On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 7 December 1916, Page 57

On the Land

At the conclusion of the conference held on Tuesday at Wellington between the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald) and delegates from the cheese factories, to discuss the question of the imposition of the tax on butter-fat, Mr. G. R. Sykes, M.P., asked permission to refer to the export of meat. He said the thought had occurred to him that it would be a good thing if the Government sold meat to the butchers throughout New Zealand at the same price that it was sold to the Home Government, with the stipulation that it had to be retailed to the public at a stated margin of profit. Mr. MacDonald stated that he would give the matter consideration.

Burnside Stock Report — Sheep. There was a medium entry of sheep, including several pens of very prime shorn wethers, and as butchers had supplies over from previous week the small yarding was quite sufficient for requirements, and prices, if anything, were a shade weaker than last sale. There were very few woolly sheep forward, and these sold at prices a shade better than previous week, graziers being the best, buyers. Quotations: Extra prime-shorn wethers to 38s; prime do, 31s 6d to 355; medium, 28s to 30s; light, from 20s to 22s Gd : prime shorn ewes, 29s to 31s 6d ; medium and light, 24s to 2Gs 9d : prime woolly wethers, 38s 6d to 42s 9d : woolly ewes, 32s to 42s Gd. Fat Lambs.—There was a fair yarding, of fat lambs. Competition was keen, and prices ruled the same as previous week. Prime lambs, 25s to 27s 9d ; medium, 22s to 245; others, to £l. Fat Cattle.—There was a medium yarding of fair quality', and prices, on account of butchers having a large supply on hand, were easier. Best bullocks, ,£lB to £2O: extra good, to £24 2s Gd : medium, £l6 to £l7 : inferior, £l4 to £ls : best cows and heifers, £l4 to £ls. extra to £l7 10s; medium, £ll to £l2; inferior, £9 10s to £lO 10s. Pigs. A small yarding of fat pigs came to hand, and sold at values equal to previous week. Prime baconers, to good, to 90s; medium, 70s to 755. There was a small yarding of stores, and for these exceptionally high prices were obtained. Slips, to 41s: weaners, 25s to 32s Gd.

There was a medium yarding of fat cattle at Addington last week, only 150 being penned. The quality of the yarding on the whole was very good, there being some very fine consignments of cattle from the south. Competition was fairly keen, and prices right through the sale were much on a par with previous week’s rales. Extra prime bullocks brought £24 : prime bullocks, £l7 to £l9 10s; medium, £ls 10s to £l6 15s : light, to £l4 ; prime cows and heifers, £l4 to £l6: medium, £lO 12s Gd to £ll 17s Gd ; light and inferior, to £lO. Fat Sheep.—l6s7 were offered. The proportion of woolly sheep was much smaller than of late, and the quality of the yarding was good, there being some very prime shorn wethers forward. As butchers had fair stocks on hand, this number proved fully equal to requirements, and prices obtained were hardly up to previous week’s rates. Extra prime shorn wethers brought to 38s : prime shorn wethers, 31s Gd to 345; medium, 28s to 30s 6d: others, to 26s Gd ; prime shorn ewes, 29s to 31s 6d ; medium, 25s to 27s Gd ; fat woolly wethers, 38s 6d to 435; fat woolly ewes, 32s to 42s Gd. Fat Lambs. —A fairly large yarding, 82 coming forward. There was good competition amongst butchers, and prices ruled fully up to previous week’s rates. Prime lambs brought 24s 9d to 27s 9d ; medium, 22s to 23s Gd : others, 19s to 21s. Pigs.—There was a small yarding. Eaconers are not plentiful, and for this class there are fair sales at prices fully equal to late values. Porkers were not quite so well competed for. Stores and weaners were in strong demand, and the small yarding offered realised very satisfactory prices.

VALUE OF STRAW AS FODDER. Straw, when judiciously employed as fodder, possesses qualities of a very useful nature, much too good,

in such times as" the present, to bo wasted as litter, a purpose for which other materials can usually be obtained (says Farm , Field, and Fireside ). The fodder value of straw, even from the same kind of crop, may differ considerably. For instance, b the straw from a winter wheat crop is not so good as that from spring-sown cereals. The latter is richer in digestible substances. Oat straw, as is generally recognised, possesses the highest value for feeding purposes, and is readily eaten by all animals. In the ‘ chaffed ’ form it may be considered as a first-class supplementary fodder lor horses and all ruminants, but when given to cows in large quantities it is said to convey a slightly bitter taste to the milk, and to produce butter of .an inferior brand. The latter drawback can be removed by supplying with the chaff a certain quantity of rape cake or crushed oats.

Barley straw is somewhat similar to oat straw in composition. It is also eaten with relish, and is relatively easy of digestion. It seems quite suitable as fodder for cattle, but when fed to horses, unless mixed with hay, has been found to produce colic, and it has the further drawback that when put in the racks particles are liable to get into the horses’ eyes.

Rye straw, not much grown in this country, is harder and tougher than other cereal straws, but this is not altogether a disadvantage, as it obliges the horses to masticate better the grain mixed with it.

Wheat straw is very similar to rye straw, but not well liked by horses. Cows eat it more freely. The straw from peas and beans is more difficult

of digestion than that from cereals, but contains more nourishment. It exercises, however, a constipating effect. The stems of vetches are particularly bad in this respect, and should be fed with caution.

In general the straw or stems of leguminous plants is more suitable for ruminating animals, and especially for sheep, than for horses.

It need scarcely be said that straw by itself is not iflicient nourishment for horses, as it contains too

small a proportion of albuminoids. Sometimes during periods when there is little work for them on the farm it may be thought economical to spare other food by feeding the animals on good chaffed straw, but such a system must be strongly condemned. It is only as supplementary fodder that straw has a real value. As

chaff, mixed about halt and half with grain, it is valuable in forcing the horses to chew their food more

thoroughly, and thus to extract the greatest ' benefit from it. The size of the chaff for horses should be about half an inch long : if too fine it is not sufficiently masticated, and being too quickly swallowed, may give rise to indigestion and colic. Sometimes, if in case of need straw is given as a substitute for hay, it may be put whole in the racks, but when fed with grain it should always be chaffed and mixed with the corn.

For cattle and sheep good straw may occasionally serve as a complete fodder, when the animals are not being fattened, and even with fattening cattle straw may serve as part of the ration, as it helps to stimulate digestion.

Straw is usually supplied to cattle cut to about an inch and mixed with other fodder ; as supplied in this manner the cattle readily eat larger quantities. The same object is attained by steaming or heating the straw.

In years when fodder is scarce straw can be put to a very good purpose, but one should not forget that it is poor in actual nourishment, and must not be used for feeding purposes in too large quantities. Cows in calf should not be allowed straw at all, or very sparingly.