THE FARM INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 9, 5 October 1907, Page 2

THE FARM INDUSTRY.

« A PAGE FOR THE MAN ON THE LAND.

EXTINCTION OF CALVES. FUTURE SHORTAGE IMMINENT. WILL BEEF RISE? We are threatened with a famine of calves. During the last few days wo have received from unquestionable authorities tho most poignant confirmation of the note of alarm sounded in our issue of Saturday last as to the wholesale sacrifice of calves in northward districts. Wo then pointed out that in tlie space of twelve months up to May last one Stratford firm of salesmen passed '36,000 calk skins on to tho tanner, while in ono recent sale Messrs. Newton and King sold at Stratford no less than 12,000 more of such skins. Sinco then an agent, who is well in touch with matters in Taranaki, tells us that " the majority of calves of both sexes are being killed this year." The Monthly Sacrifice. The following are the numbers of calf skins sold by the firms named at their last monthly sales:—Messrs. Newton and, King, Stratford, 8000 calf skins; Messrs. Young, Hobbs, and Co., Stratford, '2000 calf skins; Messrs. Wilson and Nolan, Now Plymouth, '3000 calf skins—month's total, 13,000. Since thoso sales were held a largo proportion of dairy cows have been calving, and no doubt tho slaughter will continuo throughout Manawatu and Taranaki for somo timo to como. Seeing that there is no market ror tho carcases, and that the only saleable part of the calves is their skins, tho tremendous clearances are at least remarkable. A Big Query. ■'■■':.'■. Why are these calves not worth turning into money? In these rich dairying districts there is skim milk and whey in abundanco,, and wo presume it'is fed to something. Pigs, "it has been said, pay better, on. the same milk than calves, and pigs, therefore,, must take tho places- of calves'. But it is certainly nows to us, and will be to others, that tho pig business in New. Zealand is nourishing, or.that the pig factories aro working overtime or in, any special sense brisk, fThere' have been no rumours of the export of New Zealand bacon ranking high in the list of our products, although rosy opinions have been expressed as to the .outlook. lb does seem that tho pig oxcuso docs not , entirely cover thoground. ,"'■ ; • • ' '. Shortage of Feed. Lack of pasture, ■■' absence of preserved fodder, and.con'sequoiit.inability to kcop up tho milk supply and rear .young stock at the same timo seem mqro fully to answer the question. If dairy farmers aro stocking their grass to its full capacity with their milking cows, growing no auxiliary crop's, and leaving no' room for tho calves, tho practice may bo apparently profitable now, but a dcarthi of good stock in the futuro must inevitably result. There can be no doubt that with tho fast oxpansion of tho dairy industry and tho lessons learned of the big profits to bo derived from good milkers, there' will shortly arise a keeri demand for the fow heifer calves that-have escaped tho general' slaughter. Two Years Hence. Those who baso their judgment on present conditions with no thought for tho situation that is developing for tho future may regret their, decision two years houco. The meat outlook is unsatisfactory. The beef factories have always received far less fat stock than they wens capable of handling, and unless ii halt is now called by those who have the genesis of futuro supplies in their hands, there must come soon a time when tho shortage will, bo seriously felt, and prices must rise. Tho shortage will ho bad for. the export trade, and local consumers also must feel tho • pinch. Wo foresee. an unpopular rise m the price- of beef. *A Chance for a Shrewd Man. A shrewd man can make a fortune out of thet situation if he acts promptly. Wo referrod'only on Thursday to tho suitability of tho land beyond Tnihnpo for carrying store stock. A moneyed man who will go through tho calf-stricken districts and buy up at practically skin prices all the surplus calves,-.and run them for a year or two on inexpensive land, will bo able to clear at big prices. Wo should be sorry if anything we might say should boom up.the prices of Taihapo land.' There aro thousands of acres of similar land all along tho unopened part of.the main trunk route, and.it will take a tremendous influx to suddenly appreciate the values to' any great extent. - Work for the Government. , The Government could well take a hand in-this matter of calf buying. Tho Government is able to make use of large areas of land suitable.. for rough grazing, and by purchasing and grazing tho calves the State would- do a service to tho dairymen, lessen tho dangor of a beof shortage, protect consumers from a contingency that would bonofit aobody, and especially fill itsown coffers. The profits might build and maintain tho Minister's proposed dairy college., j ■ A Time for Good Resolutions. , To-tlay is tho .time for thinking of auxiliary crops, mangolds, silos, liaystacks, and other stand-bys for next winter. _ Good, resolutions may now bo carried into effect boforo they aro forgotton. Silage is admitted to bo one of the best and cheapest, soiling foods for dairy herds, and it does not risk spoiling in the making. If each dairy farmor were to provide on the lines of Mr. Hoard, the celebrated American agriculturist, ho would be a happy man next winter. Mr. Hoard's ration, with the approximate cost; is as follows:— A Typical Ration. Dollars. Pasturage ~ ... 5.00 Gib. grain, per day, 210 days, at 20dol. a ton ... ..; ... 12,60 101b. alfalfa hay, per day, atlOdol. a ton ... .... ... 10.50 3001b. ensilage, at Idol, a ton ... 3.15 Hay,.aiid oiisilago used in summer 3.00 Total 31.25 His herd averaged nearly '400Ibs. of butter a head, including heifers; and wo havo no'doubt ho was able to rear some calves.

