FARM and DAIRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 13 September 1924, Page 9

FARM and DAIRY

NOTES BY THE WAY

Having come through a very mild winter, and with hue; weather prevailing since the late rains, the farmers of the Tawai district have been enabled to. push on with their work. Most of the sheep are looking extremely well, notwithstanding the dry autumn and .the failure of the root crops. Lambing is general, and in some parts of the district the ewes have a, tendency to leave, one of their twin lambs, which no doubt is caused through the shortness of feed. As indicating the interest of one of the English schoolboy immigrants in farming, the Poverty Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Association recently received a letter from J; Davie, one of the lads mentioned, who asked whether the judges at the showwould be prepared to explain the method of allotting points (states the Gisborne Times). The chairman thought that th© association should do everything possible to foster the lad’s interest, and on his motion it was decided that lie should be allowed to go round with the judges, who would explain the points.

Ten Friesian oowk and three heifers m Messrs Flack anSPSewell’s Burnbank herd at Berwick have averaged 12.9501 b milk, 4631 b fat per head in the Government test of 273 days.. At Is 6d per lb for butter-fat and 2d per gallon for skim milk as pig feed, these cows show a gross return of over £44 per head. On the . basis of cheese-making at one pound of cheese to a gallon o.f milk, with cheese at Is per lb, the return has been well over £6O per cow. Arrangements for the tour of the “better farming” train, which will leave Melbourne on October 13 for ■-'•npslnnd, are practically complete?. The train will consist of 15 vehicles, a number of which will contain exhibits demonstrating in a practical manner the methods which should be adopted by farmers in dealing with various phases of agricultural and general farm work. One car will contain a display of agricultural produce, including oats, millet, maize and wool. Noxious weeds and the methods to be used for their eradication will be displayed. The main feature of the exhibit will he boxes containing growing wheat, showing the results obtained by t-op-dress-ing and . the use of superphosphates. Cards bearing slogans, such as “Grow More Grass” and “Arrest Those Robber weeds,” will decorate the car.

The Government of India requires 2800 cavalry horses, and Captain G. M. Hutton, of the Remount Department (India), has been sent to Australia to make, the purchased. The horses will be shipped for India, during October and November. Captain Hutton has been directed to- purchase mules also for the mountain artillery, but. he confesses he is not verv hopeful of obtaining many in Australia. The mules for this service have hitherto been bought in the United States; but of late years, owing to. their scarcity, the price has become almost prohibitive.

So serious is the dingo and wild dog pest becoming in a large- portion of the far western • division of New South Wales that pastoralists have been compelled to give up breeding sheep. They have devoted their attention, to cattle, but the low prices ruling fen-, beef have rendered the position serious. A depuration representing the Darling pastor”hsts waited upon . the Minister for Lands (Mr Wearne) and asked that legislation passed to deal with the pest. Mr Wearne said that he was preparing a Bill on the lines of the Vermin Act enforced in South Australia. In 1891 there were 15,000.000 sheen in the western division, mainly m the far west. Last year the number was 4,765,000.

ALFALFA FARMING THREATENED

Jhe alfalfa (lucerne) industry in the irrigated sections of the west of the United States is menaced, by a widespread and serious disease. Reports re.in Washington indicate .tlnat alfalfa is dying in Colorado, Wyoming, and northern New Mexico as a result of the attack of a tiny worm-like parasite. This alfalfa trouble has also been imported in the past from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. About one-third of the total alfalfa, produced m America is grown under irrigation, and it 4s this crop which seems to be especially threatened. Irrigation water probably carries the'parasites from ope ilant to another, and so aids in their spread.

