FARM and DAIRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 25 October 1924, Page 11

FARM and DAIRY

NOTES BY‘THE WAY

Speaking recently at a meeting to farewell a leading distinct public man, a visitor paid another well-deserved compliment toi the Dairy Division for their good work. He said that there ; were no instructors years ago, but during the last ten years Mr Singleton had done a very fine work in this direction, and some of the best men on the staff were to be found in Patea. The yield depends on the amount of casein and fat in the milk. Casein -.might be called the sponge that holds the moisture in cheese. “Yen should aiin at the standard of English and Scotch Cheddars,” said a speaker of experience at a dairying function the ' other day. 'Clean milk gives good sound keeping i, cheese. That, is the main reason for impressing on suppliers the urgent need for extreme care with, their milk and | everything about the sheds and the dairying stock. With thorough cleanliness, there, would be no need for pasteurising but for the flavours of some of the root crops. This is one of the great arguments in favour of the succulent Chou Moellier. Considerable success is being experienced by Mr E. B. Levy in : Kis organising the re-grassing experiments in the hill country behind Stratford. If it turns out to be a practicable scheme the value is almost boundless. Top-dressing encourages the clovers and ryes, and it is from the finer grasses that the dairying herd gets that which is . to. be converted into butter-fat. Clovers will always estab lish the good grasses, and this is proved year after year. They collect nitrogen from the air, and the roots open up the ground. They are responsible for securing a bigger yield. In laying down a new pasture a good coat of grass must be secured before the cattlo. get on to the paddock. The total area of State plantations embraces 51,825 acres, and the planting programme for the coming year is: Hanmer Springs plantation, 750 acres; Balmoral plantation, 450 acres; Green?--g vale plantation, 500 acres; Naseby plantation, 100 acres; total, 1800 acres. In addition, arrangements have been made for the supply of sufficient tiees to plant 200 acres at the West Coast experimental area. The Director of Forest Service re- 1 commends the establishment of a special State Forest Account of ±.500,000 to he used for the acquisition of forests and consolidation of permanent State forests. Financial assistance to a recognised school of 'forestry is advised, as trained' foresters are sorely moiled, and he states that the time is now ripe for the establishment on a. modest scale of a forest products 1 abort 1 cry, where research and study if wood problems, timber seasoning find development of uses for the annual v. a stage of 8,000,000 tons of wood can be carried out. Adequate control of doer calls for early oouesrtefi at lion, as present measures have not proved gether effective. It has been said that super continuously.used is inclined to sour the land, but an expert has affirmed his experience that after sixteen years’ use there was less acidity than before using. Generally speaking, lime is wanted badly on Taranaki land. Many farmers affirm, after long experience, that the plough should not he used, and that they looked forward to seeing the plough, banished from the Taranaki good lands. An old farmer in South Taranaki said the best calves he had ever reared had been brought up largely on oats. They liked crushed oats, and after drinking would come hack and pick them up at all times. It was the finest of all fodders. “All land-will respond to correct treatment,” said a practical farmer the other day, empliasising the value of top-dressing, “and will produce much more.” This is the process that will have to be followed throughout dairying districts as competition stiffens and prices abroad probably do not rise beyond what was considered four years ago a very low figure. The output per acre will have to be largely increased, and this will mean more intensive cultivation-on smaller areas. ’ If a herd is averaging ITClbs on poor country, it is possible to largely increase, perhaps double the output, on better country or by the improvement of that poor land, but it is ridiculous that- herds should be doing no more tlian ITOlbs on the rich lands of a province like Taranaki. • Indications .are for a moist season —' and so far this is being borne out—up to the longest day. That will make an excellent foundation for the season. The hardships c.f the wayback settler —and not so very far back—were voiced by a. deputation 'that waited on the Patea County Council last Tuesday, from the back of the Ball Road where it ends in a track. All they asked was expenditure of enough of their rates to enable, them to get out their wool. In the course of discussion it was stated that their track, though some work had been done, was almost unusable by a horseman, and a washout had ihude even that impossible, so that they could get neither way. One of. the party said that if a horse attempted the journey along what he described as only a pig track it would never recover or come up again. They quite naturally felt very keenly the fact that money was liberally spent in more favoured districts, and did nc.t hesitate to say so, and they expressed the opinion that no fresh settlers would come into country which was so situated. The members of the council, ’ while referring to the difficulty experienced in getting work done in such localities, were very sympathetic and promised immediate relief and an effort to effect permanent improvement next season. The young Jersey cow Sylvia’s Pet, horn May 5, 1920, on her first calf when 2 years 144 days old, yielded 10,1751 b milk. 5641 b fat. in 863 days, and calved again on November 4, 1923. She was fed 301 b swedes, 141 b potatoes, 151 b clover hay, 21b oats. 21b maize, 2lb oil cake, or a total of 241 b of dry matter 1 per day. Her dam, Sylvia, yielded 61301 b milk, 5.6 per cent, of fat, in 45 weeks, and her granddani, Spangle, produced 80501 b milk, 4.9 per cent, of fat. in 47 weeks. These figures are verified by the English Jersey Cattle Society. The Geneva correspondent of the Daily Telegraph states that much satisfaction is expressed at the announcement that New Zealand butter will be imported into Switzerland. A Genevese wholesale dealer, who saw New Zealand’s exhibit at 'Wembley, found that the butter could be sold at Geneva at 2s 2d a lb, as compared with Swiss butter at 3s a lb. Accordingly he arranged with the New Zealand produce organisations, co-opera-tive and wholesale, to send him regular supplies. . The returns for English Jersey cows which finished their lactation period previous to April. 14, 1924, shows Mrs v-olyn’s seven-year-old cow Wc.tton Lady Vil at the head of the Register of Merit- for butter-fat with 13,3321 b milk. 6251 b fat, in 361 days. Register of Merit bulls include the bull Prome-

