TEACHING DAIRYING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1722, 12 April 1913, Page 10

TEACHING DAIRYING.

WORK THROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS. While many peoplo are discussing tlio adyisabiliiy, desirability, and feasibility of teaching agriculture in tho public schools, Douglas county, Colorado, is giving a practical object lesson of an interesting character. Tho "Colorado Dairyman" of December outlines tho plans and gives tlio rules and regulations for the "Douglas County Herd Record Contest." < "This contest is open to all boys attending public or high school in Douglas county and classified in or abovo tho seventh grade. Boys below the seventh grado and over li years of ago aro also eligible to tho contest. "Each contestant shall keep, in tho manner prescribed, a record for one year upon ton cows. Nono of tho cows telccted by ono contestant shall bo included in tho record of another contestant, but each must havo a separate list of ten cows. "Boys eligible to tho contest whoso parents do not conduct dairies may, upon securing consent of any owner of a dairy herd keep and submit as an entry in tho contest, a record upon ten cows in this dairy herd. "Tho contestants will not bo ranked according to tho quality of the production of tho herd under record, but upon tho manner in rrliich tho record is kept. "Each record cuall consist' of a record of tho milk and butter-fat production of cach cow, and tiio value of the same, and a record of the food consumed by tho cow, and tho valuo of the same as nearly as it can be determined., "The testing of samples, computing, and booking of records shall bo pel-formed by the contestants under instruction anil direction of his teacher. "Tho record, shall include dates of freshening, drying off, breeding or serand ago of each cow under test. j. ho feed record will continue during tho period when tho cow is dry." The business men of 1 Douglas county havo offered ten prizei ranging from a pO registered Holstein bull for first prize, to a 15s. pair of shoos for tenth prize, bonio of the. other prizes aro a .£35 dairy • outfit a registered Holstoin hoifer calf, a registered Berkshire 1 hog, ' a registered Duroc Jersey hog, a £10 cash prfzo, aud a cash prize. This plan, if carried out according to tho plans of the tcachers of Dourias county, wul servo a two-fold purpose. The boys will learn by first-hand experience the great fundamental truth about dairying, that the cow is tho unit of the dairy herd, and that success : in dairying depends upon her performance as a dairy animal. The farmers of Douglas county will learn, many of them for, the . first time, doubt, that: they, hav©\never g o fc down to this fundamental proposition in their own dairy work. * WOOL SALES AND EXPORTS; THE MAECH TALLY, According to a return compiled by Ijessrs Dalgety and Co., Ltd,. 7583 bales of wool were offered for. sale in New Zea. land during March, and 7135 wero sold. 1' or the nine months to date, 285,805 bales have been offered and 272 147 sold as against 232,224 offered and 213,364 sold during tho corresponding nino months last year. Details of the month's offerings and sales, and the figures for the, nine months aro

