cow, pail, milker, and air. Because those particles of dust floating in the air do ; not apparently injure us, we often disregard their importance in producing sanitary milk.’ If after we feed some morning we stop and notice the dust that rises, will it occasion wonder that the bacterial content of milk is increased by this old practice? ; ’