TALKS WITH FARMERS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 32, 1 November 1907, Page 4

TALKS WITH FARMERS

~-. .OYEi.'sußJEeTsV'brscjiJSsEb^ ,:, .-,, v DRY DAIRY: GOWI3. ,;,'■ A well-known Tariinaki ' breeder expressed' the opinion that, 'Agricultural,, iind "Pastoral ■.Associations made .'a /mistake in. .providing for entries with dry. cows in':t,lie,,daij-y classes.; ■liv Ayrshire?'there were thjjife entries in.this class, .in Jerseys „'foilr enti'ies, while' , , in H'olstciiis tbore were' none. The breeder; stated, that".lie coiild have entered' dry. cows which he was.sure would have'been, p'r.ize-take'rs, but he. did not believe in tho idea.; Tjiero should; ho-rip"dry, cows in n dairx'jirogrammc, and ho hoped.' thp day was. not .far 'clis.taiit when: this l fact' ivpiild ' bo. 'xVssociations whieli .wished .to keep, jaco -iwith ,th'o.,times..,

■;■■;■.' .:" ABOUT ;b'Al_y E^. ; /:'V f ".V '.''!'. '

why 'teey'-'Are ' "wasted: , " Remarking upon a recent .articl^. in, The Dominion on the wholesale sac'rififc 1 fl i of cnlvfis,'' a wellrknown:Mnnawatu.,breeder ;said.yesterday that in rearing , them., ft; great .deal do-, poiidbdpn ca'rqful feeding, w for, j.iristanco, sonic. A calvos ...\yoro ■ naturally. ,;> weaker .than others, ..and., if- ; the skiin.|.milk.-,was.isimply poured ■ into a ..trough and, the ianimals",lcft to ' light : for themselves,, the;.stroug:ones would fill themselves to- bursting opojiit,;. and,,the wenkor would go hungry, Noticing..the result' anil not the ; ciiuso, .thp? unobservant farmer l;illod off tho poorer;, colves;! /ThiSj.^hqwever,' "ttiil iiiot j-account entirely for the .'-' slaughter of jthoinn'qconts." ferbapsthe.gr'eatqst. factor, wasvtiiO/ high v .prico.,iof land.-.i- A : man''who started dairying. on/;a ; ,small 'area'.-could not afford to roar-many/calvesi; as it'..was:at>.least, three ,years..beforouthey l come ■ into -profit: Evqji, on. .the third yiar i ifc'.;vcry>,Taroly r happeh'ecl; ithat.. a.,.j)bifcr , gaye ~gVod, Fanners foiind it'better to. rear;puly.,tlio : very, ,best: of./their, calves, arid/b.uy jwheii: tlicir herds..required..flugmqntation... It;nlso. paid .•ithcm better,,to/rear pigs pn,;tho,skim milk.. Pigs camp. , intQ\prpfit_inpre.quickly, -,and tho prices iWere,too tempting ,■ ■;•■

SHOWGRpUND IMPROVEMENTS.;'.. '

