THE WEEK

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23966, 5 June 1943, Page 3

THE WEEK

PULPY KIDNEY Very little has been heard in the last few years of the trouble commonly known as pulpy kidney, or entero toxaemia. For some years previously it had caused serious losses of fattening lambs. The remedy generally adopted then was a simple, one, if not altogether profitable, as it was to decrease the feed of the ewe, thereby lowering the milk yield and preventing the lamb irom over-exerting its digestive organs, the direct cause of the trouble. This remedy could be applied, however, only at the expense of the general fattening and loss in freezing weights. The whole position was changed by the introduction three or four years ago of a vaccine for injection into the ewe before lambing. It was then claimed for the vaccine that it would secure almost a complete immunity from the trouble. Judging by the lack of complaints of the trouble in recent years this claim would appear to be substantially founded—pulpy kidney has certainly lost its position as No. 1 enemy of the lamb fattener. And lamb weights have not declined. It is interesting to note a discussion in an English farm paper on the prevention of pulpy kidney. A regular stock contributor, discussing the condition causing death in lambs known as pulpy kidney, states that there “may be possibilities in a vaccine or serum." This a correspondent describes as a most misleading remark. The disease is preventable by the use either of ovitoxus serum, administered to the lambs when about a fortnight old, or preferably by injecting the ewes with lamb dysentery vaccine approximately two to four weeks after mating and the same time before lambing. This vaccination gives a degree of immunity to lamb dysentery as well as to pulpy kidney. LINEN FLAX CROPS A number of linen flax growers last season reported crop failures. They stated that their crops withered for no apparent reason, and when harvested they were rejected owing to the straw being too short. A similar trouble appears to have developed in crops in the Warrnambool district of Victoria. A local newspaper says in a recent issue that during the last two flax-growing seasons a number of flax growers have suffered a loss due to a disease known as "dieback.” The tops of the affected plants wither and the length of straw is greatly reduced. The Victorian Department of Agriculture has been investigating the problem for some time, and now has some evidence to suggest that the trouble can be overcome by an early application of lime at the rate of two tons to the acre, applied at least two months before the crop is sown. The Department advises that its efforts in overcoming the disease would be greatly assisted if as many growers as possible on their own initiative would apply lime to a portion of their crops at. the rate of two tons an acre and report the results. The Dominion of Canada is to increase its area of flax from 1,492,000 acres last season to 2,500,000 acres this season. It is only by recalling New Zealand’s effort of 25,100 acres that the magnitude of the Canadian effort can be realised. When the increase was first suggested last December at a farm conference there had been some doubt as to whether the extension would be required, but following consultations with the other United Nations it was resolved that the increase was desirable, and the Minister made the appeal in the Canadian Legislature several w;eeks ago. The final decision awaited information from the United States as to whether that country could handle the extra crop. Canadian farmers are being advised to take the area out of their wheat acreage. "The guaranteed prices make flax profitable for any farmer who takes the very modest trouble necessary to plant the right variety of seed," the experts say. COW OR HEIFER? The question of when a heifer ceases to be such and becomes a covfr caused some magisterial comment when several prosecutions were brought against butchers by the Price Tribunal the other day at Palmerston North. The Magistrate thought that the price regulations must have been drawn up hurriedly and thoughtlessly. The question hinged on first-class and secondclass beef—heifer beef being graded as first-class and cow as second-class. The regulations, however, contained no definition as to when a heifer became a cow. The abattoir point of view was that this position arrived with the first calf, but the report of the case stated that the farming community regarded the female bovine as a heifer until she was four years old, regardless of the number of calves she had had. The problem is not clarified much by the dictionaries. In one of the standard publications a heifer is described as a young cow, or "one that has not had a calf." This agrees practirally with the abattoir viewpoint quoted, but would scarcely have support in any farming community. It would be absurd, for instance, to grade the unmatured young heifer with the one calf, and its milking attributes "in the make” with the aged cow with a double-figure calf achievement and years of production behind it. The dictionary further explained that the corresponding male is called a “steer or, in certain districts, a bullock.” That is a new one. Another dictionary, guarding itself, doubtless, from being too committal, says that the word is not known outside the English language, but does venture the opinion that a heifer “is a young cow that has not had a calf." The foregoing definitions do not agree with farming practice. Stock descriptive terms are the result of very old custom, and were introduced to the country by the original settlers. A female bovine with a calf at three years, is still classed as a heifer. She generally merges into the cow class, according to custom, when she has had her second calf, or approximately when she is four years old. If she has not had a calf or will not breed, she, by then, generally finds her way to the block before she reaches four years of age.