REASONS FOR TESTING

INTERESTING COMPARISONS

During the last thirty years the dairying industry in New ' Zealand has made rapid progress, but owing to the keen competition existing among the world’s dairying countries, several more progressive strides will have to be made m order to keep New Zealand m the forefront, of the world’s dairying countries. The area of dairying land ;s fast approaching a stable amount, consequently the Dominion will he compelled to obtain a much greater output per farm than at any previous time in her dairying history. The question the dairy farmers of New Zealand have to answer among themselves is. “How is this increased output to be obtained?” Ihe answer should be. and must be: (i) Better breeding; (2) better weedand (3) better feeding. The key to the solution of better breeding .and better weeding is svstematm herd testing ‘from Auckland to the Bluff. The eradication of the ‘ scrub bull and the “cull” cow will be a slow process, but herd testing will make it easy of accomplishment. Every daily farmer in the land knows it is far more profitable to keep '/:) good cows than 25*mixed cows; yet many a,re not attempting to improve the milking calibre of their herds. Let the dairy farmers of New Zealand ponder over the following figures, •and they will see how much they, and the country as a whole, are losing through their inertness regarding herd testing. “ According to our dairy authorities: 1. Ihe average annual production of our herds is 168 lbs of but'ter-fat per cow. 1 2. The average annual production of Danish herds is 26I!bs. 3. The number of dairy cows in New Zealand is 1,116,828. There is a discrepancy between our average production per cow and that of Denmark; we cannot expect to reach the figures of the latter aL once. Let us—1. Increase our average production per cow by testing to 200 lbs. 2. Then increase the average to ”61 lbs. Now for a little arithmetic! First stage— Average production aimed at ... 200ib Present average production ... KPlh Increase per cow per annum ... 321 b

321 hs butter-fat at Is 6d '“2 8 0 There are 1,117.000 cows in the c-oun-+rv. therefore money at present being lost is about £2.248,000. Dairy farmers! You are to blame for this! "With

a country, like ours, so well adapted tor dairying, our average should .equal that- of Denmark.

Second to _6l lb per cow) Ftu flier increase (butter-fat) Glib wdu-i; at Is or per lb ;C4 i 1 6 Value of further increase in yield ... £4,272,462 oo that, it the dairy farmers of New Zealand were to test their herds systematically, and thus raise the av<vage pioauction per cow equal to that of Denmark, they and the country would be emicned to the value of - ver million pounds sterling. Surely this is worth striving for! * DRIVE COWS QUIETLY.

LITTLE DETAILS THAT COUNT. A very little matter upsets the temperament of the milk cow, and nothing is worse than hurried driving to the milking shed in hot weather, there is no reason why the driver should not be provided with’ a horse, hut he overdrives, the only cure is to make him walk on his o.wn legs inu a T, °, f ridin ° 011 horseback. Cows should be allowed to travel to. and from the bails at their own pace and dogs with some few exceptions, should not lie ahowed in the cow paddock. Much harm is often done through rushing the herd through gateways, with the gate probably only partly opened. Broken hip bones are often the result .of such action, not to mention other. injuries. Gates are left open on the line of route that should be closed, and some are closed that ougnt to he open, causing much direct and indirect harm—all for lack of a ittle forethought. It is attention to such little matters that makes up the sum of success and helps to make dairy farming a pleasure instead of the drudgery that it too- often is. It is possible for every farmer to increase the milk and butterfat yield of his herd, apart from, the introduction of high-class sires or dams, if he pavs attention to the details o'f his work and becomes on good terms with every member of his herd. * BUTTER AND MILK. HOW TO TEST THEM. Here,” said th§ milk inspector, “is an easy and reliable way to detect watered milk. , ~^? a ta * ce ,, a clean, well-polished icnittiiig needle, and you dio it down into a vessel of milk. Then'you draw L ' upright and watch it closely. 11 the milk is quite pure some of it will hang to the needle; but’if water has been added, even a little water "J® ?] ” W 1 1 not adhere the needle

lo test the presence of margarine in uitter, obtain a small glass test-tube from the chemist—it will cost 3d. Put ;nto. the tube a- piece of 'the suspected outter about the size of a, small nut, and melt this over a spirit lamp until A- is just liquefied. Now pour into the ,' !t>6 much liquid ammonia as you have butter fluid, heat this over the *-t lamp until the mixture boils. Add again a smilar quantity of a-m----inonia as you did previously. Then place your thumb over the top to keep •f. a,u ' °bL Now Svatch it; if. the soea.led pure butter contains margarine, idle mixture in the tube will begin to eftei versce; but if t-he butter is pure and unadulterated, there will be no effervescence.

