BY THE WAYSIDE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 58, 1 December 1937, Page 13

BY THE WAYSIDE

News oi Interest To H.B. Farmers RUGGING 13,000 SHEEP In an address to the Rotary Club at Mudgee, Sir Frederiok McMaster, of Dalkeith, Oassilis, strongly- advoeated the rugging of sheep. He deperibed it as one of the most wonderful developments in the pastoral industry, and said he intended to rug 13,000 sheep next year. Rugging would enable sheep to grow considerably more wool, and no lueans of artificial feeding could put condition on sheep so cheaply. Sir Frederick issued a warning against overstocking. He stated that five sheep getting enough of the right food produced nnore in money than eight sheep which were short of the right food. The term "under-stocking" should not be used, as it suggested that good land was being wasted. The term "r^servestocking" was more suitable, as it xndicated that the grazier had a Teserve of pasture. Sir Frederick praised the work being done by scientist? for the primary producer. Early Drafts.. Early drafts of fat lambs are now 1 going forward to the freezing works operating in , North Canterbury. During the dry weather, where feed was availabie, the lambs did remarkably well and fattened more xeadily than has been the case for some time. The price being paid, 9£d per lb., is most satisfactory, particularly when the lower value of the skin is taken into consideration, A Oalf with Six Legs. An exceedingly rare happening in the cattle world took place at Messrs. Reid Bros.' farm at Waiotahi, Opotiki, recently, when a cow gave birth to a calf with six legs. It is not known whether the calf was alive when born. When it was discovered next day, however, it was dead. Lambing in Canterbury. The lambing season in South Canterbury ^generally is now practically over. The percentages are considered to be entirely satisfactory. Pastures have freshened up considerably since the recent rainfall, but still more rain is needed to promote bettert growth.

Tomato Mosaic. The virus -which caqses "tomato mosaic," a cause of perennial loss to tomato growers, is carried from plant to plant by the worker in the ordinary course of cultivation, according to "a letter to the London Times by Dr. Kenneth M. Smith, of the Potato Virus Research Station, University of Cambridge. „ Portions of the letter, dealing with the spread of virus diseases among plants, is. reproduced in the October number of the Empire Producer. The same virus that causes tomato mosaic also causes tobacco mosaic, and the letter comments that the disease is not transmitted by greenfly. Nor is the question of soil contamination very important, because this particukir virus is unabje to enter the plant via the roofs. Seagulls and Sheep. While riding Tound Tarui Station, in Otago, one morning recently, the farm manager noticed a seagull fly away from a sheep which was lying down. A closer inspection revealed that one eye of the sheep had been eaten out, and only half the tail was left. The sheep was still alive, but had to be destroyed. Modern Fowl Breeding. The method used to select the best pedigree hens for breeding purposes — "trap nesting" — was described in an interview last evening by Mr E. Luckin, a farmer, of Chelmsford, England, who, with Mr A. Reeve, also of England, is at present on a tour of the Dominion. Mr Luckin said that on his farm all laying stock was trap nested, so that he new how many eggs were laid by each fowl in a year. Only those who laid a certain number of eggs a year were used for breeding purposes. The eggs of these birds were sent away to be hatched by ineubators, some of which held 70,000 eggs at a time. In sending the eggs away to be hatched, he was able to get three times the usual price, as all his eggs were bought at a eontraet rate. Loss by Sheep Worrying. A serious Iosb tlirough sheep being worried by dogs is reported from Eing Bros.' Rangitanuku property at Hinuera Auckland.- While riding round shorn sheep at the back of the farm on Monday, after about a week^s absence from tliis erea, Mr Guy Ring'found that ten shorn hoggets had been worried to death by a dog or dogs, and about 20 others were badly mauled. At least half of the injured sheep are not expeeted to live. The sheep are valued at about £2 each.