The first crop of soybeans produced in America was regarded as something of a curiosity, though the value of soybeans as a stock food was quickly | recognised and they have continued to hold an important place in that capacity ever since. The soybean contains about 35 per cent, protein and 18 per cent, oil and its value as a human food is rapidly becoming more fully appreciated. particularly as a counterbalance to certain starchy cereals. The use of immature soybeans as a vegetable is a new phase in the utilisation of this crop, while recent advances in scientific research have found many additional uses for it. In the development of plastics soybeans have been widely used, and motor bodies and parts have been produced largely from them. Other products for which soybeans are used include upholstery, water paints, adhesives, and paper sizing. An English farm newspaper to hand says that owing to plentiful supplies of both red and white clover seeds the restrictions applied last spring are now removed. White clovers of all types in particular, are again freely available and can be included in seeds mixtures in the usual proportions. Australia needs 500.000 tons of potatoes for next season's requirements —military, civilian, hospital, dehydration. and seed needs, and a request has been made for the production of this quantity The annual production is about 175,000 tons.

THE EGG SHORTAGE

(To the Agricultural Editor.) Sir,—"Straggler” has solved the cause of the egg shortage by omitting to mention the following reasons;— 1. The calling up of poultrymen for military service. 2. The unprofitable price of eggs in the flush season. 3. The scarcity of some poultry foods, especially pollard and bran. 4, The needs of the armed forces and shipping requirements. 5. The greater purchasing power of the public and the restricted supplies of many other foodstuffs. 6. The more remunerative employment available in other industries compared with poultry farming. 7. The lack of organised distribution ot available eggs being largely responsible for severe rationing of eggs m the main centres, 8. The difficulties of transport and petrol restrictions. 9, The high costs of repairs and maintenance. 10. The labour shortage. The only reason he puts forward is the registration fee of 2s 6d per annum a hundred birds. Since the registration act came into force in 1934 the number of registered poultry runs has varied very little, ranging from 11,000 to 12,000 each year. During the period 1934-1939, 1,348,752 dozen eggs were exported to Great Britain after amply supplying the needs of New Zealand. Had registration been as objectionable as "Straggler” suggests, a decline in the number of registered flocks would have become apparent much earlier than these figures denote. . „ In the hard old days Straggler mentions, farmers were obliged to keep 30 or 40 to 100 or 200 head of poultry to jteep them supplied with eggs for their own needs. In the summer these farmers had a surplus of eggs which they endeavoured to sell. To-day successful farmers have learned that it does not pay to keep unprofitable stock, and most farmers only keep from 12 to 30 head of good birds, which give them a more profitable return than did the 100 to 200. Farmers had to trade their eggs for any old price grocers cared to allow them. Through the work of the New Zealand Poultry Board, which is financed from the registration fees, poultrykeepers now have a fixed ceiling price for their product) This year he is getting 3d a dozen above 1941 prices, which, on ah average of 10 dozen eggs a bird means that the extra gained on one bird will pay the registration fee on 100 birds. Surely this should be worth the trip to the Post Office to register. Had the Stabilisation Committee taken notice of the advice of the Poultry Board before stabilising prices at an uneconomic figure there would not have been such a serious decline in the industry. , The Egg Marketing Regulations have been instrumental in stopping all speculating in eggs and egg pulp. Profits from the same, which used to go into speculators’ pockets, now go to the National Egg Pool to be Used to benefit the industry as a whole.. A poultry organisation is necessary to-day, but will be vital in our postwar reconstruction. T. S. DOVE, Producer Member N.Z. Poultry Board. J, McGLINCHY, Govt, Member, N.Z. Pouutry Board. June 3, 1943. “Straggler” replies to the forgoing as follows: The 10 reasons elaborately set out by the two correspondents as causes of the egg shortage, which were "omitted” from his article on Saturday, are troubles that affect the commercial egg producer. In any case they are difficulties that every individual industry has to face at present. To.the farmer eggs are a-sideline. But a number of the difficulties are-the result of the system itself, such as “the lack of organised distribution of available eggs” and “difficulties of transport and petrol.” The railway was the main means of transport in the days written of, and there was less railway then than now, and petrol had not come in to much extent, if at all, for egg carting. • The "severe rationing" which- the writers refer to was quite unnecessary when the farming community were big suppliers. The reason advanced by “Straggler” for farmers not registering their flocks was not the fee—i.e., "they (the farmers) did not complain of the nominal fee, but simply could not be bothered with the business.” The reference to the retention of the registered poultry runs is pointless as far as farmer producers are concerned. They were not in the registered circuit. It was the commercial runs which maintained the number—as the article stated, "feed was comparatively cheap, consumption of the towns was increasing, and the big producers conducted prosperous businesses—for a time, at all events.” But what is the explanation of the wholesale disposal of thousands of poultry this last year or two? Apparently the beneficent work of the National Egg Pool and the prevention of speculation by the Egg Marketing Regulations failed to keep the owners in the industry. These organisations have controlled the business from what is admitted was a time of plenitude of eggs until now the public is kept on a famine ration, so the sensible thing* appears to be to revert to the conditions which provided the plenitude. But in such case it would be foolish to base calculations on the writers’ statement "that in the hard old days farmers were obliged to keep 100 to 200 head of poultry to keep them supplied with eggs for their own needs.” It is just as well that the egg appetite of to-day is not up to that level.

