On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 30 November 1916, Page 59

On the Land

Several farmers in the Ashburton County who sowed Cape barley early on for feed purposes are now cutting it for hay, and (says the Christchurch" Press) some really good crops are to be seen.

A Napier orchardist states (says the Telegraph) that fruit will be very plentiful this year, with the exception of apricots, of which there seemed to be a shortage throughout the district. Apples, too, he mentioned, were not as good as they might have been, but, taking things generally, there was very little room for complaint.

The returns which fanners have to make in regard

to their incomes for taxation purposes are so complicated that mistakes are almost unavoidable. The Wai-

kato Times tells of a farmer who had filled up his return to the best of his ability, and had brought himself in as liable for the payment of some ..£250 in tax. In order to make sure that he was right in his figures lie

submitted his return to a certificated accountant, not with the idea that he would save anything thereby, but in order to feel that his return was correct. The result of his consultation was that when his return was

completed he had nothing to pay

Owing to small entries of fat stock, prices at Addington last week showed an appreciable advance. Store sheep were easier in consequence of the continued dry weather, but store cattle sold readily at high rates. Bacon pigs were easier, the yarding of pigs being exceptionally* large. Fat Sheep.—Woolly wethers, 38s 3d

to 50s; woolly merino wethers, 31s to .'S!)s (id : prime shorn wethers, 30s to 35s 9d : lighter, 25s to 29s (id ; prime shorn ewes, 29s (id to 375: lighter, 24s to 295; shorn hoggets, 27s Gd to 31s. Fat Cattle. —Extra, prime steers, to .£2l Ids; prime steers, £ls to £2O: ordinary steers, £9 10s to £ls: prime heifers, £l3 10s to £l4 15s; ordinary heifers, £8 17s Gd to £l3; prime cows, .£l3 to £ls ss; ordinary cows, .£8 to £l3. Pigs. — Choppers, £4 to £-1 17s; extra heavy baconers, to £5: heavy baconers, £4 5s to £ I 12s; lighter, £3 10s to £4 —equal to 7d to 7-Ad per lb; heavy porkers, 52s (id to 575: lighter, 48s (id to 50sequal to 9d to 9 .Id per lb; best stores, 60s to 70s: medium stores, 48s to 58s; small stores, 30s to 38s: weaners, 19s (id to 2Gs Gd.

At Burnside last week 170 head of fat cattle were yarded. A fair yarding, and the quality, taken all over, was not up to previous week's yarding, but several pens of prime cattle were 10s to 15s, all round, better than previous week. Quotation: Best bullocks, £lB 10s to £2O 10s: extra prime, £22 10s to £25 15s: good, £l6 10s to £18: unfinished, £l3 to £l4 15s; best cows and heifers, £l3 10s to £l4 10s : extra prime, £l6 5s to £l7 2s Gd : medium, £ll to £l2 10s: light, £8 10s to £lO 10s. Fat Sheep.— 224o yarded. This number was in excess of butchers' requirements, hut graziers took a fair proportion, and the sale on the whole, which included a good many pens of prime shorn wethers, 'was Is to Is 6d lower 'than previous week. Quotations: Extra prime woolly wethers, to 48s 9d ; good wethers, 40s to 43s Gd ; medium, 34s to 38s : extra heavy woolly ewes, to 46s (id: good, 34s to 375; extra prime shorn wethers, to 41s 3d ; good, 34s to 35s 3d ; medium, 28s 6d to 32s ; light, 26s to 27s Gd : extra heavy shorn ewes, to 36s 9d : medium to good, 27s to 295; light and inferior, 23s to 255. Fat Lambs. —93 yarded, all of which met with a good sale. Quotations: Best lambs, to 29s Gd ; medium to good, 22s to 275. Pigs. A small yarding, and prices were firmer. Quotations : Best baconers, to £5 ss; good, to £4 10s ; others, £3 5s to £4. There was only a small yarding of store pigs, and previous week's high rates were well maintained.

PIGS FED ON LUCERNE: HOW THEY

DEVELOP.

In a recent issue of the English Farmer ami Stockbreeder a correspondent refers to what he calls the summer or lucerne-fed pig. 'Lucerne,' he says, 'is

valuable in the warm months for pigs. The price of pork, lower in view of this being the off season, has not quite maintained its high place, but with wheat down into the region of 6s 3d a bushel there is encouragement to increase the number of pigs, and a reasonable certainty of paying prices. However, whilst other foods are relatively dear green foods are especially valuable to use because of their relatively small increase in cost of procuring as compared with that of meat. The lucerne-grower is specially favored, for lucerne ranks highest among the green fodders. Moreover, a comparatively small patch will produce much food, as it is best cut young; if the crop is commenced when very young, constant mowing can be maintained throughout the summer and early autumn season, it being arranged so that as the oldest will be used up, new, second, or succeeding crops will be ready to take. ' It is important that green fodder be given young and fresh, exception, however, being taken to the vetches, which are most feeding when in the pod, though a little of the bottom haulm may be a trifle old. Heated green fodder is ill-suited to all animals, but probably in no case is absolutely fresh more desirable than for pigs. Lucerne of itself is rather opening, but not seriously so; still, as there is advantage in giving additional food, this tendency can be remedied. With very young store pigs certainly it is not desirable to overload the stomach. But lucerne is by ho means the only good green crop, and red clover, before it gets too woody, can be profitably used. Both lucerne and clover are suitable for grazing, but pigs need to be heavily rung to prevent their nozzling out the roots

or destroying the crown. This also holds where they are turned on grass.

No green food really comes amiss to pigs, and among other summer feeds, cabbage or mangels, ripened by long keeping, are especially suitable. Grass, whether from permanent or temporary pasture, is a great stand-by, and is not nearly sufficiently made use of in these days, when there is little offal or scavenging on the farm. The rational keeping of sows, by allowing them to run on pastures or green crops, is fortunately increasing, and had been for some years before the war, for just as the cottager's roadside sowgenerally has good litters of vigorous youngsters, and herself gives little trouble, so the sow, fed naturally and with free exercise, maintains physical robustness, and not only- produces good litters, but will do so up to a considerable age. However, the extra strain on the sow during the last six weeks, or whilst she is carrying her young, should not be disregarded, for if too low in condition she may be unable to provide milk for a litter. Moreover, the sow is better for strength at farrowing. A good condition at farrowing, as opposed to too much blubbery fat, is very desirable, and may be carried to the point where the sow does not become lazy and careless as to her lying down. A good mother draws on her own strength after farrowing, and it is best for her to have plenty to draw on— she will get poor quickly enough. ' Feeding stuffs, except barley, worth ten or more shillings a quarter than wheat, can, with the help of green stuff, be used profitably for' pig-rearing. The price of wheat suggests immense stores of this grain available for shipment throughout the world when shipping is set free, but there are no signs that thereis a similar big stock of pigs to come forward, so that pigs are well worth attention. It is a great saving of labor to have the pigs lying out for a considerable portion of the year. ' There is far less to carry them and no mucking out, while litter is saved. It has been but little

adopted in this country in comparison with that in some big pig-raising countries ; and it is unfortunate that better and more systematic means are not taken to develop, or rather re-develop, home curing. It could be done ; but whilst methods are so variable the provision-maker will not risk his business condition by buying from farms when everyone has a different system of making. Butter-making has been improved by systematic teaching, but there is this difference, that whilst butter-making means the disposal of milk at the lowest price, bacon-curing is equally profitable.'