theus 13,391, (imp.), owned in Australia by-Sir Samuel Hordern, but bred by Mr Bruce Ward. Three of his progeny, Pommery, Piroutte, and Princess Marigold, averaged 98491bs milk, 5321bs fat, in 313 days. Prometheus has sired a number of \yinners in Australia, among them being Mr R. B. Kerr’s Retford Lord Twylish, which won second prize for two-year-old hulls at Melbourne last year. The 11th volume of the Jersey Stud Book has been published, and contains the pedigrees of 407 bulls and 1691 females, bringing the number of published pedigrees to 3466 bulls and 14,807 cows. The volume contains illustrations of typical specimens of the Jersey breed, and general information relating to- the breed. Of ' the. 748 members listed, 385 are in Victoria, 246 in New South Wales, 58 in South Australia, 32 in Tasmania, and 27 in Western Australia. Copies of this volume, which is published by the Federal Council in Sydney, may be had on application to the secretary of the Australasian Jersey Herd Society (Victorian branch), Collins House, Melbourne. The winning pigs at the Highland Agricultural Society’s Show at Perth in the class for two crossbred pigs suitable for bacon-curing purposes, and about 2001 b live weight, was a Large White-Middle White cross shown ?bv Mr W. Newbigging, ' Corstorphine. These pigs weighed 3691 b before slaughter and 3121 b dead weight, difference 571 b, or 15.45 per cent. The feeding stuffs used were baTley meal, pollard, and white fishmeal, the fishmeal being fed up to a month before the show. Daring an informal discussion on farmers little daily problems after a local body meeting, a settler was referring to the cunning shown by cows in getting through a fence if there was- something on the other side they fancied, and instanced one of his-heifer's which was repeatedly found in the garden round the house. Then, he added, he was talking to his boy about fit' and the youngster, who' had just been reading the Hawera Star’s iarmmg page, said, “But, Dad, here’s "'omething to cure her,” and pointed to a. diagram giving a specific for preventing an animal getting through a fence, which had beeu proved to be quite effective.

At a function held recently ‘n Patea to farewell M : r Grainger, Mr H. E. Deane, one of the oldest zesifients, said he came first in 1866 and returned in' 1870. Mr G. F. Sherwood tv as first chairman of the Harbour Board, and during his term the foundation of the eastern breakwater tvas Hid.' One of the earliest contractors was a Mr Dickson, who was killed on the- works. Subsequent chairmen were Messrs Cout-ts, J. Gibson, W. G. Symes, Finnerty, Deane, McKenna, and tfi. V. Pearce. v

Patea grading works, said Mr-Wood at the farewell to Mr Grainger lea-nr-ly, had shown an increase since 1909 of 86 per cent. At one time Patea had the greatest output of cheese, but now Wellington -vis* leading, though that port took in West Const and Marlborough. Talking of . rim eaily days on the coast, an old settler said that at one time sheep were worth so little i hat they were .surn iim >s killed for their skins, which realised a little, the carcase being fiurnt and the lesmue thrown away. Writing of affairs -n Kenya (East Africa), the London Tines of April said: “Prosperity has come to the colony; the maize farmers are making money ; railway extensions are commonplace -developments.” It is interesting to. read c.f money being made out of maize, and also of a general condition of prosperity in that colony, although j reports have’sseveral times state! thataffairs generally are unesttled and the colonists distrust Downing Street. Writing to the Herald after a visit to Copenhagen,. Major Sandford, who : went in charge of the Boy Scouts to the World Convention, says of , the methods adopted in Sweden: “On the way we went through intensely cultivated land. Barley is the chief grain, wheat, oats and rye also being in evidence. Cowgrass is grown largely and made into hay. The reaper -and Binder has taken the place of reapinghonk and scythe for grain, the ec-ythe still being used on the grass plots, as also on the green fodder used toi feed the cows, whic-h are tethered on grass plots and fed front the narrow strips of green soiling growing in between. Sugar-beet grows well and seems to be the principal crop on the lower ground, the flooding in winter by the semi-salt water of the Baltic Sea leaving enough salt to act as a fertiliser for beet and mangold crops. The extent of the beet-growing is seen in a sugar facto nr near one of the railway stations, which is probably the largest factory I have seen in Scandina-via. It is a huge building, about 60 or 70 feet high and about 100 feet long, by perhaps 40 feet in width. It is connected with another building of nearly the same size by an elevated covered way, the whole covering about one-quarter acre of ground. I saw a large number of cows tethered out, all Friesians of a. type much like those in New Zealand. T only saw one of any other type and that was a Shorthorn—a ‘strawberry.’ The milkmaids were milking when I returned in the evening. They had a four-wheeled van drawn by a horseand they milked the cows where they were, emptying the milk into the cans in the cart. It seemed strange after our New Zealand plan of a cowshed and milking machines.” USING' CORRECT MANURES. Mr Robt. Dunn, one of'the most progressive and -enlightened farmers of the district, said the other clay s,t a Y\‘inmate farm meeting during- a general discussion, that thousands of pounds had been lost through using the wrong manures. Mr Deem replied that fins was so. and that was ‘lie reason for demonstration farms. All su-.ii bodies I should regularly set apart days when itlie public could be invitech ar.a as (wide a discussion as possible take p.'aee land so spread useful information, t-he j result of the experience of 1-renters, i Mr Long added that farms should all | experiment- to find the utmost stock that- could be carried, even if they carried move than a. good farmer would, because of the valuable information they could thus gather. > They should also aim at keeping the cost of maintaining the paddocks always in the best heart and with as much good pasture as possible, and record the best types of manures for the land of the district. In this way they could piove the utmost that could be got out of the cattle and eff the farm. PRACTICAL HINTS. In the course of a gmeral 'nfonnal discussion in farming matters "f all kinds at Manaia dur n g the meeting of the Waimnte West Demonvfi at ion 1 Farm Committee, many supgvsikjms ■ were made and lints givii which may be of use to young farmer-;. Cheese was one- subject, and : t was agreed that there was a problem in se- ' curing exactly what would he to the

