FARM TOPICS.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 605, 4 February 1921, Page 3

FARM TOPICS.

JOTTINGS. A series of moving picture films has been prepared by U.S. Depaxtment of Agriculture to illustrate methods of raising live stock in America. This is to be sent to Argentina, with the object of promoting trade in stud stock.

A Tokio report states that ChinaJapanese enterprise is being organised with the object of promoting sh,eep raising in Mongolia. A considerable area of land in Inner Mongolia is to be bought, and the business conducted on an important scale.

Mr Hector MePhie, hon. secretary of the Queensland Polo Association, has received advice fi*om Hurlingham regarding the height of polo ponies. This is to the effect that a new rule comes into force as from January 1, which limits the height to 15 hands, plus half inch shoes.

The war gave a decided impetus to the sheep raising industry in Sweden. According to the Bradford Wool Record, there are now 20 per cent, more sheep there than in 1914, and the Government is offei'ing prizes with the object of improving the wool and breeding.

A sharp decline in wool consumption is reported in the United States. Departmental figures show that only '46,000,0001b greasy equivalent were entered for manufacture in June, as against 58,600,0001 bin May, 66,900,0001 b in April, and 72,700,000 in January. Lack of orders, cancellations, and deferred shipments are given as primary capses for the slump which bids fair to continue indefinitely.

The Agricultural Department of Saskatchewan is purchasing 100 good young grade dairy cows and heifers in Eastei’n Canada, at' an estimated cost of £2OOO, for re-sale on easy terms to bona fide daii’y farmers. Only farmers at present engaged, or who are entering the dairy business, and will agree to have these cows bred to purebred sires of the same breeding, will be allowed to effect a purchase.

As a top dressing for grass, lime may be applied in spi’ing and autumn, preferably in the autumn. On the other hand it is pi-eferable to apply the lime early enough to allow several weeks for the lime to act with the soil. Lime should never be applied just before planting potatoes and beets, and their quality will be lowered. Neither should quicklime be applied with manures or fertilisers as it reacts detrimentally with the nitrogen.

John’s disease is making headway amongst cattle in the United States of America. Infection is caused by intestinal bacteria, and is manifest by a roughened coat, loss of flesh, and generally violent diarrhoea. The trouble is most marked in cows shortly after calving. It appears that the disease is fairly widely distributed over the globe, and in some countries, paritcularly in Denmark, is responsible for serious mortality amongst daairy stock.

When buying a purebred bull, do not buy one regardless of breed. Select the breed that is most suited to the herd and to the district. One of the most unfortunate mistakes that is sometimes made is to buy a purebred of one breed to head a herd of another breed. Each breed may be good, but to mix them up is to defeat the very purpose for which the purebred is being purchased, because the condition of mixed breeding is merely intensified by the new sire.

The too closely penning of pigs (except while topping olf) is a mistake. In a state of nature the pig is a grazing animal. For breeding and growing pigs a grazing outrun is profitable. Admitting that pigs must be fed differently from other stocf while housed, yet grass is still to them a natural food, even as it is to horses and cows. Pigs graze as close to the ground as sheep. It is sometimes stated that pasture deteriorates under, cows, but whether this be so or not, pigs benefit pastureage, and rapidly improves poor quality soil.

Numerous experiments and trials have proved clearly that lcainit gives the best results when applied in the autumn or winter, except for mangolds and cabbages and other saltloving plants. This is an important point to bear in mind, because if the application is put off until the spring the manure does not have a fair chance to do the work expected, and the fanner may be disappointed with the results obtained. On the other hand, both sulphate and muriate of potash may be applied in the spring, as most convenient.