SIX POINTS IN DAIRYING. 1. Buy the best cows you can afrord.

2. Roy the best butter-fat record pure-bred sire you can afford. 3. Raise heiler calves from best producers.

4. Feed intelligently, o. Give careful and kindly treatment.

a cow testing association. \Ve have far too many inefficient nerds to-dav o.n our farms, and to remove them knowledge and efficiency is equired, and this can only he. accurately gained by individual herd testing.

ELECTRICITY AS APPLIED TO FARM WORK.

The uses of electric oower in agriculture were demonstrated, says the Morning Post, at Greater Felcourt Farm, East Grimstead, under the auspices of the British Electrical ■Development Association. The application of electricity to ploughing, harvesting, poultry rearing, milking and beekeepnig was shown. Only three houses are 'unpioyed on the farm inspected, which is a mixed commercial farm of 600 acres, specialising in eggs and poultry, oedigree pigs, and highest grad© Gov-' ernment certified milk. In the incubator sheds and brooding houses ’ISOO White Leghorn and White \\ yandottes are kept on the semi-in-tensive system, 550 birds per house averaging 165 eggs per bird per annum. Electricity was shown to facilitate increased production, and at one incubator for 2400 eggs two«. chickens were actually hatched while the process was being described. “Making hay without sunshine” is claimed to be one of the most important processes on the farm. The cut grass is “cured” by . air conveyed through vertical tunnels in the ricks'by electric fans. *

CHOU MOELLIER. In rurtherance of evidence we published some weeks ago of the success secured by Mr C. R. Beetham, " of Alatapu, ■during several successive* years, the following extracts from “Farm Economy” will be of interest and it is hoped of value-. This fodder withstands drought and is practically immune from disease. It is .ready for feeding three month:- alter sowing, and when matured lasts right through the winter. The stem is rich in marrow or tender flesh—excellent focd for cows, pigs mid lambs; while the leaves are plentiful, broad succulent and of high feeding value. The plant grows so <l<juscri.y ard viuoi‘ous , ly as to smother weeds, thus cleaning the land. ”

Apart from getting the order, can you consciously recommend Chou Moellier? Will Chou Moellier taint milk? \\ ill it cause rcdwater? Tf sown November. when will it be ready? What class of soil is most suitable‘for Chou Moellier, and when should 1 sow it? Some of the questions asked by North Island tanners. In answer to these iiV} publish a .lew nI many letters received from Sou thl and growers who have out the crop to the' test. More than two down of these letters have come to hand, and, without exception, every tanner wlic, has tried, it lecom-me-’ds Chou Moellier for cows.

First-class Fodder.—We find it does wonderfully well on light ground compared with rape. In our opinion it is a first-class fodder for dairy cows, and lambs prefer it to swedes.' as we noticed on a plot where both were sown together.—A. Gerrard and Sons. Dipton. 20/6/24.

Out 011 its own for Cows.—l have much- pleasure in advising that my 'Top of Olioui Moollier has done remarkably well, and has been widely commented on throughout the district. It is out on its own for feeding to milk cows, as it does not taint the milk, and the butter lias a good flavour. I sowed the *seed with ordinary turnip ridger at the rate of lib per acre, but the crc-p would be better sowii first week in November, at the rate of 9oz seed per acre and thinned. The plants may be transplanted, as they root very easily. I used 3ewt- superphosphate per. acre. Cattle, horses, sheep and pigs are very fond of this fodder. The stalks are easily cut with a scythe, about 8 inches above the ground, and oarted out to the cattle. I am sure this crop would give good results in the North'lsland. —J. A; Johnston, Waimumu, Southland.