CENSORED. Tho Department of Education is • understood to have expressed dissatisfaction, writes our AYairarapa corrcpondent, over the newspaper publicity attached to tho agricultural farm busi- ! ness as practised m the 1 Stnto sclioo/s. ! It appears that some'of tho teachers ) are not in accord with tho objects of . tho movement, while, others are full I of enthusiasm. Reports affecting schools which have appeared in the 1 public Press havo aroused a certain • amount of jealousy amongst somo of. tho teachers, and it was felt in the j. interests of the work that it was not i wisd to disseminate information to tho | newspapers. The same plan is being adopted with reference to the ordinary i examination results of the State - schools, and those most interested— 3 pupils, parents, and public—are kept j in a condition of profound ignorance [ BEARINC FRUIT. 3 THE CARE OF DAIRY CATTLE. It is satisfactory to note, writes our Wairarapa correspondent, that tho lecp tures and writings of Messrs. Gilruth i and Reakes, Chiefs of the Government ' Veterinary' Department, aro bearing j fruit so far as the dairy farmers are L concerned. Referring to the increased supply of milk at tho dairy factories ' this season, a Lower Valley cheesemaker said that this was duo not so 1 much to tho fact that tho cows had , wintered well, as that more caro had been taken of their genoral health. This was especially so with reforenco [ - to outbreaks of abortion. In years> past many farmers gavo no" study to '. this form of disease, with tho result that in some instances' they had to dispose of whole herds. Usually they ! sold them in the salcyards. Things were changed now. go soon as there is a suspicion of disease, the .' farmer isolates .tho iirralid, and treats ■ hsv in. the manner advised by tho authorities. Not content .with this, ho drenches his whole herd, including tho | bull, and then rests satisfied. The . farmer is; taking a full grip of the j. whole-business. To him it means increased butter-fat, and fat dividends. .• Tho foregoing _ statements arecorrob- ' borated by Mr'. Addmson, manager of the Greytown Dairy JFactory, who states in support of his case that the daily supply now at the factory (from the same number ot cows as last year) is 1723 gallons, an increase of 456 : gallons on the supply for the corresponding period in the 1006 season. \ CAN YOU BEAT THIS? >■ : Mr. A. G. W., assistant light keeper at Somes Island, sends us the following striking account of the achievements of his minorcas and leghorns :— "Sir, —If you have tho spaco in ■ your paper I should liko you to publish tho following remarkable record of i egg-laying. I havo eleven hens (three ' -black minorcas and eight white leg-. : horns),of which ten aro laying. The ; remaining ono, being broody, I keep I separate. On sMon'day, at five in the i ovening, I collected nino eggs from tho' > nests, and on Tuesday fourteen eggs, » which shows that on that day four i hens must havo laid two eggs each. : Surely this is a most remarkable i-e- ---[ cord. • This is absolutely tho truth, i and when I collected tho eggs I was >' astounded at the number. I drew my •. wife's-andmiother-in-law's attention to [ it,; also the stockman omployed on the island. I 'think"'for record egg-laying this will bo hard to beat. I food my fowls.with scraps from tho table, with a little scalded pollard added to it in ; the morning, and tor the evening meal . a mixture of. crushed oats and wheat. Thanking you in anticipation, I re- ! main, etc., ' • I '..'