taste of the consuming public ai Home, which after all must be the ultimate aim, for from that source comes the main part- of the return io the dairy fanner. The point was that oi moisture, and -one member put' the question thus; Factories have been losing thousands through having more fats and solids and less moisture in the output, and consumers did not appreciate the cheese. It was also- costing more io produce. Lucerne, when established, requires only one cultivation annually. The grower can cultivate too much. It requires more to be loosened up and cleaned. The question of manuring was brought up, and though it was affirmed by erne farmer that he got good results without, manure, the general opinion was emphatically that manuring Was essential for the best results. This was proved by the experience at the demonstration forms, where 50 per cent, more was secured by' the use of proper manures. Cattle when first put on any change of fodder such as lucerne or ensilage, did not at once take to the change, and needed a little time before they seerned to like it and do well. BACTERIA AND DAIRYING. INSTRUCTIVE LECTURE. An illustrated lecture of interest to the community in general, and the dairying industry in particular, was delivered recently on the subject, “Bacteria in the Dairy Industry,” by Mr. E. W. Hughes, B.Sc. (Agriculture). Mr. Hughes stated that he intended dealing with bacteria in many ways. He would first show what bacteria really were, how they grow and live, and how they depend on us, and how we depend upon them, and how they are isolated in .the laboratory. The science of bacteriology has made progress as regarding the effects of bacteria, and, all the work has been done’ during the last 10 years, and was of interest to all. Human, animal and ■plant diseases, normal and abnormal alterations in foodstuffs, the numerous bi-chemieal processes taking place in sewerage, manure, and in tsoil are duo to bacteria. Bacteria is continually at .work in the soil, and from plant products animals feed, and in turn become animals, products from which we get industrial products, and they in turn are used for food and clothing of man, which shows the complete interdependence of man and micro organisms, one not being able to live without the other. - Bacteria are characterised by their extreme minuteness, and take various forms. They multiply by dividing in two-, the multiplication being unique in the rapidity of dividing, one every 25 minutes taking place under favourable conditions. Some bacteria under unfavourable conditions produce what i,s known, as spores, which is a means of survival. A number of slides illustrating the isolation a.nd incubation of. bacteria- in the laboratory were shown. Environment affected the growth of bacteria organisms, and there was a temperature at which they grew- best. Fortunately, disease germs are easily killed and growth at- low temperature slow. Milk -when fresh contains 5000 bacteria per cubic centimetre; after 24 hours at 42 degrees, 24,00 (a decrease, the cooling-effect retarding the growth); at 50 degrees, 7000; at 65 degrees, 280,000; and at 90 degrees, 125.000.000 per c.c. Heat kills bacteria-, but cold only retards growth. The theory of pasteurising is that immediately rafter cooling the colonies are checked and the growth retarded. Sunlight is one of the best germicides, and exposure to- sunlight, weakens very much and often kills the germs of typhoid, and in- cities and dark places germs flourish. An intensely interesting slide that demonstrated the point was one taken on the Claudelands Racecourse, and ono in the Dairy Company buildings, which made the matter easily discernible to the audience. Dealing with sources of contamination. ib was necessary to have sheds and factories where milk is handled in a position to obtain plenty of light. Cows must be kent clean, and the; utensils used in the dairying industry are a- great- source of bacteria- contamination, being responsible - for 90 per cent. In the treatment of milk cams in a- series of experiments it was shown that cans- badly washed (milkv water present) contained 11.600.000 bacteria rser c.c.; apparently clean huh wet, 2.000.000; apparently clean, but, dw. 84.600; and steamed and dried with hot air, 500, which showed the vital necessity for cleanliness of dairying utensils. DRIVE GF 400,000 SHEEP. Thousands of spectators and a number of" Government officials assembled recently in the valleys of the Dee, the Wye. the Severn, and North Wales rivers to witness the dipping of sheep and lambs from the mountain ranges. Large numbers of tanks and baths lire erected on the mountains for the dipping against disease, and a “record” drive of over 400,000 sheep was begun, and was continued throughout the week. Each sheep must be in the bath for at least 30 seconds, and the animals were dipped in batches of six at a time. Forty thousand sheep were driven the first day over the moorlands of Merionethshire, Denbighshire, Carnarvonshire, and Montgomeryshire, and onlookers admired the way in which shepherds and dogs divided the sheep into groups and guided them to the bathing pools, afterwards separating the dipped sheep from the others. EARLY COLONISING. STRIKING PAGEANT. A most fascinatingly interesting pageant has lately been staged at Home, dealing graphically and faithfully with the early days in Australasian waters. Reporting it, London Times says:—“For Southward Ho! the prelude is at the Court of George 111. The blue carpet spread over a considerable part of the Stadium is said to he the largest ever made. Surrounded by halberdiers and Yeomen of the Guard, dancers in crocus tints go through the stately measures of the pavane. It is the era of powder and patches, of low curtseys and elaborate bows. There is a blaze of naval and military uniforms. Amid a group of naval officers come Cook and Captain Phillip. “I have, heard well of you. Captain Cook, from my Lords of the Admiralty,” says the King. “I confide to you the care of this expedition. We have heard that there are great new lands in the South, era. Seas, which may be added to our realm. Seek them out courageously and diligently, and take good note, mark you, of their possibilities of growing corn and pasturing sheep.” Thereby it will be gathered that the Pageant is not afraid of descending into the plainest details. “Farmer” George’s famous merino sheep from Spain are brought in. “I wish to see,” 1 his Majesty is understood to say, “if they can be used in England and in ' our Empire overseas. Who knows what

