LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM FEEDING DAIRY COWS.

Southland Times, Issue 18859, 26 June 1920, Page 7

LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM

FEEDING DAIRY COWS.

It is not so very long ago that the dry cow received very little care or feed from her owner, but now many farmers have learned that the dry cow must have as much feed as is given to one in milk. Fur thermore, that she must also be well cared for during the entire period of pregnancy. S'.xty-five percent, of the total development of the embryo calf takes place during the period o. gestation, so during this time the cow must receive enough to maintain her strength, and enough more to produce from 7d to lOOlbs of live flesh. The ’feed that goes to produce the embryo corresponds to that which the producing cow expends in making milk and huiter-fat. The row that is left to shift for herself in the old way in a field with very little feed may look fairly well, because her prodigious appetite at this lime enables her to consume lots of very coarse feed; but when the calf is dropped, it will be found that it takes a great amount of feed, and much time to pet j such a cow to produce profitably again. Besides this, the row is injured permanently, and her producing life is shortened. Also the calf from a cow carried through the dry period in such a manner is seldom of any great value, being a weakling from the start. On the other hand, the cow that is carried through (he two or three months in which she is dry on a good pasture, with plenty of feed to ke.ep her in condition, or on a good stahle-fed ration, comes into milk amid circumstances that make for maximum production from the start. In the matter of feeding, then l is a saving of food in keeping the cow in condition; because she produces from the start on regular feed, while the thin cow must be given, the maximum ration for some length of time before she produces at all profitably. The cow treated in such a manner produces well for a longer period than the others, remaining dry the next time for only a short while. Also, Iter calf is a goorl one, and such as will help to build up the herd; while by the other methods the effects of years of careful breeding tire undone. However,- the too f;it row seldom has a good calf, and much may he wasted in keeping the cow too fat. The feed for dry cows need not differ materially from the feed given cows iii milk, and about the same amount can be given. To prevent over-fattening at the expense of lessening the bone and muse!? of the embryo, the dry cow should not he given as much fat-producing grain concentrates as the cow in milk, flats and bran arc the most excellent concentrates for feeding the dry cow. As calving time approaches the cow needs some fixative feed. Oil meal, says the .Maritime Farmer, is excellent and silage i« a good succulent laxative, especially in winter. The chief rough feed should be good leguminous hay, preferably clover. Not 100 much of the coarser roughages should l>c fed, though some is pood to make the feed more bulky. The Prime Minister gate some information a few days ago about the completion of the Nauru purchase, and in the course of his statement he announced that he had chosen his first commissioner to represent. New Zealand in the administration of the business of phosphate production and supply. Mr Massey has now stated that the lirst commissioner would he Mr ('. ,i. Keakes, head of the Agricultural Depart - liicnt. Mr Be tikes is to lake charge of the business during the initial stapes of it only, for a period of a month or two. When the business is fairly established, Mr Massey will appoint a successor to Mr Keakes. and he has thready selected the appointee. i During a discussion on the righ price tf woollen ponds at the Provincial (..'Difference of (he runners' Union. Mr A. A. Ross said ’ that the extreme price of woollen poods in the dominion were due to the fact that the New Zealand woollen mills