LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM

Southland Times, Issue 21091, 24 May 1930, Page 14

LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM

CURRENT«TOPICS. THE VALUE OF HERD-TESTING. If any argument in support of herd-test-ing were really necessary, the monthly returns of the Southland and Otago Association issued' by the secretary would supply all that was necessary. The figures published in this issue for the month of April speak for themselves, but as it is evident that this was a month of declining production it would not be wise to draw too definite conclusions from them. The returns for any of .the flush months—February, for example—are even more pronounced. These figures show that there is a very marked disparity between the production of the different herds and as it is a well-known fact that only those farmers who are really anxious to improve their production—and incidentally their financial returns —are agreeable to carry out herd-testing, it can be reasonably accepted that the poorest figures in the groups do not represent' the poorest production in those localities. Without herd-testing, it is impossible to form any reliable estimate on the capacity of the individual cows in a herd; all that can be done is to strike a monthly average on the factory returns for the whole herd. Some dairy farmers, it J is certain, do not even bother to make such an analysis and are content with checking over their monthly payment with the figures of the amount of butter-fat supplied. The result is that every untested herd includes cows which produce so little milk and butter-fat that they are absolutely worthless from the point of view of profitable farming. Before the milking machine came into such wide use the bucket was the tell-tale, but in the case of machine milking it is impossible to judge whether a cow has given two gallons of milk or less than one. On the other hand, many a high-producing cow has been culled out of a herd because she has failed to get into calf or has come in with weak quarters, and it is said that this would probably have happened to the cow in the herd of Mr J. Fenton, of Menzies Ferry, which achieved a Dominion record last year had she not proved her extraordinary capacity under test. Herd-testing is enjoying an increased vogue and gradually, but surely, the average production of herds under test is i rising. Reverting to the association aver- ! ages for February, it is interesting to note that in the Edendale group the highest producing herd, which was of 38 cows, averaged 55.631bs of butter-fat while the lowest herd in the group, with 35 cows, averaged 25.77 lbs—less than half. Computed on a return of 1/6 lb. butter-fat, it can be seen that the man with the high producing herdreduced to 36 cows for comparative purposes—would receive a return of over £5O more per month than the other. Costs of production would certainly not be very much greater. There would not be a very great variation in the amount of feed required by the high producing cows—probably scarcely noticeable, so the return from a substantially equal area would be doubled by the farmer with the profitable herd. This is not the onlj' advantage of herd-testing. Tested cows with good records can always command good prices. This was borne out at the recent sale of Messrs W. Y. Dickie and'Son’s Glenstuart Friesians when tested cows which had high production records brought prices which were in some cases in excess of the pedigree stock.

FOOD FOR STOCK.

LIFTING OF DUTY URGED.

Speaking at the pig breeders’ conference in Palmerston North recently, the Hon. Edward Newman, M.L.C., said large scale pig production by farmers would mean that every farmer would become a student of food values. He would produce a large proportion of his requirements on his own farm and would only purchase the concentrated foods to give the necessary balance and concentration of the ration. With experience of local conditions farmers owuld gradually acquire knowledge that would enable them to make the best use of the foods available. As in the case of fat lamb raising and dairying at the present time, some farmers were more skilful than others. Some could make a profit where others would make a loss.

The main point was that pigs would be produced for export and would have to compete at world parity prices. Grain and other concentrates were the necessary raw materials for the manufacture of pig products. No manufacturer of anything could jell his products at world parity prices unless he could obtain the necessary raw materials on the same parity, and no manufacturer with any experience would be so foolish as to attempt to manufacture goods to be sold at world parity prices if he had his raw products or any considerable proportion of them loaded by duties that his competitors in the world’s markets had not to meet. Live stock farmers were manufacturers of products for sale in overseas markets. They had to compete with the cheapest producing countries in the world, and like any other manufacturer they could not afford to utilize raw products, the cost of which had been raised in any way by duties. The. following motion, moved by Mr Newman, and seconded by Mr N. Campbell, of Palmerston North, was carried unanimously:—“Whereas the price that farmers in New Zealand receive for all live stock and live stock products produced by them is governed by the export parity, thus making it necessary for New Zealand live stock farmers to produce at the world’s lowest prices, and whereas grains and concentrated foods of various kinds are essential to economical live stock production, particularly for balancing and concentrating the rations of pigs, poultry and to a lesser extent dairy stock, and whereas New Zealand, while being one of the 'finest grazing countries in the’ world, does not produce grains suitable for stock foods at world parity prices now, this meeting resolves that the Government be asked to remove duties on all grains and concentrated foods required for stock foods and thus enable New Zealand farmers to obtain these stock foods at the world’s competitive prices.”