Not Liable to Cause Rsdwater.—My crop of Chou Moellier was sown 27th Qecemher, drilled in with turnip ridger, 6oz seed to acre, with stockyard manure and 2lcwt fertiliser. Slow of growth at start, hut when it gets in broad leaf it grows immense. Thini to 18 inches apart, as it gives it room to stool out. Feeding value more than double that of turnip crop. Does not scour animals, nor is it liable toi cause redwater as far as I have seen. Improves condition of cows, increases butter-fat. Tt is a hardy cron, stands the frost and hailstones. My crop' has grown four feet high. Splendid thing for cleaning the ground, as no vegetation grows below*- it when in full growth.—Thos. Agnew, Dacre, Southland, 27/6/24. Does Not Taint- Milk.—Last season I grew about 5 acres of Chou Moellier and was w-ell satisfied with the result. The ground was ploughed; out of lea about the end of June, -and the seed bed prepared as for ridged turnips. The seed was sown the third week, in October at the rate of lib per acre, with the double ridger. From my experience, I consider it a safer crop for lambs than rape, and the cows also, appear to be very fond of it. I find that it does not taint the milk as badly as turnips or rape. —R.H.D., Mataura, Southland. (There is a suspicion in this letter that the fodder does taint milk, but this letter is the exception. In every other instance farmers emnhaticaliy affirm that Chou Moellier does not taint-milk.—Ed).

Sown November, Ready February.— My 8-acre paddock of Chou Moellier, sown on November 9; lOoz seed in raised drills. Was ready to feed February 1, and kept 30 cows going to the end of May, a period of . four months. It grew to height of from 4ft 6in to oft.. : •,,

I think Chou Moelliev a splendid fodder, so much so that I intend to double the area that I had iii this last season, and perhaps a- little more. I also think that it compares very favourably with turnips as to quantity of feeding, and does not taint the. milk. It is easy to handle and produces good second gro-\vth.—D. C McMath, Mataura. 16/6/24.

The Coming Fodder.—ln my opinion Chou Moellier is the coming fodder for faten-ing lambs and for dairy cows. When the fodder is cut and. fed to cows on an adjoining paddock they eat the stalks and leaves, cleaning up everything. I should strongly advise dairy farmers, especially in the North Island, to go in for an acre or two of this crop, and I am convinced that no other plant will give the same, or anything approaching the quantity of feed per acre. On gcod land it will grow to- the height of a man, with an abundance of leafage from the ground to the. top.—Samuel Soper, Athol, Southland. 19/6/24.

MIGRANTS FOR CANADA. The settlement in Canada of 3000 British families to be selected by the Dominion has been arranged in a new. immigration agreement concluded between the Minister for Immigration (Mr. James Robb) and the British Government. The agreement stipulates that the British Government shall provide all the money for equipment and sailing, amounting approximately to 5,000,000 'dollars--(normally- £1,000,000), and that the settlers shall repay the amount within 25 years. The Immigration Department agrees to direct the settlement of these immigrants and assist them through the services of the field staff. Settlers will be given choice of land in any province they select. The sailings will begin next March.

Mr. Robb contended that the settlement of British people was the responsi_ bility of the British Government. The scheme as agreed upon is to settle 3000 British families on 3000 ready-made farms in three years on the group system. Authorities admit that the project is largely based on the West Australian plan, but contend that it is superior and less eofetly, in that it does not involve loan flotations. Canada provides the land and houses, and the settler pays off the cost in 25 annual instalments. Canada, and the Overseas Settlement Committee will jointly advance £3OO for the transport of each family. This also will be repayable in instalments.

' RURAL NEW SOUTH WALES. STATE STUD FARM SOLD. After nearly 10- years the Govern- ' ment is getting off its hands a farm which, has been utilised for breeding Clydesdale horses. This was the North Bangaroo estate of 5000 odd acres, on the Belubula River, which was purchased for £53,000. The area was largely in excess of requirements, and the capital cost too heavy a burden for the purpose in view. As a stud farm it proved an incubus that none but a Government or an enthusiast with money to burn could have carried. In seven years the sales of stud horses were not sufficient to pay the manager’s salary for one year, and if it had not been for a portion being turned to good account in later years in running sheep, the £7OOO working loss which was accumulated would have been very much heavier. The farm has been subdivided and capitalised at a. total that will barely cover the original cost, this despite the fact that meantime adjoining country in this portion of the famous Lachlan Valiev has appreciated very considerably in value. Eleven farms, totalling 4615 acres, and of an aggregate capital value of £50,113. have just been allotted for settlement purchases, the annual instalments on which range from £214 to £364. There were 41 applicants in all; and the allotment was made without'-ballot.