could sell their output for export til fabulous prices. Notwithstanding that there was a huge accumulation of wind m Britain, it was under Government conttol. and the Home milts could not obtain the raw material. I Figures have been published showing i what has been done in the work pf swan p reclamation in the North I-daud. On the Hanraki Plains ."7,4.') I acres. valued at - if22,SUO, were opened tor select ion, and a other 7UUII acres will be. available this year. Th“ sretams range from 'in to INK acres. Laud m the settled pontons ot these plainhas changed hands at ‘Hull to ‘Hid per cere. At present drainage operations are being carried out on lOlleKK) acres ot laud . lying between Mat at a and V/hakat ane. : Tnc output of American tractor.- Mr tins year is estimated at ."UU.OUU. hast year it amounted to 17.7,0(11), and in llild it was only 7-Idt). It is calculated that iliere tie 2d(l,(!(IO tractors now in use by American farmers. A British Friesian cow named fob m Secret 111. owned by Mr (I. Ho.i Thorns, who runs, a herd of the 2UOO-gti!h't; a yea: breed on his farm at Hughenden, Bucks, England. It:;.- (accordin': to the I duly Man 1 broken ell records of milk production for any breed in the country by giving ju.-i over lot gallons of milk In 24 hours. The cow, whose daily milk yield had gradually crept beyond Id gallons, was ielnne.l to be about to make a new record, and on, a given day live wit nr.--es visited the farm to watch h'T day's | erforniam'e. 'limy were Mr (ie..rgc 11 bison, secretary of flic British Friesian no: .< ly ; Mr Aire F. K. Mat hick, of I .'mwr.sii v College, Heading; Mr R. \V. 11 am am, Mr A. A. Irtf-cr, and Mr Robert Wallace, a well-known Hertfordshire farmer. t'oiton Secret HI was milked dry at morning, noon, and night, and her milk weighed Idi} ;!!>, or 1!) pa.Hons o jib. The previous hast record in Great Britain was by tiw British Friesian cow Eske Hetty, owned by the Glympa Agricultural Company, whose yield was lOlib. or 10 gallons lib in 21 hours. Some very interesting remarks concerning the use of manures were made by Mr .1. W. Deem, of the i lepartincnt of Agriculture. at a fields demonstration iu Id on Mr A. Montgomerie's farm at Kauwhata, in the Rangitikei district the other day. The necessity of grump as much as possible out of the hind. Hr Been said, w.t- recognised by everyone. bur farmers should realise that ham work along the right line.- was the basic prim ipie of all success. Some people relied upon what might be called due tabloid method, and would apply manure in a highly concentrated hum to ill-prepared soil in the fond hope that immense fertility would feuiow. uf course they were disapninted. Farmers should ascertain the result of the Government analysis before purchasing manures. Most manures eomained phosphoric add, nitrogen anti pot-a.-h, but the bull: of the soil in the Maaawatu contained fair quantities of these necessaiy plant foods. An analysis of soil did not disclose these properties, but merely the amount of lime con mined. This, however, was of infinite advantage as the plant, foods were not stirred into activity for absorption by plant life without the addition ol lime in the suit, ff samples were found to lack lime, it was no indication that fertility would not ho increased by a mixture of litim to stir the soil into activity. On this principle lime could not be used indefinitely as it eventually would absoi'o the nutriment. Then the addition of a phosphate manure became essential. Si;-; to ten hundredweight of lime per acre was sufficient, on laud where il'.eie was a big rainfall. The lime should .... spread on the surface and allowed tc m- absorbed mto the earth by the percolation of the moisture. The best time for ids application was during the winter so that beneficial results would be obtained in the following spring. “What struck me as-one of the fairest taxation proposals; 1 have ever seen was

Champion British Jfriesian Cow. THE USE OF MANURES. BY “HARVESTER.”

