Farm and Dairy.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 January 1911, Page 4

Farm and Dairy.

SOM.IO ITEMS OF INTEREST. The Department of Agriculture is at present considering a test for tuberculosis as applied to milk, the discovery of a chemist attached; to a large English milk company. Objections to the tuberculin tost for cows are- that the How ol milk is interfered wil.h the annual being upset for a couple of days ; moreover, dairy fanners are naturally reluctant to risk their animals being either condemned for or .suspected of tihe disease. The new discovery claims to s-ctlje U.v examination of tihe milk itself tho question of the freedom or otherwise of the cow from tuberculosis. The now test has been .submitted to the Pasteur Institute. Paris, and. it is said, has been approved. Mr Win. Roberts, the wo!l known grower of chicory, of Sproydon, has this .season an extraordinary line paddock of grass, three acres in area, (says the Press). It has been the admiration of many farmers and; others, and, as indicating the quality of the gra.«.s and the value placed on it, tihe grass has been sold for cutting at ten pounds per acre, the purchaser having the right to cut: twice bdtwoon the be-ginnin<i of the present month and tin , " end of February. In explanation of this good result, it may be staitod that Mr Roberts has the reputation of hoin.i>; an excellent farmer, and he thoroughly prepared the ground bofore sowing last .season. Consequently, despi'te the long .spell of dry weather that has been experienced, he lias got the results above noted— an eloquent testimony that firstclass farming pays, especially in a dry season. More fodder conservatoin is nraetisod now in pastoral. Austrnlia*Ehan ever before. On Collendina Estate, Corowa district, 200 tons of ensilage have Ijceii conserved in pits. Tlhis, wil.li previous quantities put down. makes a total of about 1000 tons of fodder ready for droughty visita•tions. During a previous pinch upwards of £1000 was saved in fodder by .Messrs Hay and. Sons in having a supply of on hand. They estimate that it costs not moro than 2.; (id per ton to conserve fodder under the pit which opens up fro.«h and is relished by stock. The pits are put down on selected spots in paddocks, sunk with scoops and ploughs, and sides are made to'slant, as also the ends, .so as to perm the dray to be driven right into the hole. Only surplus grasses are put doun, a•]• I this i.s cut with mowers, and loaded into dray, over win wi is placed :t special implement .\ - hii. b per. 'I.s :>f grass being bodily lifted fro.n dray into the pits. The grass is /•tacked to within a couple of feet o[ tiho top. then covered with dirt, which is built about 2ft higher than tho surface, to-allow for any subsidence that may occur. Fodder so conserved has opened up well after bejng down for throe or four years. They are evidently short of heavy dra;igli!t 'horses at Home as in 'New Zealand. The Live Stock .lourna.l remarks that the best type of heavy •weldings continue to k enquired for by horse dealers, so that it is evident •t;he market is not overstocked with that class of animal, therefore farmers may turn their attention to their production. T'ho number of low urade light horses on offer dliving the past twelve months has been very greatly owino; to the changes which are continually being made in favour of horseless vehiHes. 'I'llat many of them are useful on a farm cannot be denied, but it is only as slaves. wJioreas a Shire gelding is an assof- which increases in value till it is six or seven years old, while. :\ "weighty man , which breeds does something towards paymir the rent. It is rovy for farmers to Kple-t and keep live stuck v,hicli is both Psei'ul and saleable, the Journal adds, and Shire ihorses eoriiainly come under this hoadins;.