FARMING NOTES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 168, 3 June 1940, Page 3

FARMING NOTES

FARM LABOUR MEETING SHORTAGE NEW SOLUTION PROPOSED CO-OPERATIVE EMPLOYMENT The establishment of a co-opera-tive employment association to meel the shortage of farm labour was approved at the annual Auckland provincial conference of the Farmers' Union. Described as one of the most important items before the 1 conference, the question arose from a scries of remits from the Bay of Islands sub-province which were supplemented bj r a special report from Mr G. Morphett,, of Kaitaia. The Bay of Islands sub-province asked the conference to urge the Government to make an early pronouncement regarding its intentions for securing and increasing farm labour. Ii proposed that theconference immediately set up co-operative farm labour employment association (1) for the purpose of employing extra labour on I farms; as a Avar effort to maintain, IJ if not increase, production of foodstuffs for Britain and the Allies; (2) to enable all farmers upon application to acquire the services of competent farm labour for such periods in the year a:s may be re- ; quired; (3) to minimise any difficulty of obtaining competent cas ual farm workers caused 'through war emergencies, by farmers guaranteeing employment for fixed periods. Remits Adopted. The conference was recommended to set up a sub-committee to discuss the details of the scheme with ;Mr Morphett and to report back, ilt was further proposed that union jbranches should be asked to conjsider the labour problem in theii, | own districts with regard to special w r ar conditions, and to keen in contact with the provincial execui . j tzve on the matter. In his report Mr Morphett said farm labour was flocking to the cities, and the j)osition was being j made worse by enlistments. Casual labour could not be made availableunless farmers were prepared to co-operate in groups, each to guarj antee a minimum period of work, thus ensuring the labourer continuous hours. The financial side of the employment of casual labour under the group sj'stem should be on a co-operative basis, each individual contributing his share of wages and incidental expenses by monthly payments, in proportion to the period guaranteed. The remits were adopted.

WATER REQUIREMENTS OF DAIRY COWS A regular and ample supply of fresh water is ever a necessity on a dairy farm, during the hotter months of the year. The quantity of Avater that cows in full milk will consume daily is very large, and therefore a plentiful supply of water of good quality should be readily available. Most cows will drink at least 10 gallons of water daily, while the higherproducing animals will drink even more. Experiments have shown that cows in milk drink more water than when they are dry, even up to four times as much. Figures have been quoted relating to a Friesian cow which produced five gallons of milk per day on a ration of 181b of lucerne, 1011) of ensilage, and from 14 to 2011) of concentrates, and drank from to oOYz gallons of water daily. Investigations have also shown that when cows are fed on crops and grain in summer they consume up to 55 gallons of water, some of which is in their feed; for each 10 gallons of milk produced. Often cows have access to water only once per day, and it is believed that they will milk satisfactory. This is contrary to fact and also to commonsense. They should have access to water at least twice per day, and if they can have it whenever they desire, the milk yield is likely to be more satisfactory. The quality of water supplied to dairy cows should be as pure as possible. Running Abater or water troughs are preferable to dams, vleis, or swamps for the water supplies. Dams, vleis and swamps are each a menace to milk and cream quality, unless great care is taken to remove mud from the teats and udders. This may have become attached as' the result of cows wading in , f c; drink. Some of the worst cream taints have been traced to contamination from this course. Concrete trougjiing or running streams for cows to drink from f*re always safe in this respect. The water in running streams is usually free from serious bacterial contamination, and if the cows do wade in for a drink no harm is done, and when troughs are used water does not reach the udders.

DOMINION PRODUCE RETAIL REDUCTION REPORTER BUTTER BOUGHT BY BRITAIN An official of the Ministry of Food, interviewed by the Australian Associated Press regarding criticism of the high retail price of butter in the United Kingdom, claimed that it. was misleading to compare the New I Zealand F.G.B. price of 112/6 per | cwi. with the issue price of 143/without bearing in mind that New Zealand and Australia would lie obliged to bear the cost of insurance freight, and selling charges under peacet i ine cond itiosis. Therefore, it was improbable thai butter sold at 112 - in New Zealand could be retailed in the United Kingdom at present under 1/6 per lb. The difference of a penny between that and the present maximum price was fully justified by the wartime cost. However, the Ministry of Food was giving the closest attention to the possibility of reducing costs of storage and distribution, with a view to reducing the retail price. The speaker undertook to investigate the intensive propaganda for margarine and its possible ill-effect oil the public interest in butter. GUARD YOUR HAIR and keep yom youth. Use Birmese Herbal Haiu Root Compound, It removes every speck of dandruff in three days; it nourishes the papilla or hair root and stimulates the glands of the f;c.ni?). 1 J!rmofo can grow new ha!; in .*>(> days. :Vfid from F. G. Marklow, Chemist. T..er;e fat quickly with Bonkorn. I-afo, quick reducing tivaiment. Try Bonkora to-day. F. G. Maekiow, Chemist, Whaka!ane.

