FARMING NOTES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 42, 17 January 1949, Page 3

FARMING NOTES

Age Has Influence On A Cow

That the age of a cow has some influence on th ecomposition of milk is claimed by Mr O. St. John Kent, principal of Werribee (Victoria) dairy research station. He points out that the most important change with advancing years is a slight decrease in the percentage of fat. The variation, although of no great consequence, is noticeable nevertheless. A cow that shows an average test of 5 per cent as a young animal will decline to about 4.5 per cent if she continues to produce to 14 years of age.

“I’m sorry to do this,” said little Johnny, as he spread the jam on the baby’s face, “but I can’t have suspicion pointing its finger at me.”

FARMERS WARNED

Macrocarpa Poisons Dairy Herd

A case in which of a herd of 23 dairy cows which ate the flowering heads of macrocarpa branches seven aborted an one cow and one heifer died is reported by A. M. MacLeod, Assistant Inspector of Stock, Takaka, to the Journal of Agriculture. As trouble has previously been reported as the result of stock eating macrocarpa foliage, and many of these trees are still being felled for timber where the branches are accessible to grazing stock, repetition of the warning of the danger presented seems opportune. The herd in which the * recent trouble was reported were running in the paddock where the trees were felled and although other feed, including, hay, was in fair supply, the animals ate the macrocarpa branches, especially the flowering heads, freely for several days. It was June and all the cows were in calf. The first to show symptoms was a heifer which became listless, staggered when it walked, and whose eyes became sunken. Of the whole herd seven aborted, and of these one cow and one heifer died. Eight others showed signs of springing and then returned to normal.. The remainder were listless and gave very little milk for some time after calving, but afterward recovered their normal health. On another farm in the district six calves, all about six weeks old, gained access to some macrocarpa branches which had been piled in a heap ready for burning. Although other feed was available, the calves ate the branches and within two days three of them had lost all their condition, their eyes became sunken, and they died.

Man’s Claim That Earthworms Will Improve Pastures

Claims that the cultivation of certain classes of earthworms was a permanent, and almost costless solution to the decline in 50 per cent of New Zealand’s farmlands were made at a sitting of the Sheep Industry Commission by Mr R. O. Montgomerie, Kakatahi (Wanganui). “It would be physically possible for every acre of land in the North Island to be wormed within a period of ten years,” declared Mr Montgomerie. The higher the rainfall the greater the rapidity with which the earthworms would secure results. Progressive innoculation could be carried out, beginning with individual turf colonies. Fully wormed pastures defied the coldest winter weather and grew right through the season. Wormed pastures were the last to succumb to droughts and the first to recover once the rains came. Wormed pastures, Mr Montgomei-ie claimed, were also the ' first to respond to summer rains, and where phosphate was used on wormed pastures a far greater .result was secured. Official evidence on earthworms submitted by the Wanganui provincial executive of Federated Farmers ran: “We are not very sure how far scientific investigation has ' gone in the matter of earthworms. As laymen and farmers, we know that until worms are properly working in the hill country it is not possible to get the best results. We have learned that such country must be open to the sun and to a certain extent sweetened by the sun’s rays before the worms apear in any worthwhile numbers. “We also believe that a great deal can be done in this direction to Quicken natural action by transplanting worms into the country, but we do not feel competent to say which is the right and best worm and consider that farmers require scientific instruction and advice in this matter.”

Increase Of Dairy. And Beef Cattle In Country Last Year

A supplement to the Monthly Abstract of Statistics gives the number of dairy cows in milk at January 31, 1948, as 1,713,532 compared with,, 1,657,690 in 1947, the total number of dairy cattle, including aaaiUc. o aoo cnn

comparison with 2,585,810. The total number of beef cattle was 2,077,998 against 2,047,990 in 1947, the grand total of all cattle being 4,716,287 against 4,633,800 the previous year.

The number of horses in 1947, 206,575, had fallen to 203,885 in 1948. Breeding sows increased from 67,938 to '68,354 on January 31, 1948, with the total number of pigs increasing from 545,874 to 548,177. The sheep shorn during the season at January 31, 1948, numbered 30,075,213, against 30,214,772 the previous year, while the lambs tailed during the season reached a total of 19,835,046 against 18,642,298. Breeding ewes as at April 30, 1948, totalled 21,055,482 in comparison with 20,743,782 at the same date the previous year.