Farming Column

Hokitika Guardian, 8 April 1933, Page 8

Farming Column

HIGH' PRODUCTION.

RESULT OF PROPER FEEDING.

. Some recently published information from the agricultural department of the British' Oil and Cake Mills, England, records a remarkable achievement resulting from a systematic feeding of dairy cows on a dairy farm in Norfolk, England. For many years this well-known manufacturing firm of stock foods have been experimenting on the feeding of dairy cows, with a view to producing economically high milk yields. Most of i the trials are conducted on

farms owned by various people, who take a. keen interest in getting the best out of their herds. The basis upon which these remarkable figures of production have been obtained from time to time, is that each farmer is called upon to view bis cows as veritable milking machines.

MARKED INCREASE.

Mr Burr, owner 0 f the above-men-tioned property, was anxious to try out the balanced ration method of stock feeding. Eight of his best milking cows, who had an average of 1448 gallons per annum, were given a very highly concentrated ration, with the result that he increased the average production per cow from this figure to £Ol9 gallons. The 31 cows in his herd consumed concentrates to the value of £7OO in a year. This expenditure, many will consider ridiculous, but, after deducting, the £7OO from the receipts obtained by the sale of milk, Mr Burr had a balance of £l,300 to his credit.

Eight of the best cows in the herd were of ordinary commercial pattern, and had n 0 particular line of ancestory.

JUST MILKING MACHINES.

The stock on his farm must have been kept merely as milking machines, as indicated by several interesting noints regarding their management. During the winter months, when climatic conditions in England are severe, they were fed indoors and only allowed a walk daily r or e\ei hse, their ration being carefudv watched, and great care being exeroisni in seeing that the cows were not nndulv taxed .with bulky food. It is interesting jto note that the cows did not increase in yield when they were turned out to. crass in the spring, which indicates that their management during the cold winter months must have been very

efficient. The daily routine of management was, briefly; as follows: Prior to milking the cows early in the morning, they, were fed on .concentrates. After milking (about 7.30 a.m.) they were given a feed of roots, according to individual milk production. At midday they were milked and then turned out on the pastures for exercise; and the benefits of" sunshine. Later : n the afternoon, the cows were brought in and given concentrates and roots, and were milked finally for the dav, after which the last feed of concentrate;} and long hay wngiven later in the eve mg. The old adage— * If we don’t put it

into their mouths, w; can in.v«r expect it from the udder”—is fully supported.

CHESHIRE CHEESE PRICES,

Cheshire farmers are being offered ad per lb for their cheese, and in many cases they are taking their produce back to their farms. At corresponding fairs last year they were getting Is Id per lb. The 'trade has been unsatisfactory sin ao November. Three primary causes are advanced, although iiie order of their importance is not agreed upon even by those whose livelihood is gained in the making and distributing of Cheshire cheese. These causes are: The unemployment in Lancashire and Yorkshire and other northern counties, competition from New ; Zealand cheese, and the mild weather which induced over-produc-tion in the last few months of the old year.

New Zealand cheese is sold over the counter at 5-J-d to 7d per lb. Against this price the Cheshire cheesemaker cannot compete. It is suggested that a quota system in respect to the cheese imported from the Dominions should he adopted, in preference to the free market which is now given to the Dominions. With regard to the mild open weather, cows have given abnormal yield, and an unusual amount of milk has gone to cheesemaking. Dairy farmers who usually sell milk in liquid form after, the month of October have made cheese with surplus milk, in addition to farmers who in ordinary routine make cheese for the market.

CREAM SHOULD BE STIRRED

Stirring of cream two or three times daily helps to maintain it in good physical condition and to I ; berate any gas which may form. If the ream is left standing for hours before stirring there is a tendon:y lor the heavy portion (cream, etc.) to gradually settle towards the bottom

"I’d fo”' the fat to rise to the top, cspecialW if the cream is inclined to he thinly separated. This is not desivnh’n, and stirring will prevent it, A tinned steel or tinned copper stirrer slioiiid he used ; on no account should a wooden stirrer be employed for this purpose.