HORSE BREEDING BILL

Mr. J. F>. Head writes to the Svdney Morning Herald: “Mr. F. A. Chaffey’s Bill is criticised by a person signing himself “Farmer,” claiming that afteT--30 years’ experience suck a measure is not wanted, and that struggling farmers will suffer thereby, etc. My contention is that the Bill, if passed, will do much towards lifting these same farmers from the struggling stage, or, in other save them from themselves, for if they are brought to realise that one good animal will do more work than half a dozen mongrels, and will eat no more than oneyet, as an asset, is worth more than the lot, they will surely embrace the opportunity of improving their stock, and

placing our horse industry on a higher plane than the present deplorable state. “Personally, I hope to see the Bill made law in its most rigid aspect, and 1 feel that I am voicing the opinion of thousands when I say that Mr. Chaffev is to he congratulated on introducing the measure. Would that it had been made law 30 years ago, and I speak from an experience dating beyond that time.”

THROUGH DENMARK. Writing after a tour of this famous dairying country, a correspondent to the Melbourne Argus has the following to say of interest to farmers, inter alia:— CHEESES BY THE THOUSAND. The Danes do not appear to be a nation of inventors, and curiously enough they seem to have no national cheese of their own. But tliey are good imitators, and even the Swiss delegate had to admit that tire. Gruyiere and the Roquefort and the Ementhal cheeses were as good as could be produced in Switzerland itself. Roquefort cheese is quite a specialty here, and the usual stock in the immense cool store is 12,000. We were shown, a pure culture of the green mould which is dusted in between the layers of curd to grow later and produce the characteristic colour pattern. Gruyiere cheeses were visibly swelling on the stagings of the store to allow of the development of the gas hubbies which form the char-acteristic-holes. “They like the holes large in London,” said the store foreman. Similarly in the butter department- “London quality’ s is the dominant note.

On the return journey a call was made at the very fine farm occupied by a tenant of Count Molke, a Danish nobleman. The cow stable is able to accommodate over 200 cows under one roof, and it is to he remembered that these cows have to be housed night and day for six months o,f the year, and at night for a further three or four months. Here there are problems of feeding and management, of cropping the land and purchase of concentrates; of cleanliness of the animals, and of the incidence of disease, especially tuberculosis, with many of which the Victorian dairy farmer has much less concern. Nevertheless, the more one s**s of Danish dairy farming, whether for milk, butter or cheese production, and with pig feeding as a sideline, the more is one impressed with the cleanliness, economy and scientific spirit in evidence. Driving home, a halt was again made for light refreshment at a wayside hostelry close to the seashore. In the brilliant s-unshine of a June afternoon, the clear glittering water was too tempting for British, American, and one Dutchman, and we enjoyed the —to me, at least —new experience of a bathe in the Baltic. A very good day, and the doctors duly impressed, carrying away many lessons which it were ivell to apply in many other producing countries, not least in our own.

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

The party was then conducted over the High School—an institution related to and yet separate from the University. and with 500 students of its own. The modem buildings and the wealth of equipment in scientific apparatus, and noably in the library with. 807000 volumes, could not fail to impress the visitors. British medical men, in particular, noted the high standard of scientific training required of, and .the very .responsible duties put upon Danish veterinarians in relation to public health..

A short visit to the Agricultural Research Institute, • which has charge of all matters concerned in the production of Danish butter, brought the, morning to an end.- Denmark :is keenly alive to the requirements of the British market. All butter factories are registered in this central institute, and every box of butter exported is traceable by _ mark and number. Moreover, on receipt of a telegram from the institute, a factory must despatch forthwith a box of butter all ready for export-. At the institute this sample box is placed in a store and retained for ten days, and in conditions as far as possible similar to those it would undergo for a time if sent to London. It is then sampled and tested for water content, taste and quality in general, and a very close watch is thus kept over all the factories, so as to preserve Denmark’s good name. After lunch one of the large city milk factories owned by the celebrated “Trifolium” company was seen. Here milk from the “Trifolium” farms is brought into town by train or motorwaggon, having been strained and cooled on the farm. One could not refrain from praising the organisation which had secured such orderly, and clean handling of the milk from its reception, weighing,. sampling (one man has the job of testing a sample from every can), cooling (tot Bdeg. Cen.), bottling, and storage in a cool room until delivery an 20 to 24 hours, from cow to consumer. An excellent feature is the plant for washing and sterilising bottles and cans, and the control of this part of the process by bacteriological tests show how' well' justified is the care displayed.