STUD STOCK The well known Polled Hereford breeder,, Mr F. E. Humphrey, of Ngatapa, Gisborne, who last month shipped four heifers to a leading Queensland brcder, has now received through the Stud Stock Department of Wright, Stephenson aind Co. Ltd., a further order. The purchaser stated that he was very pleased with the quality and type of the heifers, and has placed his order for two further three year old mated females. These cattle wili f be going forward this week. a There has been very little slackc ing off in the sales of Border Leicester rams to Australia. Recent s sales have been made by Wright, s Stephenson and Co. Ltd. on behalf ] of the following New Zealand breed Y ers* P. Campbell Wyndham; W. t Kennedy, Wright's Bush, Invercars gill; J. W. Blair, Outram; A. Ward, . Timaru; J. C. Kelland, Timaru; S. Crossar, Ashburton; G. Letliam, t Ashburton. 1 1 barley for feeding 1 ? FURTHER SUPPLIES AVAILABLE TWO CLASSES SOLD 1 • • Further supplies of Australian barLey for pig feed are now available from New Plymouth, Auckland and Wellington, announced the Prij. Mary Industries Controller, Mr A. H. Cockayne. Mr Cockayne said that on the recommendation of the National Council of Primary Produc--1 tion the Government had agreed to the importation of a supply of feed • barley being permitted this season 5 into the South Island, in view of the scarcity of supplies for feeding purr poses. Provided sufficient orders were s forthcoming from South Island merchants, the Internal Marketing De--3 partmcnt would arrange for direct s shipments to Lyttelton, Timaru and 1 Dunedin, and deliveries could be • arranged to reach these ports early ■ in June. i Two classes of barley, namely , Cape and English, would be sold in 5 10 sack lots Lo farmers at 3/8 d per- • bushel and 4/Sd per bushel ex wharf ?' respectively. i WHAT IS A GRADE COW? ; GOLDEN RULE OF CROSSING AnSAvering this question Mr C. E. Robertson, the world authority on dairy cows, recently told Matamata farmers at Bedford Park, that a grade cow was simply a cross between two breads. The first cross ay as a half-bred, with half of the blood of each in the animal. If the bull of the same breed was used for the second cross, the progeny would have three-quar-ters of the blood of that particular breed. So a farmer could grade up in a steady stream. The term grade was applied to such crosses with the particular breed which showed up most to complete the term, such as a grade Jersey or grade Ayrshire In regard to the best cross, it had been found in Taranaki that the finer boney animals mated better with the larger animals. Thus the finer-boney Jerseys or Aryshire.s" should be mated with the larger framed Friesians or Shorthorns. The golden iu'c, however, was to type with type. STORY OF THE BIRD OF DEATH From Papua, as the Romans said of Africa, comes always something new, and the latest explorer, Miss Hilda Oppenhcim, sends a strange story of Papua's strangest bird. It is the only known venomous bird, and a bite from' its beak is so poisonous as Lo bring on lockjaw, severe pains in every limb, and even death. The native name for it means the bird of death. The expedition which went to find it was accompanied by native Papuans, who when a small flock of the birds was seen did all I hey could to prevent the Europeans from interfering with them. But one member of the small expedition fired his gun and brought a bird down. lie hastened to pick it up. and the wounded bird got in a bite on his hand. When the Papuans ea,me up to him one of them at once sucked the venom from the wound, and this appeared to save the shooter's life, for, though he sank into unconsciousness and. having been carried hack to crimp, slept for a week, he recovered. .The .no.'ive disn pp; a- ;d. :Wiil?-..ut .\y-aii : ng lo be re-