contained in a manifesto isued some ‘time ago by the British Labour Party,” said Mr {tines Bcgg at the conference of the Otago Farmers’ union last week. “It was to the effect,” continued Mr Begg, "that income tax should be levied not on men but on families. Under this proposal a single man would pay th? full tax, and a married man with the same salary but With a family of seven, would have his incoms divided by seven, which would mean that he would (tay no lax at ail.” The principle enunciated, met with cordial endorsement at the Hands of the meeting, one speaker remarking r “That idea would suit me splendidly, as°i have a family of eight,” and another: Tt would certainly give a great impetus to iho national birthrate.’ Somehow or oilier the job of teamster docs not appeal to young fellows nowadays, writes “Rustic” iu the Lyttelton Times, though there is worse work than driving a team by quite a lot. The job may be 100 constant (or many, the hours too long, and the tie too great. The wages are good, and the work is comparatively tight and interesting in many respects. Most implements are now provided with seats, so that the driver of a team can lake things easy if ] he so desires. Itvcn the work ot tine harrowing, which has terrors lor most men, is raulcied dccc-ntiy comtoi table by the addition to the implement of riding attachments that saw: one nom getting lootsore and legweary. On hat country mere are now veryfew implements that are not fixed up so that the teamster can ride all day long. When I v. as. a boy working n team it- was thought- to be a sign of laziness to be seen riding on a plough or even on a drill. One was credited with having little consideration for horses if one managed to take the easy way of doing the work. The latter part of it is got over nowadays by adding horses to the team, while to the iornier a man who can no his work in the. easiest possible way to himself is not frowned upon. But in winter time the provisions lor ruling have their draw!lacks, and lor my- pai'U on a cold day, and on any but very hot and dusty days, I would sooner waik than ride. It may be sdd that one surely has an option when .-‘arts arc provided. it circumstances arc favourable to walking then on: may get off and tramp after the team. If, on the other hand, one chooses to ride, the wish can be given effect to The worst of the riding gear is that the machines have to be built ('specially for it. and they will not do their work properly if one gets off and walks. >OlllO of them cannot be managed if one is on foot. So there is some measure of compulsion in the matter whatever the weather condition may be. One is almost forced to ride even on the coldest clay, and when winds are blowing as bitterly as they were some weeks ago one gets nearly perished on the machine. Ttic only thing that one can do is to wrap up one’s seif as comfortably as possible, but even then one gets cold. 1 can recommend the plan ot putting one's feel and legs right into a sack when riding on a cold day. This keeps feet, legs and knees warm. The wind cannot cause nearly as much discomfort as when one is uiai.ng an overcoat only. The reins should be taken into the stable every night or they should be covered with a bag so that they may not be wet and frosty in the morning when conditions are finger cold, no matter what precautions are taken. In the winter time there is a tendency to curtail the l<-eding lime of the horses. The bed has attractions that take a lot of overcoming and one does not- like to turn out till the last moment. However, it is not fair to the horses to cut tneir leading time shorter than is ncces-sary for them to get a sufficient teen. They may be given an extra feed at mght to make up for the shorttime in the morning, but that is not quite ! the same as giving them a full breakfast. ! If they have hay to pick at the position is not so bad, and the addition ot a few j roots helps cotiMuerably if care is laken ! when commencing to teed on turnips, car- I rots or mangels. The addition of roots has ; a tendency to cause the animals to scour 1 and it is in tins direction that care must be chiefly exer'-ised. Speaking of roots and hay it may be mentioned that young horses i wirl do all winter on tnese if they are avail- j able. Horses w:!l not do ran! work on hay j and .-wedes, but they wall keep in condition and even a-et fat u,..m them, and there is no cheaper fee i lor them a? the present time. Indeed it would pay anyone w,;o lias tins iced available to nucst in young .horses ly:ep mem f.uruig the lenur. 'j lie price in burst s is .