QUEENSLAND. In the course of a review of a recent work t on Queensland, in which that State is painted in very rosy colours, the critic of the Lyttelton Times says of one big area of farming land: “Up over the Tableland, ‘over the bump,’ where a ‘crow wmuld require a breeching to come down’ into the phenomenally fertile Scrub Lands, the Plateau, some 600,000 acres, with 30 to 40 feet of volcanic soil. Mr Brady eulogises the rapid settlement policy pursued in the tropical districts; alfalfa—what we call lucerne—will soon make that district. support a population exceeding Queensland’s to-day. One plot- has been cropped for maize thirty seasons without an ounce of fertiliser! And there is land available at £3 per acre. Many interesting personalities are met. along the Ranges; doctors who assert that the Tableland is normal and European standards should not deteriorate providing you adapt vour methods of- living; Maclean, the medicobiologist, with a bullet in his heart, investigating- hookworm in an aboriginal whose blood show’s conquistadoreal characteristics; ‘Bill \jßowyang,’ the shovel-pusher, who discusses Bernard Shaw and Buddha; O’Grady and his friend who talks hardwoods. Concluding, he tells of the story of the discovery of. tin deposits,-the opportunities for development of hydro-electric power, the chances for young men north —and adds that ‘Australia is the best country for settlers.’ ”

WORLD’S ROOD.

PROBLEMS AHEAD

SCIENCE CONGRESS,

At the Science Congress in Adelaide recently Sir George Knibbs, discussing problems related to possible population and the w’orld’s food supply, drew attention to the position that such problems are. likely to confront Australia and New Zealand in the near future.

It was also pointed out that the popular notion that the development of

science would meet requirements has no valid foundation.

France, it was mentioned, could be expected to double its population in 456 years, England in 67, Japan in 644, the United States in. 38-J, Australia in 344, New Zealand in 274, and Canada in 234. At this rate, in two centuries the outside world would be unablfe to maintain its population. Unless there was a remarkable advance in stfcial and economic development, they would presently have to determine a normal standard of living for the population of each particular country. ,The peaceful solution of such tremendous problems involved serious study. Getmany, France, Italy and Belgium feci only 72, 70, 64 and 37 per cent, respectively of their population, the remainder being dependent on secondary industries.

The economic solidarity of the world would have to be better assured than at present before 9,000,000,000 persons could hope of survival. A better consensus of opinion as to social, economic and ethical standards, and attention to birth control on some common plan, of the nature of right of occupation would inevitably come to be considered as practical questions. Racial, linguistic and political hindrances had to be overcome to facilitate a free migratory movement. tVar ■was a non-economic way of 'deciding the issues, and a world survey was necessary, unquestionably for the world generally, and particularly for Australia, with only less than two people per square mile, and surrounded by countries with from 96 to 551 per square mile, and containing half the population of the world.

A SCHOOL FOR DOGS. Wanderers along the foothills of the Pennines may chance upon a curious spectacle; a staid and elderly sheep dog dragging by a chain a struggling puppy. It is a'section of a school for dogs. Even the best-bred dog is all the better for a course of training, while the puppy which has not been bred fr6m a long line of clever ancestors must be taught its business thoroughly before it can be really useful to its master. That is why so many farmers send their dogs to school. The schoolmaster is an old shepherd. His assistant is an old and well-trained dog. Tlie term depends upon the intelligence of the pupil, though it seldom lasts more than six weeks. The course is carefully prepared. At first the young dog is tied to the collar of the older animal, which fetches up the flocks or turns them here or there, according to the shepherd’s signal whistle. Sometimes the young pupil is inclined to play, and wants to turn the lesson into a romping game, but the old dog is not to be 1 lured from its task —the training of the puppy to the rounding up -of' sheep-—and the recalcitrant pupil is dragged and snapped at until it realises that this is not a game, but a very serious business. ’ Soon the puppy finds an interest in chasing sheep, and finally it can be released from the restricting chain and allowed to run beside the older dog. Occasionally,. in its enthusiasm, it will fail to hear or heed the warning signal, and the old dog has to check it and administer a lesson in tlie need for caution, but gradually the raw and untrained puppy is transformed into an expert and sagacious sheep dog. ..