MIDLAND CANTERBURY JERSEY CLUB

Officers elected at the fifth annual meeting of the Midland Canterbury Jersey Cattle Club were:—President, Mr J. R. White; vice-president, Mr A. E. Brown; committee, Messrs C. H. Watson. D. N, H. Watson, J. T. Prosser, L. D. Adams, and P. J. Dulieu; secretary, Mr M. Duncan Jones; auditor, Mr W. H. Jakins. The annual report and balance-sheet, showing a credit of £27 15s lOd, were adopted. A vote of thanks was passed to Mrs Kennedy for a gift of several bound volumes of herd books to the club. A presentation of a handsome chiming clock was made to Mr J. R. White, whose cow, Wendouree Silver Dawn, produced 801.91b fat in 365 days, thus winning the club's trophy. It was decided to continue the contest for the following year on the same conditions. A notice of motion that the committee appoint the vice-presi-dent to become the president in the following year was adopted. Australian Wheat for India. —Wheat in substantial quantities—the tonnage involving six figures—arrived in India recently from Australia, according to advice received in Christchurch this week. Most of the wheat was imported for military demands, but a start in issues to the civil population has been made. Most of the large cities of India, particularly Calcutta, Bombay. and Madras, have received substantial amounts. It is expected that civilian imports will continue for some time.

This appears to be the season of garden giant vegetables. Potatoes up to more than 61b weight have been brought into this office from time to time, but this week two outsize parsnips were exhibited. The two weighed 10',lb, there being little difference in the weight. They were grown by Mr F. Park, 223 Springfield road. The crop from which they were taken was an exceptionally heavy one, four small rows producing 15 to 18 parsnips of almost similar, size.

PORK AND BACON PRICES CRITICISM BY FARMERS' UNION The prices fixed for pork and bacon were criticised by the retiring president of the North Canterbury district of the Farmers' Union (Mr R. G. Bishop) in his address to the annual conference yesterday. He said that the prices had been fixed at a level that growers feared would seriously jeopardise the industry in Canterbury, where there were little or no dairy by-products for bulk feeding. "When we consider pork and bacon prices at lid less than lamb, practically all the pigs' food having to be carted and hand fed, against lamb that forages for itself, much more expensive equipment needed for pig raising, and the feeding of expensive concentrates, it is difficult to see how fatteners can carry on at the price," said Mr Bishop. "Practically no barley is available this year and what little there is is 4s 6d a bushel, compared with 2s 6d and 3s a bushel two years ago. "I am very much afraid that this uneconomical price fixation will result in slaughtering of much breeding stock, resulting in a serious shortage in the near future. The same applies to the winter fattening of beef and mutton. It is very costly to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. A little longer vision, more careful planning, and less bureaucratic control would be of much greater assistance and keep industry on a sound and healthy foundation for all."

BRITISH FARMING HUGE INCREASED

PRODUCTION MECHANICAL PROGRESS The following interesting observations on farm production in Great Britain are contained in a circular let. ter issued to overseas customers ( by the firm of Joseph Nathan and Company, Ltd., London:— . Great Britain, of course, is primarily an agricultural country, and in peace time 60 per cent, of its food was imported. It is probably not however realised that it is a very fertile country with a yield per cultivated acre comparing favourably with that of any of the most famous agricultural countries. Thus, according to a Government report recently published, even in the year 1937-38, the total value of agricultural and horticultural produce sold off farms amounted to £224,590.000. Nevertheless, when war broke out it was obvious that this was nothing like enough, and between that day and this steps have been taken which have resulted in the home production of food being raised from 40 per cent, to more than 60 per cent, self-sufficiency. Despite the fact that Great Britain is the most thickly populated country in Europe—its population a square mile is double that of Germany (who claimed to lack living space)—more than treble that of France and nearly 20 times that of the United States—the amount of acreage under the plough has been increased from 12' to 18 millions. Great Britain is now the most highly mechanised farming country in Europe. According to the ‘‘Farmer and Stock Breeder,” the number of tractors in the country has increased from 52,000 to 120,000, while milk production increased by .nearly 5,000.000 gallons for the months of June and July, 1942, compared with the figures for the same months in 1941. “Much credit for these achievements is due to the Women’s Land Anpy. Women have proved themselves particularly adaptable to certain classes of farm work, notably tractor driving, while in some counties threshing is to' a large extent carried out entirely by female labour. Many facilities have been afforded to farmers, such' as grants on the growing of certain crops or the hire of expensive equipment at special rates. On the other hand, the man who does not farm his holding satisfactorily will very soon find himself in trouble. An idea of the work involved may be gained when "it is stated that before the war there' were nearly 370.000' holdings in the country, of which 62 per cent, were under 50 acres.”