■.: "A. G.'W., '. "Assistant Light-keeper." DISTRICT; REPORTS. ■ : , (From Our Correspondents.) \ Passing through Manakau the.other 'day, I. saw some Maoris planting , potatoes—two women and a man.' One. o'f tho women was carrying tho potatoes into the paddock, tho other with a spade was making the holes)' and as it was uowly ploughed.land, old pasture, it,was no easy-matter to jab in the spado several times while his lordship carried potatoes in a . small kit, and threw them' in behind the 3pado. It was quite a picnic as far as ho was concerned, as ho was \ enjoying a cigarette all tho time. Very few potatoes have been planted down the lino so far. Tho land has been quite unfit for this, or, indeed, for any other kind of agricultural work. .Wherever the soil is at all on the heavy side, it "is perfectly sodden, and holds the water like a sponge. In one paddock 'near Tokomaru I saw cattle fcediiig almost up to their knees, sinking in the soil at.every stop. In spite of the cold, rain, and wind, very few dead lambs were to bo seen. This is in contrast to what ono reads as v prevailing in some other '' localities. , Passing the training farm at Yvereroa, L.noticed what nowadays is a very unusual sight, and that was, ploughing with a. team .of bullocks. Considerable belts or shelter trees have boon planted, at the farm, but a grave error had been made on one belt. Cattle had been put in,.l supposo, to ;. clean up tho rough grass, but unfortunately they had also turned their attention to many of the poplars, which wore sadly broken and injured. A good many ot the farmers in the Levin district" arc finding that tho training farm on the boy's account, On account of tho scarcity of farm . hands, farmers m this, as in other, ' districts havo great difficulty in get--1 tig the much-needed help, and this if, where tho training farm is making it- : self felt. ' Farmer.* can now make np--1 plication to it lor the services of a strong .youth, and as I believe these youths have somo training before they are sent out, in most cases they soon prove of great assistance to those who employ them. Ono farmer, who has thus got a boy, told mo ho was satisfied with tho'lad in every way,, and, though ho had only had him a short time, he had raised his wages.' Tin's farmer told me that he had paid 12s. per week for a start. Of this ho gavo the boy Ss., tho other 4s. going to the training farm on, the boys' account, whero it accumulated till 'he was twenty-one, so that by that time ho would have a nice little sum to draw. I think I am correct in stating that nil the boys who arc sent out have to report themselves at the farm once a month. The Seiffert Fibre Company's mill atMakerua is an enormous affair, and when in full swing seven strippers will be at work. There is a fine block of buildings for tho omplpyees, including a billiard room, reading room, etc. 1 was told that 100 men will be engaged in tho various duties in connection with the Company's business. The flax is brought from the swamp by the Company's own railway. Tho day I passed the engine was waiting till the flood water was pumped out of the subway, which goes underneath tho Manawatu Railway. Tho best grassed district I have seen this season is around Tokomaru, where there is good cattlo feed, and in consequence the cows are in tiptop condition-

It is a pity, says the " Daily News " (Carterton), that those who occasionally talk about child slavery on dairy farms could not have, been represented at the dinner in Featherston one night last-week. It would probably havo been an oyo-oponcr, for thorq, seated around tho table, ivero inombcrs of farmers' families, who had been brought up on tho'farms and taken part in tho so-called slavery. I vonture to say that thoy presented a hoalthier and finer appearance than any eoual numher of city children.