the future has in store for our race, and what new lands may be added to our throne by this expedition ? We may have farms and pastures wider than we have ever dreamt of before.” ONTARIO SETTLEMENT SCHEME. (Times Correspondent). A vigorous settlement campaign is to be carried out in New Ontario by the Provincial Government, which has appointed a Supervisor of Colonisation and Settlement. This great area of 330,000 square miles, which extends for nearly 1,000 miles from Quebec to the Manitoba boundary, consists of as fertile land as there is anywhere in the Dominion. The immediate policy of the Government will be to enlarge the existing settlements which are already provided with roads, schools, and other conveniences. The new settlers, who must be of a sturdy type, accustomed to the climatic conditions of Northern Ontario, and who must have some knowledge of mining, lumbering, and so on, will be suitably placed by the Government, which will also supervise their welfare after settlement. The Government intends immediately to undertake the work of providing adequate accommodation for the many settlers who have already applied for land in this new area. SHEEP DOG TRIALS. TAKOU-MANGAMINGI. Although this subject is primarily a sport it is solely a farmer’s sport, and, having such a useful practical value to farmers, it is fair matter for insertion in the columns devoted to farmers’ interests. The clubs throughout the Dominion —there are a large number—and the champion meetings are doing a good work for training of dogs for their life’s work. They have thus a direct influence for good on the work of the farmer by encouraging him to train dogs and meet his fellows in open, friendly and keen competition. But thej r also are valuable because of the fact that they bring men together from many districts, and provoke discussion oil the ways of dogs in working sheep and the best methods to be adopted to get the best out of the dogs. In some cases very markedly, and in every case to a certain extent, the competitions prove that the man should, and in fact must-, trust his dog._ Their instinct, if not a higher quality, leads them often to results of wdiich the man is not nearly so capable of securing. One quite often sees a capital drive by a dog marred from ill-advised interference by the man with his canine friend. The interest created by these meetings can best be realised from the number competing under the various clubs. It ivas mentioned at Mangamingi on Monday that 169 competed, and these were put through in three days. It speaks volumes for the committee and the judge. An anomaly in the varied definition of the word “novice” was referred to by the president of the Takou-Manga-mingi Sheep Dog Trial Club, when he stated that the novice under Hawera defining could win there and then compete as a novice at Mangamingi. In order to get over this., inequitable position it was defined that a. novice winning in any other club he debarred from competing; similarly at their club. WEATHER AND HARVEST CYCLES AN ARITHMETICAL ANALYSIS. In an article in the December, 1921, issue of the Economic Journal Sir W. H. Beveridge analyses the statistical data relating to the supply and prices of wheat over a very long period extending back as far as 1500 A.D., and compares this information with the meteorological records. The results of arithmetical analysis of the available figures are summarised as follows; (1) The harvests of Western and Central Europe appear to be affected by the conjunctions and mutual interferences of at least two and probably more periodic factors. (2) One of these factors (a) has approximately a period of 4.37 years. Another factor (b) has a period of 5.11 years. Two other factors are suggested with lesser degrees of probability, namely (c) with a period of 2-74 years and (d) with a period of 3.71 years. Periods of almost exactly these lengths have been found independently in astronomical or meteorological phenomena. (3) Ail these periods' are almost exactly devisible either in the 15.'3 years or its double (30.6), and by their combination have during the last 350 years produced the appearance of a cycle of that length which reached its maxim in 1908. Adding this 15.3 period to 1908 would indicate that the next crisis would he in 1923 or 1924. (4) The economic records dealt with relate only to Western 'and Central Europe, but there is evidence of the operation of some at least of the cycles indicated in other parts of the world. Further enquiries into the mathematical side of the problem are being undertaken with the idea of discovering the smaller periods separately by harmonic analysis, but the work has not yet been completed. The results achieved by Sir W. H. Beveridge in this investigation confirm previous results achieved hv him. In an earlier paper he stated that past experience pointed to lean years in 1924, 1925, and 1926, but now he points out that the economic records of any year reflect generally the harvest condition of the year before. He adds: “if I had now to prophesy I should point to 1923 as likely to' be distinguished by excessive rain, cold and bad harvest in j Western Europe, and to bring high prices and scarcity in 1924.” The 15.3 year cycle, as an influence on wheat prices, seems to have maintained itself for more than 350 years. Recognition of a periodicity so marked and so long lived must affect our whole attitude to the general problem of wheat cycles.

Sir W. H. Beviridge summarises his conclusions in three propositions of a descending order of certainty; (1) The yield of harvest in. Western and Central Europe from the middle of the sixteenth to the opening of the twentieth century has been subject to a periodic influence or combination of such influences tending to produce bad harvests at intervals of about 15.3 years. This proposition is about as certain as mathematical analysis can make it.

(2) This period of 15.3 years though corresponding to certain physical facts is not a permanent one, but arises from a temporary combination of two or more shorter cycles. This proposition. though not certain, is in both of its branches highly probable. (3) The shorter cycles whose combination has given 'rise to the 15.3 year period from 1566 onwards, and which are themselves more permanent than their combination, are those named above as (A) equals 4.37 years. (B) equals 5.11 years, and (probably) .(C) equals 2.74 and (D) equals 2.71 years. This proposition is more or less a speculation'. Th next maximum phase of the 15.3 year cycle is due in 1923. As the critical year of 1923 is rapidly ap-