~; ".J,;;;, , ' ; rt"'.^' : .:'' '.',' "Tho'Jlinawatiu A: ancl P. Association is no doubt eijibrprising'.iii; many ways.'Y'said"a j representative of one of the, big .Hawk'o's Bay, '.shorthbrii'breeders■!' this' morning', ''but',.it 'migh'tf'dey'ottf-'a little more attention to cattle .'exhibitors'/;'so-far as facilities; for, 'clearing and ;wash'mg''tEq' animals 'are concerned.", .The ■speaker 1 Svas '• industriously' washing , down ; ,a . rinampion '' ■ shorthorn,; with '.flip, aid of., a 'bucket'of/'water'aiid.a scrubbing bt-usli,' the 'while'he ahdtho beast stood. in,'.si'qua'gniirei' In; tho'xourso ofia 'further.coiivißrsatioii, tlie. ooinp'lainant stated;', that .tjioro; bo , a botter , ; system, of washing'' , the^'boasts.; , If or' .instiliico, at the Wair'arapa A., and.P. -Assp-' •ciatioh's"'grmmcl!! , ' at', Cartcrtb'n ' tliw is" a. concrete stand; for tlio^nimals,' , . while jalpng , ;,, i sido is a pipe' and hose from : a h'igli-prpssui-o" 'lfatef-supply.' 'The',beast ajhiply , stands''on '6ho' stand, and tho' attendant'washes him ;dpwiv quickly, and at no great inconvoiiieiice •to himself. When there,are a.largo.number 'of animals to'be attended to, fast, washing' "and cloansiuc; facilities arc ■greatly ' appreciated. .It is very -likely, that'.'thq:lVlanawatir A; amj 'P. Association will do scimctliing in this'liiio next year, owirig-.'tb,tho;fact'that.' ithe institution', claiming as it does the title' of tho'p/dmipr amongst , all;the New 2qaland associations, "cannot , ' afford '.'to be. beaten: in 'anything/ It'is stated by breeders Who have \been : 'thore ] that the Wairanina P.'l'uid A.' Society is second to' none in tho 'Dominion iin the'matter 1 in which; if caters "for tho care show stock. North Island,breeders also state that the Canterbury , A.,iVfid P.', Association's general , s.ptom in , 'this, respect, leaves' •much"to bo desired,' and , altogether ! is much 'behind the methods 'adopted : by; , tlie' leading institutions in the,-north'.-"' ,: ' '"' '!, ■'".

::. A N'EJtf TYPE : 0F SH ; EEP. ,

■ ' ROSCOMMONS' CRITICISED.': '". ' A; now. typo of, shoep—tho. famous ißos.common—was introduced'.into the Dominion in'' 1.904 by, Mr. John Davies, of Koputaroa (Levin). Mr. Da vies -.imported' ten:owes ■ and four rams,, ami/: mated thorn witli-.tho■ Rbin-" noy ; Marsh, which .breed,they most-resemblo: Now, Mr.- Davics'.S'flock-comprises 400. 'At tho PalmorstonShow ho is exhibiting, a 'purebred Roscommon ram, .St. Patrick,!. go calledbecause it was- born, in ; the Dominion on St." Patrick's .eye. .It is tho largest 'sheep shown hero, and, is-proof that tho'breed can-'pro-duce-as good results in tho Dominion as'on , .its native pastures; ■ Mr. Davies-considers ■St. Patrick a better typo than any of the imported shcop. Two half-bred Roscommon.Komney hoggets are entered ! in. the' loiig.woolled cla.'isos.- ''The'special-characteristics of tho cro3Siarc the compactness'of the'Romney wool, and tho best features of the Roscommon. Mr. Davies's experience-<.is that tho cross is a far better animal for'freezing' .purposes and wool production than the pure lioseommon,. and a bigger.;typo, than tho Itoiiiney. Asked if a small-, caren.se. was not: ;most sought after for the home market, Mr. Davies roplicd that .butchers would always take. I the 'larger sheep ■ when offering. Ho has great faith in tho future;of ibis Heck.

; THE'.OTIIKK SIDK., ; . ,' ,',

/■Quito another story is told : of: tho Roscommons by a Feildihg breeder-devoted .to •tho iruttoii' fancy. " Great thing's wero raised from them," he said, with a niujf'of ■iibmo disgust in bis voice, "when they iirst c'ame 'out? Their great sizo was siippos'ccl to be "oin , !'to revolutionise our,breeds. . But what' have they clone? ; ; Tboy; have proved that in renlity they have nothing to.feivo.us,, ."{ hot , breed, to be adniittod to the industry; (Wilt to have at-'least on good.'quality to impart."to' the existing (UrcU ,But Roscominonhiis given' all, evil, and no good. I he 'slight'extra' size is not; worth considering.

