FARM NOTES.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 637, 31 May 1921, Page 9

FARM NOTES.

“Thefe are only three institutions making money at the present time the shipping companies, the freezing companies, and the banks—and they arc bleeding the farmer for every shilling,” said Mr Brechin at the Pahiatua Farmers' Union meeting

M'lie only way to avoid a catastrophe in the fall of dairy prices is to make your cows produce more,” said Mr A. H. Cockayne, the Government Biologist, in reply to a question at Foaiherston. “And the only way to do that is to feed them more. A dairy cow requires 10 tons of grass per annum for adequate maintenance. It is necessary that a cow should be fed to the limit of her production/'

deferring to the exorbitant freight rates charged by shipping companies at the Mannwatu sub-provincial- Farmers’ Union executive meeting last week, Mr Gower (Foxton) said he knew of one farmer who had sent Home 160 bales of wool for which lie icceived 5Ud per lb at Home. The freight came to over 4d per pound, and he had all his shearing charges to pay on top of that. It seemed monstrous that the whole of the profits should be eaten up in this way bv overhead expense.

A conference of Taranaki -farmers passed the following rather belated resolution : “That it be a suggestion to agricultural and pastoral associations that they consider the advisability of the establishment of a Royal Agricultural Show in the Dominion, similar to that in England.”

It is stated that some of the slaughtermen in New Zealand have been earning as much as £l6 per week this season.

Advice lias been received at Wellington from London offices notifying a fall in the price of New Zealand cheese. The cablegram states in effect that the market is irregular. A further decline is expected. White is 136 s and coloured 130 s.

They know how to dig potatoes in •the Belfast district. A wager of £lO to £1 was recently made there that live men could not dig 100-sacks of potatoes in eight hours—digging, picking, sorting into two samples, and sewing the tubers up into sacks. The five men started off at 7,43 a.m., and finished at 4.13 p.m., threequarters of an hour being taken off for lunch. The workers finished with a quarter of an hour to spare and 101 bags sewn.

For the year 1919-20 there were 36,231 dairy cows in the Waimate West district, an average per 1000 acres of 363.13. In the Havvera district there were 21.204, and an average per 1000 acres of 196.7, The average per 1000 acres for the whole of Taranaki is 91.29, nearly double Auckland, the next highest, where, the average is 48.58.

Settlers in some parts of Taranaki are experimenting in top-dressing their pastures with papa. It is stated it contains some substance that mixes with the soil and ‘produces a luxuriant growth. The fact that grass grows vigorously on bare papa faces is also proof of its usefulness. SOIL PHYSSCS. WORK OF TRACTOR PLOUGH. BIGGER CROPS FOLLOW. What amounts to a new science, whose object is to increase the fertility of British acres, is being undertaken at Bothams led, near Harpenuen.'the oldest and most scientific agricultural establishment in the world. The new branch of science is a'department of “Soil Physics,"' it has already been discoveded by workers at Rothamsted and elsewhere that those beneficent bacteria which make soil fertile are much Lore numerous and active in the autumn. This fact, it is held, .is directly concerned with the 'substitution of the tractor for the horse-drawn plough. The earlier and quicker land is ploughed the g]eater its fertility.

A demonstration with an Jvn.giishniade tractor was given before a number of farmers to illustrate the •necessity of tractors if more is to be produced per acre. The tractor works throe or four times as quickly Ls the herse, and can take rapid advantage of- suitable weather. On the J.othnms ted* fium all the ploughing was done before Christmas, and the time thus left for extra spring cultivation

—previously altogether omitted immensely improves the crops. For example, the particular iu-aeve paddock dealt with by a tractor and a three-furrowed plough at the demonstration could foe completely finished off in .two days and only one man be employed. The experience there is that even at present wages, an acre can foe more cheaply ploughed with the help of the tractor than at present wages with horses.

In New Zealand the chief point against the tractor is its cost owing to the difficulty or getting from it sufficient work to make up the extensive depreciation.