proaching, the author has issued the result so far obtained in his research without waiting for the completion of the enquiry. CANADIAN HARVEST. FAVOURABLE CROP REPORT. Little noteworthy change in the business situation is said to be perceptible in Canada, and trade generally has settled down to the quiet and steady midsummer rate, pending the expected autumn .rise. Caution in commitments by buyers is combating the undertone of optimism in respect of the gradual autumn improvement, owing to the sound basic condition. The Government crop report, giving conditions at the end of July, is moderately more favourable than seemed warranted for the Prairie Provinces,owing to the drought which affected extensive areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan in the early summer. Conditions in Eastern Canada, especially in Ontario and Quebec, are reported to be generally satisfactory, and with enhancing prices for farm products, considerably higher returns tc. farmers are assured,' compared with last year. It is estimated that the increased value of agricultural products this year in Ontario alone will he fully fifty? million dollars. In the Prairie Provinces Manitoba reports most satisfactory conditions, although much depends on the weather during the next three weeks, when the harvesting of wheat starts. There are some traces of trust, hut so far they are negligible, and no more serious than in an average year. There will undoubtedly be very considerably lower yields in Alberta and Saskatchewan than last year, but on the whole it is probable that the prairie wheat crop will equal at least-the average of the past six years, -while the increase in the price of approximately one-third for wheat will in a measure compensate for the big fall-off in quantity, as compared with a year ago. THE CATTLE BUSINESS. IN SOUTH AMERICA. The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board has received the following letter from its South American representative, dated August 20, 1924: Cattle—The general scarcity of fat cattle at this season of the year (about the end of winter) has caused values to be well maintained, though very probably prices will begin to decline as the supply of cattle off the early grass becomes more plentiful. Swifts have just erected a new plant at Rosario, which is expected to be working within a few weeks, and which will enable that plant to handle the cattle supply in the more northern part of this Republic, while a limited supply of sheep will also he available, principally from the province of Entre Rior, “where there are considerable numbers of sheep. Rosario is an important centre up the river and a convenient centre for a wide productive district, and the lesser railway freight than to the other plants much further to the south will give the Rosario works an advantage in competing for the freezer grade of cattle, though the expenses of sending chilled beef to the fast overseas boats leaving this capital or La Plata will be against their handling prime chilled. Prime steers are in good demand, and best quality scarce at an fidyance of 20 pesos over former values. This would suggest that the available supply of young steers is not as abundant as formerly. I am convinced that within a few years less beef will be exported from this country, as the present heavy killings I don’t think can be maintained. Sheep—Values _ for all good quality sheep are exceptionally high. Pasture is generally’ scarce, though in the earlier district shows signs of responding to the influence of early spring. There are several lots of New Zealand-bred Lincolns now here, but so far no sales have been made, as it is early in the season for the sale of rams. CROPS AS CLUES. /INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS. Valuable archaeological discoveries—impossible by persons on the groundhave been made by means or photographs from aeroplanes (says a London message). The idea was conceived and carried out by Mr. Alexander Keiller and Mr. G. G. S. Crawford, Archaelogical .Officer of the Ordnance Survey. Experiments were made on ancient sites in Hants, Wilts, and Dorset, and over 300 photographs were taken. “The subjects taken,” writes Mr. Crawford in .the Observer, “were of two kinds —perfect earthworks on the downs, such as camps, Roman roads, lynchets, boundary ditches, and barton s; and destroyed earthworks visible only from the air. These latter we called ’streak-sites.’ “The perfect earthworks are best seen and photographed early or late in the day, when the low sun casts long shadows and reveals small banks which are invisible during the rest of the day. (Lynchets faded comnletely away three hours after sunrise). ~ “Streak-sites are made visible by the crops, which take a darker hue when they grow upon a silted-up ditch. The gieater depth of color can be seen on the ground (though the plan cannot). found a multitude of these streak-sites. They were- detected whereever a Roman villa was known to have stood, and it will certainly be possible to locate new villas by aerial observation. The pattern of at least one important new Romano-Britisli village was . thus marked out in oats upon a carpet of soil.” Mr. Crawford says a new site was found at Exbury, at the mouth of the Beaulieu river, and three new hilltop camps—-on the south-eastern spur of Ha m hie do li Hill, Dorset; on the hill called woodbury, south of Salisbury; and the third immediately west of Hants. "We found many new grounds of round barrows the burial mounds of the prehistoric people (Mr. Crawford acids). The mounds themselves had generally been ploughed quite, flat, but i- 1 ? circle of the surrounding ditch was revealed by a dark green band. One fact is quite evident—that no amount of cultivation can obliterate the traces of prehistoric activities.” DAIRYING research. ACTION BY NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT. A new and up-to-date building for the National Intsitute for Research in Dairying has been opened at Shinfield, Reading (says an exchange. ) The institute is one of the lesearch institutes which were founded oy the Board of Agriculture as part of the scheme for agricultural research formulated under the Development and Road Improvement Fund Act, IDO9. Reading was chosen as the centre for dairy investigation, and in 1912 the Research Institute in Dairying was /established nt Unj.veirs&ty Reading. The staff of the institute, which consisted, in the first instance, of a bacteriologist, a chemist, and a laboratory assistant, wms housed on the op floor of a du’elling-house, which had been adapted for laboratory pur-

