TWENTY-THREE POUNDS FOR A COW

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 854, 28 June 1910, Page 8

TWENTY-THREE POUNDS FOR A COW

\: '■ ■• HEAVIER STOCKING ADVOCATED. •'■-•"■■•' 'This being a time "when the number 5,:: : ':i.jf small farms is being steadily increas- ■■ '-.''"':■ cd, it may be interesting to farmers to \ .read of what has been accomplished in ''■ ...-: '.the way of keepine a fairly ilarge herd ■:■■ -'- - or flock on a small area. .The ins.tanci> : >■- >comes- from England, where fifty big '■: '". ■'■' shorthorn cows-were kept on eighty acres. :■'.. A'lt has long been our contention," *'-" -«ays a writer in. the "Live Stock Jonr- !'■:■■ ■ . enai." "that the average farm is under-. , ;■; ■■•":.■• igtocked, and that,, in consequence, it is iv. mot .provided- with a sufficient quantity I■'■ioi. manure. If. the same capital were ;■■■'■. leinployed' in' such cases upon a farm of 'i ';■• ' ihalf the area with the same.quantity of !" stocb, not. only would'• there"be' an' iri- !.:;'■ crease in the yield of milk- produced, . r" ; -/rwhero a dairy herd is kept,: but of thb ;■ produce which J ,is grown upon the.Jand. y. Vat is the faulrtf our general system of f-.,'iarming'that the soil is under-fed; the. ■a:/deficiency of manure is not made up for i- -&>y the purchase of an adequate quan- ' *;■■'■ Sifcy of'artifiials. Indeed, in many in- ■ ■':.'. ptancee, it is impossible, however skjlv- ,Y fully artificial manures may be employed, ': .-■ to make up for the .deficiency of dung.. ■: JThis is the case on the clays and lighter. '('■ poils, both of which are deficient in or- .■-■.".■•-' ganic matter, which can only be obtained '.':■■-',"■ py constantly supplying dung or by the b •' (ploughing up of green crops." :'■ • i-■'■■'■'.■■■ Of the manuring of the farm, the ■■ • . [writer, says: "The , , quantity, of manure. ■ : -..'•::; (produced, including: litter,;-would, in this ;,:' : icase, probably average ten tons per.head' ' ; : [per annum without the liquid, which pbsi' :" isesses! a high manurial value. There > r;--, would thus be 500. tons,". thereabouts, of. i: : .;. (dune for distribution upon eighty acres, ? ;'jof. land, or. more than six, tons per ?;,■-..-(acre- per annum, which is'quite'twice the. ;;. ' usually employed on the ayer- ■;:■:■ age -farm under the four-course system. ■H: '"■ .There is, however, this important differ''i\ .fence, that, owing -to the. necessity ' for. :'" [purchasing a large quantity: of artificial i-v: .'.jfood, .such as cake and meal, the quality !-■.'■', jof the manure was richer than is usually I , jtho'case. The manure produced by the ••. • ?nilking cow is much inferior to that p'ro- ;.■•'.-' iduced by the fatting stock,, especially j. jwhen kept in boxes,, so. that nothing, is ;: flost, but where the. feeding/is, as. in. this ;..'■ 'lease, really high, and where the manure '..'-■','■ \ (Produced is managed carefully and car- ■ j'; '. ftied constantly to the land to'.preventj;/.: Boss by evaporation or. by drainage, the [~ i.jEoil is enriched in a much larger pro!.'■■'.(portion than is generally the : case upon :';•-'. (a larger, farm." ' .' '-.:•■'. I : . ';• : More interesffnSj|till to New Zealander?; „ |: ■'. "asthe followifiajftegarding the ' prbducfe;] i>: . jtivity of the'.cow:-^"lf-'we^sup'pdso-'flia"c: T ',-';. 'jthe shorthorns which are kept average ['. ':.-.! |650' gallons per'head per. annum,.ahdiihat I-:;.;;'■; the milk is. worth 81d.per-,gallon on-the . [::'•; i[farm— although we : are ■ convinced".that i/.\v at. .obtains a higher, price, - oiving to. the. •i".-'..'i! fact that it: is- delivered' by the .farmer— . :'. .' «ach cow. returns £23,. which permits not ; .only of the purchase of .an abundant I' .supply of food, and especially of ■ cake . ;' '•'.. and corn, but ■'of an excellent'profit to I ... .the farmer. Eighty .acre's of land which " £.: is chiefly grass will produce a much t'i\. larger quantity of food for stock in such; ' case as this; thai it would upon the i farm wliich is ; under-stocked, and which :•'>. :is. : not, in>.'consequence,- so.'."heavily r. /.manurei"' -'...:..' :....■: '.' ■" ■■