LIVE STOCK SALES. - Messrs;, Dalgety and "■ Co., Ltd., report having held a clearing 6010 at Mr. Remnant's on Tluir'sday. There- was a largo attendance, and prices wero'well up to local'market'rates. Holstein bulls fold from 5 guineas; 14 guineas un to 20J guineas. She'ep.: Mixed'sex woolly'lambs, 9s. 64:j cull -lambs, 'ss.' 4d.;:4, 6,- 8-tooth owe 6. 10s. '7d.'i cull ewes, 53.; 4-year ewes, Bs. 4d.: 2 ana 4-tooth wetliers. 12?. 10d.; implements eold at usual market rates: 3 and 4-ycar bullocks, £7. i Mpssrs. Dalgety and Co.. Ltd., Wellington, report having held: their usual fortnightly sale at Levin, when they offered a fair yaiding of sheep and a good one of cattle to a'largo attendance. Competition was keen throughout, especially for cattle, and most of the lilacs chained hands at tho eloso of tho day, at the following prices:— Lambs, to Bs.; 2-tooth ewes, to Us. Bd.j 2tooth_ wethers,, to lls.;8d.; qull ewes, 45.: yearling heifers, to £1145.; yearling steers, £2 6s. - fid.': 18-months steers, £3 is. to £3 ■ 7s. 6d.;'springing "heifers; £4, £4 135., £6 7s. 6d., £6 4s.;'springing cows, to £9 Ids.: store cows, £1 17s. 6d„ £2 13e. 6d. to £3'65.: 2-year steers,t o £4 4s; 6d.; fat bullocks, £7 ss. to £8 10?. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency 'Co., Ltd.,'report , having held their monthly salo', in their Pongaroa yards ou Thursday, when they offered a good yarding of sheep and cattlo to a largo atctndanco of farmers and others. Sheep Eliowcd an improvement on previous sales, and sold. well up to rates ruling in other centres. They have to report a total clearance. Cattle met' a dragging sale, although they have to rcuort a good clearance at the following rates:—Sheep, 2-tooth wethers, i2s. 9d. to 13s. 3d.; 2 and 4-tooth wethers, to 14s. 2d.;.mixed aged ewes, 10s. •9d'.; 4 and 5-year ewos, 7s. 4'd. to 9s. 2d.; f.m. ewes, 6s. 6d., 6s. Id. to ; 6s. 9d. 'Cattle: Store ,cows,'. £3; 18-month steers,'£3; 25year steerß, £4 Csv to £4 15a;; 3-year steers. £4 19s. to £5 10a. ;■ .weamcrs, £J 14s. to £1 :ißs. 6d. ; The New Zealand Loan and .Mercantile Agenc.7-00.. Ltd...report having held their weekly sale in the llangalioa yards, when they offered a. email yarding of sheep and cattle to a medium attendance of farmers aud Others. They report a, total clearancc* at tho following rates Lambs, to Bs. 6d.: store cowf, £3; cowa in milk, £3 55.; weanere, to 275. Messrs. Abraham and Williams, Ltd., report having held a mo3t successful clearing salo on behalf of Mr. W. H. Yule (Palriatua), at his farm, of tho whole of his" stoak, comprising stud Southdown sheep, breeding flook, dairy stock, horses, implements, ctc. There was opirited competition for everything offered, and prices were exceptionally good for all classes of stock. His flock of Southdown Blieop realised highly satisfactory priccs, the bulk of tliem going to tho Walxarapa.. His crosabrod flock, dairy ■ stock, brought values considerably in ndvance of market rates. Quotations:—4l stud Southdown owes (mixed ages), £4 45.; stud ewo lambs. 3J gns.; stud ram lambs, 25gns.; stud 4-ycar-old ram, 33gn«.: 300 mixed'aged ewes, in lamb to Southdown, rams. 14s. 6d.; good shorn wether lambs, 9s. to 9s. 6d.: dairy cows, £'l ss. to £10 155.; good heifers, in calf, £5 2s. 6d. to £7: 18-month heifers. £3 3s. to £3 175.: 18-raonth 6teers, £3 13s. 6d.; pure-bred Jersoy bull, 91gns Farm horsos mado £10 155., £14, and £19: and light sorts, £3 to £5. Tho implements all made good values,. as also did all t.ho sundries. There was a fair .quantity of 6tock sold on behalf of other vendors, the bulk of which was sold at satisfactory prices. Wo quote:—Dairy cows, £8 ,15s. to £10 10s.;' good heifers, in calf, £4' 19s. to £5 10s. Messrs. Abraham and Williams, Ltd., report as follows on their.Waiono sale:—We offered a good yarding of sheep, although thcro wriro'a' large number that did not. ! como forward,:owing.to tho recent rough weather. There was much inquiry for Ktock, and competition was dull, but wo ultimately made a fair clearance. Quotas tions:—3.m. ewes, 6s. Bd. to 7s. 3d.; f.m. owes, 4s. to ss. 4d.; shorn lambs, ss. 10s. to 75.; young ewes, 13s. 3d.: cows, £2 15s. MeesTS. Abraham and Williams, Ltd., report n.9 follows ou their Pongaroa stock ■ sale:—Wo offered a heavy yarding of sheep aitd a eood yarding of cattle. Tho attendance was as usual largely represented by farmers. There was a strong demand for all classes of stock, and practically all lines were sold under the hammer at real good values. With one., exception, wo mado a . total clearance. Quotations:—2tooth wethers, 13s. 6d. to 13s. 9d.; 2-tooth ewes, lis. 6d. to lis. 10d.; mixed aged owes, 7s. !d. to Bs. 3d.: good sound owee. 7s. 3d. to Bs. 3d.: f.m. ewes, ss. to Gs.; medium lambs, 6s. 6d„ 7s. to 83. Id.; small lambs, 3". Cd. to S3. Id; 2-ycar ot-eers, £4 35.; 18month fleer?, £3 1-V.i fat cows. £4 tflj.j !?. mniH K M/'f.i, ■£} Oi, (iil.i uti«d wcftHci'i, J7«. Sd, to Mfc

V- ,, . Total for 9 >;iMarch, 1913; - months. :' r . _ Bales. Bales. Offered. Sold. Offered. Sold. Invercargill .... 212 212 ' 18,137 16,488 Dunedm 1,003 "1,003 •" 48,920 40 422 Kmaro • 334 334 . 25,129 24,020 Christchurch.. 135 *171 : 54,331 52,491 Wellington ... 3,791 3,820 , 65,724 61,042 Napier 1,269 1,269 52,559 ■ 51,311 Crjsbomo — -v— , 430 428 Auckland 839 82G- 20,573 19,941 Totals 7,583 7,435 285,805 272,147 'Includes previous offerings. -< The exports of wool for March, and for the nino months to date, are:— iCorrespond- > ing9 _ Total for months, Towns. March, 1913. 9 months. 1912. - Invercargill ... 3,519 22,122 26,098 Dunedin 7,298 38,415 34,137 Oamaru 1,502 5,41G 7,326 Timaru 6,299 26,091 24,835 Christchurclii 12,046 70,075 ■ 68,201 .'"Blenheim ....... '"fi 8,133 10,641 ' ' Nelson — 5,238 4,403 * Wellington .... 13,263 106,180 101,738 Wanganui 871 16,564 8,878 Waitara — 4,436 0,134 ' Napfer 5,629 70,216 &3.817 Gistorno 1,701 44,106 42,795 Auckland .. 2,142 25,280 23,984 Totals 54,395 442,871 415,990