poses. It was not possible at the out- .1 set to provide the institute with the t experimenal farm and dairy which, were * necessary ior the full performance of j its functions, and it was dependent for y these facilities on the College Farm j and the British Dairy Institute at Beading pniveTsity ; College. 1 In Oc- ■ 1 tober. 1920, thb Institute obtained pos- * session of, Shinfield Manor Estate. of • about'3so,v acres, and the experimental ’ farm was started with the ifarm :boihl- - ings then existing. . 1 In June. 1921, by means, of a, grant ' from the Development ’ Commissioners 1 and: private donations, it was possible < to complete the purchase of the es- 1 tate. and-at this time the government J of the Institute was reorganised. The i new buildings include a dairy, com- - prising" a separating- room, "storage -eel- ] , lars, . scullery and milk receiving ] room. An ammonia, cold storage plant has- been installed. anS in addition .to its-general utihcy .it will be used for : experiments on the effects of cold ! storage on'milk, ice cream, butter and : cheese. The new laboratories are ; "equipped Tpr chemical and bacteriological 1 investigation, and housed in the same building is the 'library,- which contains over 2000 .books,' of which about 1000 are volumes of journals, chiefly British, American and French and German. On the dairy farm a herd of from 40 to 50 cows, is maintained; and the new buildings in connection with this branch of the Institute’s activities • comprise food stores,) granaries, silo, yards for cows, calving boxes. calf and bull pens, and a milking shed. REMARKABLE POSSIBILITIES. Lord Elveden, who opened the new Institute before a representative gathering'of agriculturalists, said, tliat the . institute, tiespite the • fact that it had for some time to carry .on its work-in buildings . which' were- not Very suitable for .the had accomplished • great things and had tackled many. • practical [problems, some of. which, it bad solved. There had sprung up round the. Institute an industry . which was almost unique—an industry'engaged in the supply of wholesome milk from animals that had passed the tuberculin ; test,' and which was being sold at / prices within the means of even the.. poorest members of the \eommunity. i That in itself was a- wonderful thing, ! and.it proved how greatly benefited the .. farmers in that neighbourhood had /- been by the research work of the Ini';; stitute. He was told , that the Insti- < tut-e, by giving the right sort bf food to the cow in the right- quantities, had rendered possible the production of - y milk at twopence or threepence a.gal- ; Jon- cheaper than many farmers could produce it at, and that was'a branch of its activities which suggested most V . valuable possibilities. {They Ihjad to realise that the feeding of tlie cow af- &■ fected the quality of the milk, its health-giving qualities so / far as human beings were concerned # and the < healthiness,' too, of the cowls own offspring. Thus vista after vista might l be. opened by scientific research work /■‘which would' enable the farmer to -keep better cows, to produce better milk, and to secure for himself a l»etter;; profit. , When they realised, too, that milk production carried the: largest amount of labour oh the land, .they had a great national vista before them o-f. increasing prosperity to the tryside which must react on the whole community, and improve their conditions in every way. It was encouraging to know that the principles laid down by the institute had been adopted by the Government of New Zealand, and that the Dutch, too, were also proposing to apply Science found out things which, though, they seemed small when applied to vast numbers of cattle' and herds, ...and- if applied to the whole nation. , were of most vital importance. - One of tlie greatest difficulties which they „,ha.d possibly to face was that of getting some of their discoveries accepted by the whole community, and in that connection they had, of course, to rely upon the assistance of the Press, who bad already helped them enorm- , ously. He did not think it was possible to exaggerate the change in public opinion which "Had already ctfme over the country in respect of the work of the Institute and the advantage to the community of producing better milk. TRADE WITH JAVA. A' member of a well-known firm who do business in the East stated to a commercial paper his opinion that there was a great opening for New Zealand produce in Java, and that great quantities of butter* and cheese could be profitably marketed in that country. He added that there was also art. even bigger opening for live cattle for - slaughtering purposes. He said - there was ample land" for the purpose of fattening cattle 80 miles inland and at an altitude of 1000 feet, where Jerseys and Friesians’ were ! .doing remarkably well. At present there Was a demand in the market for from 50 to 100 beasts per day, and that this was capable of. tremendous increase ‘ were the business properly developed. ENSILAGE. Address on ensilage-making delivered at a meeting of the Stratford Jersey Club by Mr. J\ W. Deem, instructor in agriculture:The making of ensilage, said Mr. Deem, should he a- very important featrueCAm the farm work’of a great many districts of New Zealand, but' especially in districts' where the,' weather is tricky- and -the' making of good hay is afdoubtful undertaking and a. source of worry to the farmer. Even in districts where fairly good hay can be . made it is just questionable whether it 'would not be a better paying proposition to turn a portion of the available hay material into silage. Ensilage has this great advantage over hay, that it can he made just when thf

nnaterial is ready. Weather condi-1 turns do not intervene 10 any groat extent, as, unless it is actually .raining hard, the work need not be held up; for instance, showery weather does not hurt except that it increases the weight of the material to be handled. Ensilage has the further advantage over hay that a great deal of rough material, such as coarse grasses, thistles, etc., that' would not make palatable hay will make fairly good silage, as the process of curing softens the hard stems and makes the material edible. At the same time, it -should here be pointed out that poor material will not make the best ensilage, a 3 in other crops the better the material the better the ensilage, but lot me repeat that very useful ensilage can be made from material that otherwise would be -wasted. A good stack or pit of ensilage is the best insurance policy a dairy farmer can have on his farm. If not required at once it will keep for several years if properly made. Use of Ensilage. Ensilage will be found invaluable foi; all classes of stock, but especially for milch cows, t-o take the" place of roots and hay during the autumn, winter and spring.*' For feeding to dairy cows a month or two before calving it cannot be ex- , celled. Experiments show that cows fed on good ensilage will give almost, if not quite as good a return as when fed on the best of roots and green fodders. Cows fed on ensilage have a mellow appearance as compared with those fed on hay. Their skins ' are softer and looser, they calve and clean., up better, and come to profit quicker.

The objection to ensilage is the cost of handling the mass of green material/as compared with cured hay. If a mechanical stacker is used for hoisting and sweeps or sledges employed to cart the material to- the stack, the labour is greatly minimised, and under these conditions would, in a great many cases, be less than that necessary to make hay, and the material would he saved at its best .vul the worry qf hay-making cut out. It must be recognised that a. great deal of the so-called hay saved in many parts of New Zealand has had such a doing from rain and weather that' by the time it reaches the stack it is little, if any better, than badly saved.wheat straw.

Material

Having decided that it is good farming practice to make ensilage/the next consideration is the best material to use.

As for material, good grass and clover are very hard to beat, and if they are mixed in fairly even proportions and properly saved the resultant silage is almost perfect! Among the special crops, oats, -wheat or ;barley, ina-ize, millet, or sorghum in conjunction with tares of peas are about the best combinations. Any of the cereals, maize, millet, or sorghum, will make good ensilage by themselves, but the addition of tares or peas increases the protein content in the silage and a better balanced ration is produced. Lucerne also makes good ensilage, but being very rich in protein it is better mixed with grass, millet or maize, so that it will produce a more balanced fodder.

