THE RURAL WORLD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 359, 13 May 1911, Page 6

THE RURAL WORLD.

■ —■ — - AFFORESTATION. A NATIONAL SUBJECT. There is no subject more worthy of consideration than chat of afforestation, especially in view of the rapid depletion of the natural bush areas of the Dominion. At the present rate at which the native timbers are being utilised the final disappearance is within measurable distance. From being a country richly endowed with Sdne of the best timber trees in the world, New Zealand must, before many years are over, face the question of importing timber, even should Edison's dream of concrete houses and shell furniture be generally realised. The whole question of afforestation has special significance to the farmer, apart altogether from the viewpoint of maintaining a supply of suitable timber for cases in which to ship his produce —butter, cheese, fruit, etc. — to oversea markets, lie is also being forced to recognise that he cannot afford to neglect much longer the matter of planting proper shelter for his stock, for as the standard of this is raised better care (such as shelter belts for shade in summer and protection from cold in winter) will be demanded.

In the course of a particularly informative address on afforestation at the annual meeting of the Otago Institute, J Mr A. Bathgate made reference to the J importance of tree-planting to the | farmer. Two benefits of a climatic i character, he said, which arose from ! afforestation were "shelter and equali isatiou of temperature." The former i is one of which the ordinary farmer \ fails to realise the value so far as his j stock or crops are concerned, though | he will usually plant a few pines or ' cypresses about his homestead to \ shelter his dwelling. He is afraid of the trees attracting the small birds ! to the injury of his crops, but the i small birds are just as numerous and ! destructive in treeless Central Otago :as in the bush-covered districts of i Catlin's river. If trees have been i planted on any part of his farm he i observes that for about a chain or so j distant from then) the grass or crops I are poor, and considers he loses the full '. benefit of that area of good land, not ! realising the fact that the yeild of the ! field beyond the influence of the roots :is doubtless greatly increased by j reason of the shelter it has received, j and that the total produce ofthe field is probably much larger than it would have been had there been no shelter. Even the much more patent advantages to his live stock seldom appeal to him. He will watch them feeding restlessly with heads towards a biting cold wind, or in the height of summer standing in panting groups endeavouring to find some shade from the bodies of one another, without ever thinking that a few trees by affording shelter and shade would both in winter and summer add to the comfort and, consequently, health and well-doing of his flocks. I have not time to enlarge on this aspect of the question, but anyone who wishes to learn something of the benefits to be derived from shelter should read an article in "The World's Work" for July, 1910, which tells "How Tree-planting Saved Jutland." In ancient times Jutland was wooded, but for several centuries it has been dennded of trees, and till up to fifty years ago was a moorland waste, growing nothing but heather. In 1566 an association was formed called the Patriotic Health Association, which, i with assistance from the Government, i has changed a wind-swept moor into j good arable land, chiefly by the plant- ! ing of shelter plantations, and has I gained to cultivation close upon a ! million acres. In 1566 the population j of the districts in which the heaths were mainly situated was 181,000. and by 11)00 it had increased to 3111,76-1 — not a bad result to be attained by planting trees for shelter." Dealing with the very important problem of trees affecting rainfall, Mr Bathgate differed from the recent scientific view that the rainfall was not affected by trees. Referring to this matter he said: "No doubt in the case of natural forests the presence of trees is the result, not the cause, of a copious rainfall, but I think there is abundant evidence to establish as a fact that the denudation of natural forest results in a diminished rainfall. The attitude of those who deny or doubt the accuracy of the popular view is that there are not sufficient data to support it. If one quotes to them the change in the climate of many of the countries border ing on the Mediterranen, they will reply that other causes have been in operation, that the world, as a whole, is becoming dryer, and that the absence of trees from the localities referred to may be due to the lessened rainfall, and not the lessened rainfall to the removal of the trees. They will probably refer to Palestine and the countries east of the Jordan as cases where the climate has become dryer through other causes. lam by no means certain that they are right. We know that in the days of Solomon there were forests on the mountains of Lebanon, and probably the Taurus and Anti-Tauras and other mountains were also wooded; so deforestation may be a larger factor in bringing about the existing dryness."

EXAMINING A HORSE IN ACTION

If the examination of the animal while standing has indicated that he is sound, or is serviceably sound, it is clearly then the animal in action which next demands attention. In mild cases of string-halt his action is only observed upon the start or backing. The feet should be picked up to show how the animal will stand while being shod. The horse should next be placed in harness, and attention should be given to his behaviour while the harness is being fitted. Observe whether he kicks, strikes, or bites when the girth is tightened. He should be driven in his accustom =d manner —single or double if for driving, and in a cart or waggon if for heavy work. The rein should be taken so as to determine whether he

has a hard or a tender mouth, and to note his manner of responding to the pull. Also observe whether he shies or frightens at strange objects when hitched to the cart. One should be certain that this is not due to im proper fitting harness before rejecting him. A tight-fitting collar may make the difference between a proper acting animal and one that is wholly objectionable. The wind should be ihoroghly tested for whistling, for roaring, and for heaves. The ear of the examiner should be placed to the nostrils, to the throat, and to the sides of the chest, and the hands placed upon the flanks to detect any unnatural sounds or jerking in breathing.-—• "Indiana Experimental Station Bulletin."

A GUERNSEY COW'S RECORD

From America comes a remarkable record for a year's milk and butter production which was completed on October 14th by the Guernsey cow Dolly Dimple. " During the twelve months of the test, under the supervision of the Massachusetts experiment station, she made 15,458.5 ib of milk, containing an average of 4.i1l per cent of butter fat, and yielding a total of 906.591b of fat, equivalent to 10581b butter. This is the highest milk and butterfat record for the bred and the highest for any cow of like age in the world. At the beginning of the test she was three years and nine months old, and had to her credit an official two-year-old record from twelve months of 14,009.11b milk, and 703.3(511.) fat, which was the best record of a Guernsey cow of that age. She began her last test five days after calving, and was served in August so she was two months in calf at the conclusion of the last test. The concentrated part of the ration was fairly uniform throughout the test, and consisted of an average daily allowance of 21b bran, 1.331b per meal, 1.331b Ajax flakes, 21b ground oats, 21b gluten, 1.331b oatmeal, 13.3b cottonseedtueal, 0.671b hominy, and 1.411b alfalfa meal; making a total of 13.31b daily for the year. There was an average daily allowance of 9.571b hay, 151b roots, 10.21b silage, and 6.951b of beet pulp, and during October she received a total of ISOlb corn fodder; in June she had pasture, and in June and July together she received a total of 7051b green feed. Her total production by months ranged from 1909.61b milk and 91.851b fat in December down to 11051b milk and 56.Sib fat in September. Her largest single day's yield was 68.41b milk and 3.6251b butterfat, and her largest seven days' record, made on December 14th, was 44481b milk and 22.0341b fat. This record adds one more to the lht of cows, making over 10001b of butter a year. Only a few years ago the possibility of such a performance was freely doubted. Comparing this with the 2001b yield which is the standard many dairy herds have not yet attained, there is a wide gap between the record of even the uncommon cow and the high yielding possibilities thus definitely demonstrated.