AGRICULTURAL TOPICS

Chronicle (Levin), 4 September 1946, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL TOPICS

PpULTRTMEN'S DIFFICTJLTIES (Contributed by Massey Agricultural College, New Zealand.) Shortages of eleetric power and poultry feedatuffs are adding" to poultry farmers' diflieulties, aeeording to a report by the Massey Agricultural College 's poultry -f arm manager to the Board of Governors. He stated thal incubation, with about 2000 -eggs being set each week, commenced on June 0. Eleetric power cuts eomplieated hatchery work and often the fans had had to be worked by hand to pro vide ventilation. The power supply authorities had tielped to tlre best of tlieir ability by iimiting cuts to inaximum periods oi half an hour, and, fortunately, hatching results to date had been excellent. Probably owing to tbe feed shortage, there was a drop in the demaiid toi day-old chicks. Export orders for uatcliing eggs to the value of £80 were despatchod to Australia by air freight It is reported that in some districts proJonged power cuts- have prevented the operation of eleetric incubatora and iirooders, and that one fariner in Tara naki has installed a standby plant at a cost of £1000. New Virus Attacks Mangolds ALottling of the foliage of a sugai beet crop and a mangold crop in the Alanawalu district (Kew Zealand) luu oeen traced to a virus disease known as sugar beet mosaio. Its discovery in PJ4U in a sugar beet crop grown foi seed at Bunnythorpe, and on mangohi plants grown for seed in a private garden at Palmerston Nortli, was the Iirst recorded presence of the virus in Nev Zealand. Aphids are probably the most active ugents in spreading the disease undei field conditions. Evidence in suppon ox this was obtuined from lield plots iaid out to ascertain the ell'ects of thi mosaie on yields. Allhougli there wa^ only a slight infestation willi aphids. spread of the disease to hpaltliy plants was so rapid that an estimation of resulting yield-reduction eould not be made. The disease mav be carried ovei I'i'oni one season to the next in bien niul beet crops such as silvor beet anu perpetual spinach, and iu beet crops neld for seeding purposes. No varieties-. of beet have been proved immune from attack; infection is apparently not carried through the seeds of the plants. Hyniploms of this disease arG described by Alr. K. E. F. Alatthews, .issistant mycologist, plant disease; division, Department -of Hcientifie ano ludustrial Keseareh, in the New Zea land Journal of Ecience and Toch nulogy. Publication of "Mr. Alatthews uivesiigatious made in 19.40 and 194 1 was held uxi until recently through wai service. ILe states that all leaves oj infectcd- sugar beet plants develop t mosaie pattern produced by smab yellow or pale-greeii spots yii 'Pthhrwisi nornml green leaves. The 'spots mav- ln irregular in sha]>e bilt. often assudie n ring-like forni. In young leiives thev are relatively few in numbt'r and are scatlered o-ver Ihe -leaf .surface., Ast-.OlU. 'leaf ages, the spots become more hum' erous and produce a lino, even nio'saic pattern, in which yell'Owed' areas niay lie raised or sunkexi; Plants inl'ected wheu young mav develop a coarse blotchy yellowing and distortiou o. leaves. , , Hill Country Lambing Inteusive care of Jambiiig ewes ii. iNew Zealand is possible only on lov country where conditions are suitabh for the provision of pens and shelters aud where every ewe can be observeo and helped if ueei?ssary. Thougli the care and altention given to lambing ewes 011 low country is not possible oi. hiJls, more can be done than is often tlie case, as tlie principles are tlie same. 'flie altention given to ewes on man\ extensive hill properties is very cusual. aud the extent of the shepherd's ell'orts on most stations is to ride round tin lambing blocks, piclc up any ewes which he sees cast, and lauib any ewe he mav see in troulde. On niany properties the shepherd has to look after from 150b to 2200 ewes, which means riding ovei from 800 to 1200 acres of hilly country. This occupies most of the day, ano ubviously makes real shepherding im possible. Tlie Aferino ewe of the Bouth Island higli country is shy and is liable to run oJl and leave her new-born lanib if she is disturbed; therel'ore, until lambing is conqjleted it is wise to keep away l'roni tJie ewe blocks. A1 tliough Alerino ewes become mueh quieter when taken to lov country and kept coufined in sniall areas, they never take kindly to u i'oster lanib; and the chanee of getting a Alerino ewe to take a strange luuib is so sniall as to be scarcely worth' the etfurt, for by the time the ewe ha--accepted the I'oster she will have gono oli her milk. On the lower tussock liills of the Eouth Island and on Ihe iuland plateau of the Nortli Island, Jialf-bred or Corriedale slieep are run. and tliough not as shy as the pure Alerino, tliey are liest lefl aloue al lambing. Woolbrokers Co-operate Another examplo of the. interest ot employers in the training of uien for skilled occupations is pro\ ided by the New Zealand Woolbrokers' Associat ion. wnicli has l'orwarded to .Massey Agricultural College a list. of uien who. having successfully taken tho College wool-classing eourse last year, liave since proved tlieir ability as classers in tlie woul stores, aird are, tlierefore, recomniendeil as eligible for tlie College dijiloma. Tlie woolbrokers have co ojierated in the arrangemenls for the '•ourse, and this is the first year in which the previous year's trainees have

been graded, 011 their own applicatiop. iiy the brokers. The College Board of Governors have uccordingly awarded the f'oilowing dixilonuis in wool and wool-classing: — r'irst-class pass: Al. G. Bideford (Gisiiornei, 15. D. Tayior (Petone), Al. ('. Neilsen (Dannevirke). Pass: P. Walker (Ht. Clair, Dunedin), R. K. Alanson (Dannevirke), Al. .J. Hourigan (Petone), Q. K. Tlorne (Wanganui), 11., I. Jones (Wellington), H. AV. Ilam (Alirauiar), H. 11. AiacDonald (Palmer--ston Nortli), aud K. Littlejohn (New Plymoutli). Trimniing of Hedges In establishing seaside hedges it is not alvvays necessary to adopt the stereotyped jilan of jilacing tlie plants at J'Kpm 18 inclies to two feet apart, as this .'wi'll ent ail coustant : trimming. There may be instituted a loose ])huiting wliereby the plants are placed fouf feet'. apart', producing a liank efl'ecf and obviating hedge trimniing (states tlie r-tiorticultural d(q)'artiuent of 'Massey Agricultural College.) . ; All that Will be necessary in such a case is a sinai! aniount of cutting liack after flowering to encourage t'urther tlowering in tho next season,- and lo keep the plants williin bounds.' This saving of work may be an iniportaiit •I'actor where the seaside liouse is docupied for only short periods of the year. Also, lhere caiv be quite a local appeaJ in-a wild ' 'naturaJ" efl'ect, as opjiosed to the orderly lines of a conslantlytrimnied liedge.