Lucerne grow.ers frequently find a difficulty in disposing of the ’first cutting from a lucerne field 111 the spring, and as this cutting generally contains a good deal of foreign matter in the shape of grass, weeds, etc., it would make good ensilage without the addition of other mixtures, and there is no better way of dealing with it. On a great many farms there i s a surplus of grass towards the end of November. This would, with great advantage, he cut and made into ensilage. Besides producing a quantity of good silage the removing of this grass will greatly benefit the pasture by allowing the clovers and fine grasses to come away and provide a dense green covering. Of the special crops, temporary pasture, Italian Rye 201bs, Red Clover Gibs, wheat or oats 2 bushels in conjunction with 1 bushel tares or peas per acre are probably the best. The wheat or oats and tares may be sown in the autumn, fed off during tjie winter and spring, and then let run for a crop, being ready for cutting early in December. Peas are first-class for spring sowing, but do not stand the winter and feeding if sown in the autumn. Peas 1 bushel, beans 2 bushels, is also a good ensilage crop, likewise millet 161bs per acre or maize 2 bushels per acre, but as already pointed out millet or maize is better when mixed with legume like lucerne or peas. Peas ma}? be grown in conjunction with either millet, or maize or an area of one of the latter crops and an area of peas grown separately and mixed when stacking. This usually .gives the heaviest crops. Time to Cut. As in making good hay, material for ensilage making.should be cut at the right time if first-class ensilage is desired. Mixed grasses should be cut when the predominating varieties -are in bloom, cereals just when the grain is thickening from the milk to the dough stage, and maize when the cobs are taking on a glazed appearnee, and peas and tares between the blooming and early podding stages. Methods of Saving. There are three different methods of making ensilage-.—The-pit, the stack, and the silo. The. silo has many advantages, especially if it can be erected in a central position, so as to minimise the carting of green material. It should he

fitted with a cutter and blower or elc vator for economy in filling. It is best to have two medium sized rather than one large one. This enables the farmer to be filling one while the other is being used. This is a great advantage where silage is being used for summer feeding and when small quantities of materia! are available from time to time. Where possible, in erecting silos a site should be chosen where a fair depth of the silo may be let into a- bank. This secures economy in erecting and subsequent hoisting of material. Where suitable banks are to be had in handy positions, the pit is a very fine wav of making ensilage, and frequently a pit can be provided in each field' or one can be made where it will suit two or three paddocks. In choosing the site for a pit, care should he taken to see that it can he conveniently filled from above and that a good road can be got from the front of the pit for carting out the material. A round pit is much better than a square one. as .it is difficult to fill the corners satisfactorily in the, latter so as to exclude the air, and there is generally considerable loss from this cause. The walls should have a slight hatter, l in 15 being about right. The opening to a round pit should, if possible, be just wide enough to allow a dray to back in and where the pit is to he permanent, the corners of the opening should he cemented so as to carry timber to. close the opening as the stack is being filled. In the case of a temporary pit a good stout post may he placed at these corners and timber for closing the opening should not be less than two-inch stuff. Tn filling a pit, great care should he taken to see. that it is evenly filled and that the sides are well tramped, so that there is no possible chance of the material leaving the walls and admitting air. The .same precautions are necessary in filling the pit as in building a stack to see that the temperature is nmperlv controlled. The following table gives the approximate holding capacity of round .pits or silos :-

20 x I.O—SO tons. 20 x 12—45 tons. 24 x 12 —55 tons. 20 x 14 —60 tons. 30 x 12—75 tons. 30 x 14—100 tons

The stack on the average farm will be the system followed by the majority of farmers for a long time and has a great, deal to recommend it. in that the stack may be built in the field where the material is grown. This means a great saving of haulage. In building an ensilage stack it is very important that the farmer should have a fair idea of the quantity of material he lias to put in and the size of the stack required. The following ''figures may be useful. A good average meadow hay crop will provide about 7 tons of green material; a fair crop of lucerne or temporary pasture 7 to 9 tons, good crops up to 10 or 12 tons; special crops of cereals or tares or peas about 10 tons, extra good giving as high as 12 to 14 tons per acre; millet 12 to 16 tons and maize about 30 tons, extra good crops running up to as high as 50 tons of green material per acre. About 20 tons "is the minimum amount of material which should be put- into an ensilage stack. The approximate sizes of stacks are 20 to 40 tons 14 x 14, 50 to 70 tons 16, x 18. 80 to 1.00 tons 20 x 24. The best time to cut has already been dealt with, but itmay again, be repeated that the material should go in at its best and while it retains sufficient sap to bring about the necessary fermentation or cooking. Occasional showers during the building of the stack are generally an advantage and necessary if the material has been allowed to become over-ripe. Having got everything ready for a start cut sufficient material and build the stack un to 8 or 9 feet the first day. Usually the material should be cut and- put ■straight into the stack with "the exception of lucerne crops containing a lot of very succulent material like sow thistles. In such cases it may be allowed to wilt for a few hours before stacking. The stack having been built up to 8 or 9 feet should be allowed to stand for one or more days until it has settled down properly and the I temperature in the centre of the stack is between 120 and 130 degrees, the best ensilacre being made between 120 and 140 degrees. The temperature having risen to the proper point stacking may be continued from nay to day. but if it is noticed that the stack is not settling or that the temperature is low give it a. spell again for a day or two. The .practice is this —If ‘ the temperature is getting ton liiodi, add mn«) material; if too low, refrain Urn" adding material until it has reached the desired point.

Experienced ensilage makers can te 1 ] from the fop] and anrearsnca of flip ook if the temperature is rie-bt. but heirinner.s will find it e rr"oof, help if they use a thermometer. Ml thnt is T’ocepo-iry is a niece of pipin<r ?in. or Tin. four to six feet Inner Tnf.o ei-.p end of this n. pointed stick should be nlae-'d and driven into the stack. Tim thermometer could then he attached to a piece of stripy and lon-oT-pd down the pipe. An ordinary •milk thermometer would he satisfactory.

