THE FARM

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 526, 27 April 1920, Page 4

THE FARM

JOTTINGS. Returns of the number of live stock on farms in the United States on March 1 of this year show that pigs have increased by 1,898,000 head since March 1, 1918, cattle by 2,934,000 head and sheep by 4.399.000 head, Milk and dairy products will probably rule high in price for some time to 'come and producers can well afford to make extensive preparations to augment the pastures this summer with plenty of green fodder crops and roots. No crop pays better for thorough hoeing than potatoes, and the drier the weather the better it pays to hoe. The greater part of the work can be done with a house-hoe; and if a horse-hoe of the proper type is properly used, very little hand work is necessary.

Prolificacy is always to be sought after in a sow, not only in respect to the primary consideration of a numerous progeny, but in virtue of the fact that the pigs of large litters are usually more uniform in size and fatten more quickly than those of small litters.

At the second annual sale of Shorthorns at Penrith, Cumberland, 74 cows and heifers averaged 10s lOd. and 150 bulls £63 16s lOd, a general average of £72 14s lOd, as against £65 17s 8d last year. There was no extreme prices, the top for bulls being 310gns, and for heifers 260gns. Japan is improving her flocks and heads by importation from the Unit- ! Ed States. Japanese buyers are buying 100 head of Shropshires and have also purchased for export a number of Rambouillet merinoes. In addition to the sheep, a number of Friesland cows have been bought for Japan. It is a mistake to allow horses which have been working hard all day to drink heavily immediately on returning to the stable. A big drink of cold water is apt to cause a chill to an overheated horse, apart from the fact that it tends to wash a lot of food out of the stomach undigested, this soon or later causing colic. Lambs, especially fat lambs, which are rightly regarded by the farmer as very valuable assets, should be Avell looked after as regards a ouffiiienc.y of good food at weaning time. The lamb must first be well fed through the agency of the ewe. • and"* as soon as support is needed apart from this it must be promptly supplied. Two pigs of the same litter were fed differently (says the American Agriculturist). One was given a ration consisting of wheat and wheat gluten. After a certain time this pigweighed 551b. The other pig was fed with wheat and milk. It was weighed at the same time as the other Dig. It had reached a weight of 1051b. three times the weight of the pig lacking milk in its ration. A soil is generally called "acid" when its infertility may be corrected by the addition of a base, such as lime. Many factors cause this condition in soils, the presence of a real acid being only one of them. The methods used to detect or determine "soil acidity" do not, as a rule, measure the acid present but may depend upon many properties in no wav related to aciditv.

The constant demands of crops nnd live stock do not leave much time for the improvement and beautification of home surroundings. Some farmers, however, seem to find time to plant trees, attend to the vegetable garden and orchard, trim the hedge and do other odd jobs. This work makes the house in which they live appear like a real home, and it is usually quite as noticeable thai, their crops and farm do not suffer in consequence.

PeHiaps no long' woolled breed has made such progress in recent years in England as the Romney Marsh. For some time past the exporters have been constantly kept busy trying to supply demands from all quarters of the globe. It is an important proof of what can be done by advertising, but more important still the breed has given the greatest satisfaction under many adverse conditions, and so repeat orders are usual and not the exception.

A few years ago four figures for a Suffolk Punch was a very uncommon thing in England, but recently several have been sold at prices running into four figures. One of the most recent sales is that of Mr. Arthur T. Pratt's five-year-old stallion Moist on Cider Cup for lOOOgns. Cider Cup is a typical whole coloured chestnut showing plenty of size and possessing nice quality. He has on'y been twice shown, namely, at the Woodbridge and Ipswich Shows in 191(5, and on each occasion he was first in his class.

A sidelight on women's work on the land is given in a recent While Paper by the Hritish Hoard of Agri(ulture. This states that at the end of .luly. 1919. there were approximately 568,000 males and 75,000 females oermanentlv at work on The land. In Jul v. 1914, there were 693.uoo men and 57,000 women employed, pud this shows fairly clearlv how women came forward to fill the gap when needed. Apparently, howeve \ 1111• \ are now dro|i|iim.' Valtidly out of agricultural work. In .luly. 19i9, there were 27,000 prisoners ol <var working <m farms also, so the Hun has done some good.