But the floc.co-.js,,bare, light, coarso, and bi'oss-nbred.'and'th'e.sheep is leggy. -'.Crossed with the Romney, it is inferior to tho puro Romney. I can't see that wo arq getting anything from it. A Ronmey-Lincoln is superior." ! •-. '■. >•'. ■ :-.• "■■■■:!■ •;■

A LOVER OF SOUTHDOWNS.

FEILUING BREEDER'S' ENCOMIUM, ••' Mr, James Knight, of Foilding, is a leading breeder j of .tho valuable little Southdown, and,,-9110 of its fondest admirers. "It is,'; he snid,;..','a .breed, that we. must .have , . With tho.coarso breeds of sheep that we havo in Now Zealand tho Southdown is .indispensable for,imparting quality. AW, have.size in the. Lincoln: and. Roinnoy ■ for- the fa't.'Jnmb ,businoss, but the quality comes from tho Southdown.," . ...'. . .." ~.;.' ,■, , ,',. :, 1 ; ".The. linst "mutton, cross -J,. .We 11,., I thinly it! is ..the, Southdown-Rbmnoy.,' They.. give thrbiggest, nere'ontago of lambs, and lambs that coma awiiy from ,the, mother (at from grass H four months /old, worth Ms'..'each'. .'-', 1 '...'',. ,' ~. ' :/' . ,j ~ "

•■ ■ LINCOLN ■• OR' ROMNEY?-

.■ ■ ••■■ AN OUTSIDE. VIEW ■; ; 'i'horo was .recently: v.''' o; a flutter among ,tho, dovecotes of sheen mrmnrs on the ques-. fcion of .whether'.the Uomnr;y : or-" tho ; Lincoln sheep was-'.tho; host. Mo3t■:t>l-.tLo; opmbatr, ants, wore owners of one breed,.pr-the other>■\Vo ( gathered at thoShow'yesterday,tho views •of one who is breeding quite another.class of: sheep—tbe.iSoutlidown-rMr. James .Knight;, of Foilding;.., Speaking ns an.; outsidqr,' he threw in his voice for the.Romncy on the ground that though 'Smaller, ,it .required less land, and 100 acres (if grass would produce .quite asmuclillomney.wool'as ; Lincoln wool/. 'This made tho two'breods" .equal.". , -' Tho , advantages on-pther points plac<'d."therßomney ahead—namely, greater' prolificacy, greater hardncisS, ."greater : ability to withstand adverse conditions, and greater earliness>'of the. .iambs to fatten. Tho stronger. Lincoln wool depended for its popularity on tho whims : of. fashion' in dress-■materials/''" When 'rough wool , material' Wa s: fashion'ablo,i'the' price-'pf: strong-Lincoln <wool was 'always.'good. ls, ■■>'<'

';;; ~.,,.., iv .

; ■ • IN THE INTERESTS OF SCIENCE. i"Ycs, it isYa'factinowa'days, l "-- vet.erinarian at tho Show, ."that the farmer is much inoro his owu stock doctor..,than he was )formerly. Tho 'farmer 'seems-'to'desire to grapple .with, he.;is,-doi.n.g< ,it jvorv well.• - : There 'are, howover,.,twp phases ofj him which, might, he, improved;,-and; this .in' connection with' tho.iuse, of; instruments., ,'j.hcro..is-.the one..section.of,■him;;which.',will not ,usc an instrument, if ;hp ,qan [help .it, '.pa ■aiiy account, and-. ,the jothcr,, phase, .of him which believes in. using .instruments .on every occasion, but takes, .care that in each instance .they are ( hofc:itried oh,..his. own.'.but. on,.hi?. neighbours','. cattle!■ n It is. hp| altogether cert •tain jyliich phase.is the :wor.sf,',but ; ,r dp r :nqt, think 'that'.argreat deal cam ,bq:said ,fof,,tho' individual .who; niakes' rescarphes 'fqritho'ieite, 'fit of sciqnc'qi'aii'd,,himself .at.,tho i ; expense..of his ( ' neighbour." '„, ,',- ~',,,.; ■ .'.-. '■!■-,- .-,:>