BY THE WAYSIDE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 60, 27 March 1937, Page 15

BY THE WAYSIDE

News df Interest to H«B. Farmers EMPIRE PIG SUPPLIES Homft and Empire pig meate have been available to the consumer in Great Britain td a far greater quantity during the l&st few years. Imports from Empire countriee last year were 735,000 cwt. greater than ifi 1934, and, aocording to the report of the Bfieon Marketing Board, registered ctirers ifi Great Britaifi cured 839,000cwt. more bacon last year than in 1934. Shorthorns Popular , Mr, Leonard Bull, the secretary Of the English Shorthorfi Society, mentioned that the society Was nCver in a stronger position that it was to-day. It has a membership of 3700, which is considerably more than double that of afiy other bfeed society, and of the bulls licenAed by the Ministry of Agriculture the majority are Shorthorns. Bacon Curing. A raview of curing methods show that of Wiltshire style bacon 45.60 pfir cent. was tank cured itt 1934 and 55.77 per cent. in 1935; says a Home COrrespondent. Ifi the latter ye&r 51.99 per cent. of the bacon from home piga was tank cured, nearly half of it still beifig dry cured. Threshing Retnmis. Kow that more threshing returas are coming to hand it is appai'efif that the later indications of an improved yield will be realised, says the Christchurch Press. Cases in which therg has bees a reduction are offset by those in which a eubstantial increase h&S taken plafife. It is very unlikely, however, that the flnal return will be up to last ^ear's average of 35i' bushels to the ficffe, though it would not surprise some observers to see a return of 34 bushels. / Water For Piga. In too many cases the only water which pigs get is along with their food. Usually too much water is given, so 1 that the pig, being hungry, takes more water than he needs. The first funetion of water, in connection with food, is to form a part of the flaliva. This acts largely as a lubricant to mastication, although it also carries some of the digestive juices. Kext, water is needed to dilute the masticfited food Still further, so that the digestive juices of the stomaeh afid elsewhere may permeate it. Then, when the digestible part of the food is in solution it must be carried through the wall of the gut into the blood stream so that it can be taken all over the body to the tisfeues in need of it. Kot'only does the blood carry food all through the body, but it also carries oxygen in the haemoglobin of the red corpuseles, and water- is the medium by which these are Awept all round the system. So make plenty of wfiter available at all tiiues. Super In Victoria A report issued by the Yictorian Department of Agriculture states that more than 300,000 tone of superphosphate were used by the man on the land in Victoria during 1936, and it is estimated that the plant food (phosphorio acid) supplied as superphosphate ±n excess of that guaranteed had a value of £27,000. It was especially gratifying to record tl^e exceptional quality of the superphosphate made in the State, more particularly when it was r^emembered that at least 85 per cent. of the annual artificial fertiliser output consisted of superphosphate, that it was used on about 97.5 per cent. of the wheat lands, and that the pastnre lands now top-dressed with superphosphate far exceeded 2,000,000 acres. Farm Nationalisation? A beginning is to be made this spring with an ambitious attempt to keep under close survey the day- today workinge of 2000 typical farms throughout England and Wales, It will be the first large-seale aulvey of the British agrieultural industry yet undertaken. The scheme is being or•ganised by the Institute for Research in Agri.ciUtural Economics, whose principal, Professor C. S. Orwin, favours lands nationalisation. The object of the survey is to find out what crops are profitable on typical farms in various parts of the country. Vfiriations in the cost of production of foods like milk, meat, and potatoes' will also be studied. • The inquiry is expected to last at least five years — a period which will enable variable weather conditions to be taken into account. The "Mifiistry of Agriculture will contribute towards the cost. Pedigree Graea Seeds With a view to further improving the pastures of the Dominion, the Division early in 1935-36 had harvested some Government pedigree grass and clover seeds, states the annual report of the Department of Agriculture. Such seed, which will be produced during each succeeding year, has beefi grown on eontract from seed especially raised at the Plant Research Station at Palmerston Korth. The production of such seed is eonsidered to mark a furthor advance in the already high standard of the Dominion 's certified seed. Pedigree stock seed is intended for sowing down areas to be devoted to the production of certified pedigree seed. Ko difficulty whatever was experienced in the disposal at remunerative prices of the 800 bushels of Government pedigree stock perenfiial rye-grass seed and several hundred pounds -of pedigree white-clover seed.