NATIONAL DAIRY SHOW

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3114, 19 June 1917, Page 8

NATIONAL DAIRY SHOW

, 'Amongst.other attractions at the show |; Trhioh'eommonces at Palmerston North on _,Wednesday next, there will be demonstrations of stack thatching by the students from the Government Central Development Farm- at Weraroa. Tho dc'.'./lnonstrations will bo held in tho Wheeler Memorial sheep pavilion each day, notice -being given on the blackboard in tho 'main entrance. Tho outdoor events are '. "to bo of inoro than usual interest this ■' .year. Commencing with the AVangaiiui.,',.Te Ante football matches on "Wednesday, a long list of horse and pony leaping ' -entries on Thursday, and practically the wholo of Friday to sheep-dog, trials. ...This latter is a most interesting item, ...and to' those who havq never seen a of thie description, it should '....prove something of a surprise. « Another. -:._ instructive competition is milk-testing for : ...;.boys and girls. This event, for which .J there are eomo 17 entrants, will be held .at 11 a.m. on«ThurEday under the grand- „. stand; Another item is the pedigree ..cattle sale and show, in the cattle :.-pavilion on Wednesday and Thursday. ■ -.The exhibition buildings will baas is --■usual—a very full sight. All space; has ...been applied for and allotted, and com- . /petitive entries in the produce and poul/.'try sections are greatly in excess ot last : —year, so tliat visitors' will have quite -sufficient to occupy their attention frem ■start to finish. " •'■ Our advice is, "Get ready for the milk- ": ing season by having milkinß machines ".'and'engines overhauled and put in first"class runnine order." In this regard you ■ cannot do better than consult A. J. ' 'Parton, Milking Machine Expert, Car""terton, who will send a Bkilled mechanic 'to nny address. Quick, thorough repaire 'at tho lowest possible price are assured. "'Drop Parton a line rights now.—Advt.

CALIFORNIAN THISTLE

CONTROL IN BROKEN COUNTRY.

Replying to a query as to tho beet wav to get ml of tho Californian thistle in broken country, the Fields Division , of ; the Department of Agriculture says:—"On bush country where no method of cultivation can be curried out littlo can.bo dono in tho control of Californian thistlo apart from cutting. Certain work can bo carried out. that should raluco tho weed, but it; is doubtful whether tho cxpenditu.ro nc- ■ cossary can bn recovored. The feucing-iii of definito areas that.are bad, and heavy stocking with cattle from time to (iim> during the summer, does a great deal of jjood, but Is, if anything, moro expensive than cultinff. .By far the mo*t'satisfactory method of control is tho encom , afcmeut. of vigorous winter-growing grasses on tho patches themselves. If this can. be done tho trampling of slock tiver the groiiind during tho dormant' eeason of tho thistlo will tend to thicken up, the sivk) of, the grass and Tender cuuditions -for the growth of the thistle mi.favourable. The difficulty, of course, is to get- tho grasses properly established, and certain ones, such as prairie, which is excellent for the purjxvie, cannot be established unless a xood see(l-l)ed and plenty of soil cover is provided. Tlio eniiface'-sowfni; of Italian' rye grass and cocksfoot on patches might, howuver, be carried out. If the ground is more or Ices danthonia countrj" thn use of this grass on tho patches after an autumn burn is suggested. The ground might be burnt over each autumn, which would get rid of dry herbage, and.as danthonia recovers rapidly good winter fried is sc'cu'red. especially for sheep. If plenty of cattle are available, it is better to heavily stuck with them in tho autumn rather than adopt the b'.-.Tiiing method.-

The ffuostion of affording better education and'training facilities for junior dairy factory employees was discussed at the annual conference of delegates of North Auckland dairy factories. Mr. Knlanghcr) supervisor of the technical branch of the Auckland Education Board, stated that if tho factories supplied the students he was prepared to arrange, at various centres, special classes for instruction in dairy science. The' course would take up to two weeks and would include BabcocE testinu, cream, buttermilk, and whey testins, and instructio nin" tho operation of the various machines usc\ in dairv factories. Several delegates expressed the opinion that such a course- of. training would be very beneficial, and would tend to abolish the fioatin? type of labour which in many cases has been all that wns available. Mr. Kalaujher was for his offer, and the arnuieement of classes iras left in the hands of delegates.

LIVE STOCK SALES

Messrs. Abraham, and Williams, Ltd., Palmerston North,' repofi having hold a most successful clearing aale at Colyton on Saturday, on account of Mr. R. jr. D. Roberts, at which there was a large attendance, representative of the distriot. Tho dairy herd -were a very fair lot of mostly youns Jersey-cross coi?s, in fair condition. These sold particularly well, best, dairy sorts bringing from £13 ss. to £14 55.; medium cows, £9 ss. to £12 10s.; a few aged and inferior- cows, £6 ss. to £8; heifers in calf, £8 10s. to £10 10s.; amaU and backward ditto, £5 10s. to £'7 10s.small yearlings, £2 to £2 55.; fallinemouth ewes in lamb, 275. 2d.; Shetland ponies, £6\ss. to £8 10s.