THE FARM.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 4 June 1919, Page 4

THE FARM.

AMERICAN TYPE OP JERSEY. Although the Jersey may. not have been improved in America by all breeders and in all sections, yet there have been enough progressive breeders to realise the standard of the Jersey breed in many respects. The island may have produced the most animals approaching the ideal Jersey type, but the United States has produced the highest yielders at the pail and the best butter producers. This is proved by the American Jersey Cattle Club register of merit records. And the trend is upward. The average of all year's records to-day is 2101 b of milk and 151 b of butter fat _ above the average of six years ago. It is claimed that it has been demonstrated to be the most economical producer of milk" for all purposes of dairying. It is the richness of her milk that makes this possible. But it must not be orron- , eously concluded that Jerseys arc constitutionally small milkers. In the United States we have put on authenticated yearly records 10,091 tests of Jerseys. include cows of all ages, ranging from two to eighteen years. Their average production oi milk is TS6slb, and of butter fat"422lb. The average yield of the 3435 mature cows in this number is 91151 b of milk and 4331 b of fat. . CARE OP FA3M IMPLEMENTS. It is questionable whether any of us realise what enormous sums are annually wasted through lack of reasonable care of farm implements. It has been estimated that an implement kept continuously out of doors will last only one-quarter of the time of one kept under cover, when not in use. and from

the writer's own experience he has no hesitation in stating that the damage is under-estimated rather than overestimated. Much loss is also caused by not attending to repairs as soon as the defect is noticed, and by the overcautious use of the oil-can and paintbrush. It is scarcely credible that some farmers maintain (hat the time spent in putting an implement under cover, when not in use, is not compensated for by the lengthened life of the implement. Such is wonderful logic. which needs no comment.

Owing lo the depredations of wild pigs in the Whareama district among sheep flocks, poison is being laid with the object of destroying the animals (says the "Wnirarapa Daily Times'-'}. The scarcity of food in the hills has driven the pigs down from the rough country on to the Hals of the farms and stations in search of food. A similar state of affairs was recorded, in various parts of the Wairarapa in 1894, when farmers and station-holders lost large numbers of lambs and" weak sheep as the result of their being attacked by, wild pigs.

A lino of good well-bred lambs was sold at the Balelutha sale on Friday at 7s a head, and another one at 10s 6cl (according to the '-'Free Press"),, well-known dealer said,_ would at this time last year have been worth 235. This illustrates the nature of the flump that has taken place in stores.