LIVESTOCK OF THE WORLD

Complete figures of the world’s population of the chief meat-produc-ing animals—cattle, sheep, and pigs—are lacking. In some coumm-,i, end those not, th. e least important from the point of view of livestock numbers, the figures are admittedly incomplete ; in others they are only rough approximations ; in yet others the totals can only be guessed. lint on the whole ii appears beyond, (reasonable doubt that the world’s sheep are rather more numerous than, its cattle and its cattle very much more numerous th n its pigs.

Such as are available suggest Itlniit the sheep population of the' world as .about 750 millions, ■of which about 280 millions, or roughly 57 per cent, are in the British Empire, states a report prepared .by the Empire I’Mta.ukgtimg Board; the cattle population about 600 mi'lions, of which approximately 230 millions, or 40 per icent., are in the Empire; and the pig population (including an estimate of 80 millions for China) at about 280 mi’lions, of which barely 4 per cent., are in the Empire. Thus, the Empire in relation to its population and land area., has its full share of the cattle and sheep of ’th e world, but is deficient in pigs. To these animals, may ibe added some 60 million buffaloes, of which 45 millions are in the Empire, and perhaps 200 .million goats, including 75 m i lions in the Empire.

BLENDED BUTTER

“One of the most deliberate, and worst cases ever presented at this court,’’ is what the chairman of the Ealing Police Court described a case dealing with the sale of butter. Fines amounting to £44, with 10 guineas costs, were imposed on Green’s Farm Dairies, Limited, West End Farm, Northed t.

Seven summonses against the firm alleged that .they;

Possessed butter not made up in proscribed quantities ; misrepresented the weight of butter; offered for sale, sold, and exposed foreign butter without any mark of the country of origin; blended butter in unregistered premises ; and used the description “Certified” and “Grade A” milk, without being licensed by the 'Minister for Health.

'Mr R. A. Roiijnson, for Middlesex County Council, said that 'Siberian and Australian butter were blended aind offered for sale.' Jin wrappers which bore the inscription, “Choicest creamery butter. Product of the finest pastures in the world. Devon Tale blend. Absolutely pure.” Other packets boi'e the inscription, “Choice creamery butter. Absolutely pure,” and they were marked with an Empire stamp. The butter was short in weight, and was blended in premises not registered as a butter factory. Invoices showed that in three weeks two ton of .'Siberian butter and the same quantity of Australian butter ■were used. Al ik was also sold :n bottles which purported th :.t th e firm was licen ed by the Ministry of Health to isell c.'itifisd ■ milk, but no such license- had been granted. “This company,” added Mr Robinson. “seem to bold themselves out as cowkeepers and dairymen of the highest class, carrying on a scientific and magnificent business with every possible precaution, and with a reputation second to none. It is not scandalous that Russian butter j-homil b 0 mixed with Australian and put ou the market with the l representht ton that it had come from the finest pastures in the world, and was 0 f Devon Yalo blend?” '

Mr L. Rcckitts, for tb e defence, £ aid that tbe butter was short in weight through the negligence of employees. A license had been applied .for to sell certified milk. He contended that the summons for the blending of butter in unregistered premises was merely a technical one. The public did not care, he dcclarc-d, whether butter came from Australia 0 r Russia, so long a s it got its money’s worth.

STORAGE OF FRUIT.

English chemists who were recently carrying out research work" designed to facilitate the storage of fruit in transit from outlying parts of the Empire to England, made a discovery, which if applied, is likely to have a serious effect on the apple export trade of New Zealand, according to Mr 13. D. Martin, an English business man who is visiting Christchurch. When the research v nrkers 'in England were experimenting with the cool storing of fruit some of the results obtained suggested that it might he possible to store Englishgrown 'applies for long periods, said Mr Martin, who has grown fruit as a hobby for many years in Essex, and who can be regarded as something of an expert. This would mean that home-grown apples of the best quality, and of the most popular varieties, would he available at a time when the New Zealand apples were arriving, Mr Martin added, and ia fact, would assure practically an all-the-yoar-round supply of the best local apples for the Enlgish market. The findings cf the research workers had not yet been published, he said, and after that it would remain to he seen whether the discovery was applied; but it would probably he some tfime —perhaps 10 years—before such a" scheme could he working on a scale large enough to interfere with the present apple trade.