THE GRADE COWS: The ordinary common cows, “the grades,” undoubtedly supply, the bulk of all milk in the great dairy industry, and one has to admit that there are many very high quality grades. There are many low quality grades, also, and a writer in an English paper has some pertinent remarks on the subject, which are well worth the attention of the dairy farmers in New Zealand. He draws attention to the fact that many dairy farmers have the idea that because .tlieir cows are grades they cannot affor-J to use a high-class sire, nor is it worth while to keep milk records. The keeping of records and weeding out the unprofitable animals have aided many in placing their herds on a high production plane. The use of a purebred sire from a heavy milk strain, year after year, and saving the most promising heifers to replace those that have not measured up to the ideal, has been a potent factor in many a success. With present competition a dairy farmer can scarcely afford to merely drift along and endeavour to save by using the cheapest sire available. The result is that the progeny are also cheap, both from an appearance and production standpoint. It is no discredit for a man to have a herd of grade cattle, but it is a disgrace to any man to have a herd of low-produc-ing dairy cows. Some.have been going on for practically their; entire lifetime, and the average production per cow is no higher now than it was at the start. Yet the cost of feed, labour, equipment,, overhead, and everything has greatly increased. The increased cost of production should, and can, be met by an increased yield of milk and butter-fat. At very little outlay "some dairymen have increased their average production by one-half in ten years. It.meant paying a little more for the sire; it meant taking time to know how much milk and fat a cow was producing in a lactation; it meant culling out the cows that were not paying their way; and it meant feeding the good cows better. But the results are well worth while. This cTy of “I have’nt time to keep records of the cow” is all wrong. These same men are, no doubt, spending very much of their time at much less remunerative work. The person who does use the simple means at hand to direct himself toward greater returns has no right to complain about, hard times, because he himself is to blame that the returns are not higher. It is a mighty difficult task for farmers to go out and reduce the price of things they have to buy. It. is still more difficult, to combine to set a price for the produce they have to sell, but the individual farmer has it within his power to work towards an increased yield of milk and fat, better quality calves, increased yield of crops, etc. This in itself will bring better times for himself. It is not necessary to have pure-breds in order to have a big, milk or cream cheque coming in each month; good grades will do that. It is necessary, however, that a purebred sire be used on the good grades. Without the breeders of stud or purebred cattle, the owner of grade stock would be nothing like so far ahead as he is. There is no use in bewailing the fact that you have only a grade herd; rather set out to improve that grade herd to the point where it is best in the country.

STUDY THE SOW. The claim that early weaning is profitable because of the saving of the time of the sow is difficult to substantiate. The maternal duties of the sow are much greater than those of any other domesticated atitoal. The in-

crease in family usually. takes place twice a year, against the single arrival of the foal, the calf, and the lamb. So few people appear to realise the fact that the. average weight of skin, bone, muscle, etc., which the sow has to manufacture, in the production of each litter may be from 251 b to 501 b, and that at least twice a year this great strain has to be borne by the sow, in addition to providing a full supply of milk to her two families per year. It may appear to be advisable to shorten th.e time between the. arrival of each litter of pigs from a sow, but it must, not be forgotten, that there is a limit to the ability of the sow to produce and rear litters satisfactorily. Two litters per year is all that should be asked of a sow; this will give, roughly, 32 weeks in the production of two litters, 16 weeks in fearing them, and four wekes for begetting in pig. From this it will be gathered that the best age for weaning pigs. is about eight weeks.