BY THE WAYSIDE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 11, 6 October 1937, Page 13

BY THE WAYSIDE

News of Interest to H.B. Farmers PEDIGREE RYEGRASS With a view to estabiishiug a- distinction between the pedigree ryegrass distributed by the Department o^ Agriculture and that obtained from harvesting under farm conditious it hag- been decided by the Department to re-namo the former as "Certified Government Stock Seed," This will be obtainable only from the Department, crops from this seed being brought into the pedigree class providing they are satisfactory. In the coming season and future seasons, the first harvest obtained from an area sown with Government stock seffed will be eligible for certification in the pedigree class subject to a satisfactory field inspeetion and also the holding of the seed. in a field-dressed condition pending a satisfactory type test. Degrading of the seed below the pedigree class will be resorted to in the event of the tests proving unsatisfactory. Canterbury Lambing. Lambing is now well advanced on the Canterbury Plains, and from all districts come reports of a satisfactory crop. Where tailing has taken place the percentages have generally been better than normal. Practically the whole season has been free of bad weather bursts, and this naturally has been the main cause of the good drop. Yery few lambs have beeu lost before they got on their feet and had a drink. Several flock-owners have mentioned that their percentages are decidedly better this season. More Manures Used. Statistics just issued show that there was an increase in the Dominion last year in the use of superphosphates and chemical fertiliseis. Superphosphates increased from 322,522 tons in 1935-36 to 347,469 tons in 1936-37. Chemical fertilisers increased in the same pi.riod from 31,549 tons to 48,674 tons. The value of the superphosphate was £1,263,111, and of the chemical fertilisers £222,437.

Manawatu Lambing. Sheep-farmers in the Manawatu districts have experienced an exceptionally favourable lambing season, for there has been an entire absenco of bleak winds and heavy Tain. As a result of the favourable weather there have beeu practically uo losses from that cause, but it is thought that there are fewer sets of twin lambs this season than in othe: years in the immediate vicinity of Palmerston North. A Kiwitea brecder, however, reports that twins are plontiful in the higher country. Sliorthorn for Solomons. A Shorthoru breeder in, New South Wales has recently shipped a bull to the Solomon Islands. The same breeder has previously made exports to the Fiji Islands. Stock for Waikato, It is reported that . record numhjrs of Gisborne and East Coast store stock will be sold at the Waikato spring cattle fairs during the next two months and that quality can be expected to be on a higher plane than in past years. v Waikato buyers are taking more interest in Poverty Bay stock now because they have heard that breeders have been making more and more use of purebred sires with the result that in many cases their cattle are practically purebred. Another factor that should make for the improvement of the Gisborne and Coast cattle on offer in Waikato yards will be the new East Coast railway which should bring about the elimination of long distance droving. Bluo Lupins for Feed. A few year3 ago the general idea of blue lupins was that they were useful only as a green manure. To feed them to sheep was regarded as practically out of the question, on account of their ' ' unpalatability. ' ' However changes come quickly, says the Christchurch Press. • In oue of the bestfarmed districts in Canterbury — round about Prebbleton-— blue lupins are grown ' extensively with the "main object of giving body to ihe soil to euable tlie land to grow regular crops of ■vvheat. But their use extends far beyond this to-day. Last week the writer saw a big mob of ewes and newlydroppcd lambs on a well-grown field in tlie Prebbleton district, and several farmers are now feeding their ewes and 1 lambs on the piaut. It took a little • time to get the ewes used to the feed, but, as in the case of ensilage, only a I little tiine. Lucerne had . to pass j through a gimilar stago of scopticism as far as this question of palatability was cbncerued, until it was dCmonstrated that any distaste stock had for it was due to the crop having become woody and stalky as a result of belated cutting. Judging Competitions. A project that is on foot and oue that should prove popular with raembers of Young Farmers' Clubs, is a move to hold Dominion live-stoclc judging competitions at the Royal Show eaeh year. This year the competitions are to be inaugurated at the Royal Show at Palmerston North iu November. Each. club is iuvited to send oue competitor and every club uceeptiug the inviiation will require to contribute » tum of monej (the amount of which

is yet to be determiued) to cover . the cost of the competitor at the show. Each club will contribute a similar sum, and the fuud so created will be used as the nucleus of a fund to send a team to Australia to take part ia the competitions at the Sydney Royal Show at Easter timo. However, full details have been forwarded to each club aird the matter will cOuie forward at the uext meeting. . It is to be hoped that Qtago clubs will be able to send forward some members to upkold the honour of the province. Ryelands in Demand. New Zealand Byeland breeders cqutinue to meet with an exceptional inquiry from Australia, for surplus ewes from their docks, but few are available, states the Christchurch Star-Sun." Last year nearly two hundred flock rams of this breed were exported to New South Wales and a similar number have already been 'booked for export to the same State this coming season. This will result in a scarcity for lo'cal supply, a position which occurred last year. Ewes of this breed are stated to be unproourable from Australian flocks, hence the demand for ewes from New Zealand. Dried Grass for Pigs. The value of dried grass for a, food for pigs is being tested at the Rualcura Farm of Instruction, where dried grass is being fed in conjunction with maize and roots and the experiments have shown that dried grass can take the place of meat meal in the pig's diet, as it provides all the protein necessary.