The Greytovn Dairy Company's first shipment of cheese for oversea consumption (seventy-five cases) was railed from Greytovn yesterday (Fri- . day). The first shipment last year was sixty-ono cases. Shipments in excess of those of last year are also being made by other .Wairarapa factories. With high prices, the Wairarapa dairy farmers should have a record season. Baths supplying hot and cold water have been installed at the Greytown and Featherston cheese factories for the use of the factory staff. The icost of the installation in each instance was about £6. The directors of tho companies interested willingly agreed to the installation, which allows hardworking men greater chances of physical comfort. Farmers, writes our Wairarapa correspondent, take a. much broader view of many social questions than dp their city brethren, .whoso, •allusions to misplaced luxury regarding the proposed baths for tho .Wellington wharf labourers were read with considerable astonishment. After being deluged with columns of. news with -' reference to alleged farm and child slavery, with the ma.i on tho land as a horrid example, country residents expected something different- from the Wellington powers that be. GENERAL FARM NEWS. Butter seems to bo holding its own against the cheese' boom in Taranaki. Tho amount already received at the Moturoa freezing works is 1000 boxes ahead of the quantity■ "received up to the same time last'year. Tho. production of apples in Tasmania in the 1906-7 season was 947,028. bushels, against 669,009 bushels in 1905-6. Tho production of pears also showed a. largo increase,: and amounted ■to • f)6,157 bushels, against 42,999 bushels. The area under apples and pears' was 20,260 acres, against 18,297 acres. . Siberia sent 210,000 cwts. of .butter to Denmark last year, some of which was re-consigned to'.Britain. Mr. Singleton, who is to direct tho. now dairy school to be established'at 1 Levin, arrived back from his visit to • the Northern Hemisphere yesterday by the Maheno. Three inspectors of shearers' accom-'-modation have been appointed by the Minister for Labour (Hon. J. A. Millar). They arc Messrs. Carmody, assistant inspector at Dimedin; J. I'. Lynch, secretary Agricultural Labourers' Union, Milton; and Georgeson, in charge of the Gisborno Labour Office. Hitherto' the inspection of shearers' quarters has been carried out by officers of the Labour Department,' hut in order to malco tho work'morc efficient, special inspectors have been 1 appointed, and one of them is already in the Auckland district.- ' Gisborno follows, then Napier, and so southward as the season proceeds. '■•■■ •' llecent floods have renewed the fears that, some of the Wairarapa'rivers will change their course. > QUESTIONS ANSWERED. C. W. D., Feilding.—A convenient way of weighting down a silo is to build a haystack on it, but tho weight must be between 100 and 200 lbs. per square foot, according to the kind of silage wanted. Sour silage results low temperature), and sweet silage • under heavy pressure (with consequent under lighter pressure, and high temperature. The rule in regard to temperature is as follows: —Under 120.degrees " sour " silago; 120 degrees to 130 degrees, slightly acid; 130 degrees to 140 degrees, sweet green silago; 140 degrees to 160 degrees, sweet brown silago; over 160 degrees, burnt. What is considered the best silage and keeps best when opened is that niado .at 130 degrees. . ,_ BLENHEIM EGG-LAYING COMPETITION. At the Blenheim egg-laying competition the total' eggs laid'for tho week were 2803. The grand total to date is 34,575. The highest for the week are: • Scott's white leghorns, 38; Mick Shaw's, 36; R. Smaie's white leghorns,36; "Marlborough Herald's" white leghorns, 35; Miss Kilgour's; white leghorns, ,35; Nixon's white leghorns, 35.. The highest to'date aro:—The "Marlborough Herald's" white leghorns,. 521, followed by Law's white leghorns 503; Alice Dodson's' black Orpingtons, 500; Brown's white leghorns, 493; Hawke's white leghorns, 491. The monthly test for September resulted as follows: —" Marlborough' Herald's"white leghorns, 153; W. Gordon's white leghorns, 146; Master. Itowi Smaie's white leghorns, 145; C. Triochart's whito leghorns, 144; F. Edelston's white leghorns, 143; W. A. Nixon's white leghorns, 1 142; Miss Mick Shaw's white leghorns, 141;'' rock's white leghorns, 140; A. B. Brown's -white leghorns, 140. Total for the month of September, 11,996. In the winter test tho first eight leading pens for the first four months, arc .-—""Marlborough Herald's" white leghorns, 501; Miss A. Dodson's blaju Orpingtons, 486; Law's white leg-, horns, 433; A; E. Brown's white leghorns, 475; H. Hawke's white leghorns, 471; Silcock's whito leghorns, 470; C. . Tricchart's whito leghorns, 470; King's whito leghorns, 457. .The total number'of eggs for the first four months was 32,988. . ,