Th P +.V‘rmnm*'W mnv bo gulled nn +iino to time as required to as'•A"t'ii>i th" temperature; when ready to start buildivm- noain >omnve the '->im ond 1 hennometer. placing it jo onsition main nt th Q end of the day’s iT-n-i- When hnildine- t.he «tack fake crmnt pq>-« to see that the outside iwdts find are i-eof firm o-ntnri'ifi. The centre should hp V A nt r " 1 >, hot. net hearted up like a hay , *

stack, the idea being to keep the surface of the stack as near level as possible during building, with the walls hard and firm to exclude air. When finishing the stack it should be heart- i ed up so that when earth is applied the centre will be a little higher than the wall. During the process ot * building the stack should be frequent- ; ly pulled hard and the materia! thrown into the centre. If, while the , stack is being built, the wind is con- , stant from one quarter, it will have a tendency to drive the heat to the lea side of the stack and cause uneven heating and settling, with the result that the stack sometimes topples over ■ To guard against this a sheet of some 1 sort should be hung on the windy side 1 while it is blowing. When the build- ; ing of the stack is finished it must 1 he weighted to cause even settling and 1 control the temperature, and in most i places earth is the most suitable foi ‘ this. If the stack is hot and settling i quickly the earth should be put on at ■ once, but if the settling is slow, it )« ; best to wait a day or two before.ap- • plying the soil, a.s by this time the ' height of the stack will be consider- ' ably reduced, ami it will be seen if i the settling is even. It is good pra-c----tice to put a. frame of some sort ■ armmd the stack to hold the earth '• This frame should go as near the edge Jas possible. The nearer the pressure ' can be got to the edge the less will be ' the wastage of material. Sometimes ! a frame of sawn timber, two 6 x 1 f lengthways supported by 3xl stay* 7 and braced lengthways and across with fencing wire is used; but the more • common practice is to procure some 1 poles, put them along the sides and - ends, tying across with wire and ' placing earth inside these. .Another ? useful method is to run a wire around 1 the stack about two feet from the • edge, tying it with cross wires, then 1 fill old manure bags or benzine tins ' with soil and bung these to the wire to v 'sorve as a frame. Others again " simplv put the earth on and trust to f luck in getting it as near the edge as possible. The fault of this system is that the loss around the stack is (rreater. The soil should be put on 9 to 10 inches along the sides, running to 15 tn 18 inches-in the centre The"’ stack should be watched for a week or two to see that it settles even!v. some of the earth being removed from place to place or more added if found necessary. The stack V may he fed at any time, but it- is beta ter’ to stand a month or two: when € reudv to feed only open a small area e of the stack at once so that at least a 6 inches of the whole area will be re- £ moved daily. Ensilage deteriorates rapidlv when exposed 'to the air. In r feeding, start with 2 or 3lbs per cow £ until they get used to it, gradually ink c-easing un to 30 or lOlbs. which y should be the maximum for ordinary VY « pi^nosoc. Thinner the ■ p r o<*ess of saving ensiV ® ocre it is good policy to add. salt, as it d improves the quality of the silage and is a good way of feeding salt to the o stock. The poorer the material the “ more salt should be added. _ Use 4t n . filbs per ton of green,material. Stock a feeding. on si'age to which .salt has Keov, added will require plenty of good water. :-o / ' £ AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 10 it it OBSERVATIONS IN CANADA. ie 3t a- HON. G. FOWLDS’ IMPRESSIONS. rs . -e 7 During his recent visit to Canada e ~ and the United States the Hon. George Y~ Fowlds, pres-dent of the Auckland Unu R ve.sity College Council, took the op- % portutiity of visiting a number of uniie versities, giving special attention u it those which'had developed considerable laculties or schools of scientific agna cultural education and experiment. 7 In a report which fie presented tc >e the Council at its meeting, Mr, jjowidt -e stated that he began with the Unilt versity of British Columbia, at Van;o couver, and travelling east through it Canada visited the University of Mamie toba, at Winnipeg, and the University k of Toronto, in the city of Toronto. He ie spent two days at Guelph Agricultural ID College, now a part of the University •e of Toronto, taking part in the semi- :- centennial celebrations of that wonderr. ful institution, which is the parent of is all Canadian Agricultural Colleges, rnd is which has made a valuable contribuir tion to the cause of scientific agriculp tural education throughout the world, d He also spent a day at the Macdonald Agricultural College, near Montreal, rl In the United States he visited the Wisconsin University at Madison, the n Minnesota University at Minenapolis. •_ the Agricultural College of Oregon at o Corvallis, the second largest agnciilp tural college in America with 4500 • students, the University of California at Berkely, the Leyland Stanford Unir versity at Paulo Alto, California, fin- }. ishing up with the University of p Hawaii at Honolulu.

The predominant impression left on his mind as the result of his visits and inquiries was the magnitude of the expenditure which had been made, and which was being made, in both Canada and America on scientific agricultural education and experiment, compared with the meagre expenditure which has been made or is proposed to be made in New Zealand, and that fact, made it very difficult to suggest even the preliminary steps which ought to he taken in New Zealand or in Auckland.

New Zealand’s geographical position and provincial interests and prejudices added greatly to the difficulty. One conclusion stood out clear and distinct as the result of all his interviews with educationists and laymen interested in agricultural education and that was the vital importance of agricultural education being included as an integral part of university education generally.

Mr. Fowlds recommended that the Council should proceed at an early date with the appointment of a professor of agriculture, stipulating for a man specially qualified to teach dairy science, dairying being the principal industry of the Auckland district, and endeavour to secure the services of a man with a strong and attractive personality, who would be able to travel round amongsi the agriculturists of the province and create the desire for scientific agricultural education, and at the same time stimulate a willingness to contribute the wherewithal to provide additional facilities for an extension of work of the school.

'He believed he made contact with men in Canada who would be willing to assist the college in securing the ser. vices of a good man to fill the position. The college could also secure the help of outstanding men in Great Britain. who would advise them regarding the fitness of any applicants in that country.—Auckland Star.