-use to go up in the ••, ■ r ng. anil young si nek -s e.geap i uougii not. in make ai. investment a profii able one. 1-iven though n ;s waiter tone l.'ie sun in the middle oi the day shines with e'disKierable warmth, amt me horse.-, sweat a good deal. It tar.es a eon.-aieradie amount, id grooming in the morning to g< t their cuts clean, and one liequentiy lincls lh::1 the hor.-es nave been uel under then covers all mght. 'J his can tie overcome by clipping !ki animal.- trace h.gh. Indeed, it is necessary in uo this in me interests of me horses the m.-eives and ior the sake of me team-ter. ’ire Later ha- little grooming to do it the team has in- n cupped, [>ee;;u,-e the animals .• v. e..t scare; ly at ail even cm I tie wannest day. iue horses no their work easier if .-ome ot tneir winter coat ha.- hern remove;,, and they keep in 1 >■ 1 r condition. One in el not be hi laid m clipping even in the voided clime.!.' j rov.ued that good rugs are u.,„-d. Inc.ec-;., tin hor.-e.- keep much healUmr ii iin-y have been vl.ppcvi, even in void wriant r. A straw stack is a c.,mi'orl to horses on winter nights, and the- shelter ot a mg live it iirv or a plantation is better limn a stable, i.a. I.y. a tew lumps of rock suit ,-houl 1 be j.iaee.i .n their paddock -o that they van take a tew licks whenever they feel im-i.neij, A ch.-vn: sou which tuck place at the mevi.ng o. the M.a,tenon founty Council last week illu.-tri.ied al.kc tie < rying need of the back blocks -or b. tier roa..s and the rec.c.tness o: sell.ers in older districts to malm savin ice s on beiu-b o! their less fortunate neighbours. It arose out of the claim by one of the councillors, idr Moore, lor hinds with, which to straighten the roads ot the uriti riding by cutting out dangerous rorners. Mr Dulzicll said that in lu.- oom.on iho c riflings which already hat! roads should waive their claims in favour of the back blocks settlers, who in many cases could not travel at till in the while r. liier? we. c pntcc.t in his own riding wliich urgently needed roading. Many returned solmer.. neld land situated in such inaccessible places. The Govevnmtn; would only grant a certain amount, and the money should be used where i; war mojt urgently needed. The chairman (Idr W. Welch"; agreed with Mr Halziidl, and -aid that his rifling (Onakii was not applying for any monay for roads because they recognised that the Government would be inundated with applications for grants, many nt which were to be used in works far more necessary them the improvement of roads already in existence. Mvcntually, Mr -Moore withdrew his claim. A highly successful sale of Jersey cattle, tile dispersal ol me late Mr 11. B. Curtis’s herd, was held at Inglewood last week, there being a large attendance and big prices were iodised. No fewer than 93 lots were catalogued and bidding was spirited throughout, record prices being realised for two-ye-ir-o'ii heifers. Ihe -c8 cows were submitted first and averaged S3gs, the top price being obtained for (he four-year-old Beautiful May, which was secured by Mr T. Dobson, of Kaimata, for 200,-rs. An aged cow, Grand Duchess, fell to Mr .1. Most lock, of Mormanby, at ISOgs, while a five-year-old was taken by Mr Hynes, of Inglewood, for ISOgs. Several others fetched over lOOgs. Two-year-old heifers were in particularly keen demand, the 20 submitted averaging

lOlgs. Count ess tyas purchased dry Mr Bert Luxton, of Omtita, for 225g5, which is said to be a record for a two-ycar-old heifer. Miro’s Blossom fell to Mr. J. H. Street, of Bell Block, at 165gs, whilst Mr Luxton secured Harmony Girl for 155gs.- Mr S. J. Sutton, of Waitoitoi, paid 130gs each for Miro’s Ruby and Mira. Indeed, a featiffc j of the sale was the fact that the bulk of the j cattle are remaining in Taranaki. The fourteen yearling heifers averaged over 52gs, the top price being 97gs. The 6-year-old bull, Miro Meadows’ Star, realised 120gs, going to Mr S. McDonald, of Knkarnmea, whilst bis two-year-old son, Miro Meadows’ Sapphire, was secured by Mr 11. Hodge, Alton, for luOgs. The six yearhngs averaged oogs. Riverlea’s Star, Mr Bennett. Olgs, just boat Riverlea’s Duke, Mr G. H. Lake. Awaktno, 90gs, for pride of place. a country newspaper in New South Wales, a pastoralist grimly comments (says the Sydney Sun) on the political cry for more production, thus:—“We are producing more sheepskins to the acre than since the days the boilingdown works were competing with the drought. . . Yesterday thirty of my breeding ewes were skinned in one paddock . I got the skins, and the crows got the carcaees. That’s what I call a fair division of proli's. Lambs; Well, if this drought continues I’ll have nothing left to mother a lamb, and if I’m outed. I’ll go to Sydney and get a job agitating for longer hours for sheepowners, and a law to protect rabbits.” The Australian Meat Trades Journal, discussing the drought position in New South Wales before the recent, rains, stated that over the most part of the state, the worst drought on record continues. This has lasted in many places for three years, and not only has every shoo*: of green disappeared, hut most of the edible scrub available has been lopped and eaten. Wells which have never been known to be dry have become so, and water in many places is no longer available. Millions of sheen and large numbers of cattle and horses, with nearly all the recent lamb crop are dead, and those ewes which, at a large expense, have been saved have now most probably to Its sacriiiced. Should rain come immediately, unless it is a warm rain and gradual, many of the remaining sheet) will die from weakness ! and exposure. When the (trough' breaks, | the value of ewes will he up to fully £0 I per head, and meat of any kind will be hard 1 to get unless importer! from more favoured | States. Meantime, luxury' and extravagance j goes on apace in the capital, and few seem j to realise that the backbone of the country, its live stock, is bent to breaking point. 1 The Prime Minister has written to Mr C. j Benjamin, secretary of the Canterbury | branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, : under date 22nd i:is:t., acknowledging re- \ ceipt of a resolution passed by the Canfcer--1 bury Provincial Conference of the union, [ regarding the export of potatoes. “I may inenlion,” runs the communication, “that i 1 have been, for some little time past, in 1 cable communication with the Prime MinI ister of the Commonwealth, this being s.upI plementary to other communications sent jby the Department of Agriculture. In spite of all efforts, however, the Australian auth- : orities refused to remove their embargo, j though an undertaking has been given by | the New Zealand Government that any form •of inspection, no matter how rigid, desired j by til? Commonwealth authorities, would be ; willingly carried out hero over the potatoes Iwe ship. I may add that the matter has I not been dropped, and I intend to again taka , it no with the Comnmveallh Government.” Easily the most successful exhibitor in the ! farm roots section at (he Winton Show last 1 Wednesday was Mr 11. P. Ptcvciw, of “Pino- , side," Awarua Plains. The marvellous root growing propensities of Awarua Plains we.once more clearly demonstrated, as Mr Stevens practically swept the board in every class in which he entered. it is interesting to note that Mr Ptevcns is now following in 1 his father's footsteps as the latter was for ' many years a consistent prize-taker at the i Winton and Invercargill Winter Siiows. | A feature of the Winton Winter Show on j Wednesday was an exhibit by the Depart- : meat of Agriculture consisting mostly of ; specimens grown at the Winton Experi- ' mental Farm. The exhibit was mostly ot 1 roots grown under the swede dry rot investigation condition.-'. The greens were mostly i of the summer forage variety, such, as Chowj Mollier, thousand headed ' kale, kohl rabi j and cabbage. These green crops are not 'grown sufficiently in the i-onth, and the exhibit will no doubt do something toward.; directing attention lo their virtues. In the months (ff, say, January and February, the 'grass conditions nuke such a stand-by wcl- | come, especially as they can lie fed in conjunction with roots. They can op grown as field crops, requiring no particular attention. The roots on view -were not select ■;) for show purposes, but all were typical of : (heir respective class. The value of lime on I Southland soil was strikingly apparent 'i this exhibit. There were also some roots i from the Gore Experimental Are;;, a coliccItion of miserable specimens showing what 'mostly c>. entuatps wh.'n the ground is sown i and then not cultivated further. Tim cxtmii pies of those cultivated were a greed improve i turn!. A sample of Garten.-; grown at Gor.i i was a splendid answer i ) the impumt'o’; ' tint Southland cannot produce good oats. Suffice it to say titel the crop front which rite samp!-,: was selected yielded So iai ltd.- ot Hr.-;, lo the a ere. The potatoes on view were remarkable for consistency iu size, colour and :-h,.t; e in all of which characteristics ] radically :dl the potatoes in the competitive (desses were lacking.