Between 1921 and 1928 the number of motor vehicles in Great Britain increased by 233 per cent —from 873,700 to 2,036,000. It is estimated that in 1928 there was one motor vehicle for every twenty-two persons in the-country and one driving licence for every eighteen persons.

The largest cable ship in the world is the Dominia, which, when loaded with 8500 tons of cable, carries a cargo of enormous value. She recently laid?the new Pacific cable, 3625 miles long, at the record speed of nine miles an hour.

A dhole is a wild dog found in certain parts of India. Dholes are of a reddish colour, and hunt for game in packs.

EXPORT OF APPLES.

DETERIORATION CAUSES. EFFECTS OF PICKING. CAWTHRON INSTITUTE WORK. The Cawthron Institute, Nelson, last year took up, at the request of the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, special work on the relationship of storage temperature to the overseas carriage of some . New Zealand varieties of export apples. The task was placed in the hands of Mr L. W. Tiller, orchard chemist' of the institute, and his report has just been made public. ’ The results given in the report are of considerable interest to shippers and to engineers on fruit-earryirig steamers, while at the same time they are of importance to the individual orchardist, as they show that the time of picking different kinds of apples materially affects their keeping qualities, a mutter of which all growers should learn. Six varieties of apples were dealt with, which consisted of Sturmer, Jonathan, Delicious, Dunns Favourite, Cox’s Orange Pippin and Statesman, these being the leading varieties grown in the Nelson districts, which exports 360,000 bushels yearly, or nearly two-fifths of the Dominion’s total export. Results of Experiments. With regard to Cox’s Orange Pippin, which is one of our most delicate types of apple and one most popular on the English market, it was found that the chief causes of deterioration were: —1, internal breakdown; 2, bitter-pit; 3, fungal diseases. By far tho most severe of the three major troubles affecting the variety was internal breakdown, which was not in any line less than 11 per cent., and in the worst reached 86 per cent. The later picking was more seriously affected than the first, and on subsequent removal of the fruit from storage the difference between the two still further increased. Breakdown was most prevalent in the fruit stored at 32 deg. I'., and was least in evidence in that stored at 38 deg. F. Bitter-pit was confined almost entirely to fruit of the first picking, and its development was favoured by storage at a high temperature. Frtlit stored at 38 deg. I-’., had developed an average of 13 per cent, of pit at the end of the eight-weeks storage, whereas in fruit stored at 32 deg. F., there was only M per cent. Although the progress of the disease is retarded at 32 deg. F., the inherent susceptibility does ::ot appear to be very much diminished, for- on removing theTruit to a warm atmosphere after storage the percentage of pit rises to a figure approaching .that given by fruit that has been stored at 38 deg. F. This result indicates that it is unwise to attempt control of bitter-pit by carriage at low temperature unless the fruit concerned is going to be ufsed soon after its removal from storage and is not unduly liable to internal breakdown. The best method at present available for effecting control of the disease is the avoidance of early picking. Fruit of the second picking, even when stored at 38 deg! F., or when subsequently held out of store, showed no more than 2 per cent, of bitter-pit, whereas that of the first picking developed up to 16 per cent. First- and Second Pickings.

Dunn’s Favourite seems little subject tq any of the diseases mentioned and provided the trees arc well grown and well sprayed the variety keeps and carries well. Jonathan, it is stated, is the only widelygrown apple susceptible to the disease known as "deep scald.” A storage temperature in the vicinity of 35 deg. F. gave the best average results over the twomonths’ storage period for this variety. Any lower temperature is to be avoided on account of the prevalence of scald. The higher temperature did . not give any materially better control of breakdown and at the same time favoured the development of Jonathan spot. There was a most striking difference both in appearance and jn quality between apples of the first and second pickings; the effect was much more marked with this variety than with any of the others included in the experiments, The riper fruit possessed much higher colour and was of greatly superior flavour, although, as indicated above, a certain amount of mild Jonathan-spot was beginning to make its appearance. A consideration of the facts indicate that the piper fruit would command a higher price than the less mature fruit. There is nothing to be gained on the score of quality by picking the Jonathan extremely early. Testing of the Delicious. Through the whole of the Delicious there was practically no trace of interna! breakdown. A few apples of the second picking showed slight traces of watercore at all three temperatures, but on subsequent storage at ordinary temperatures, this passed off without leaving the flesh in any way damaged. Owing to the absence of breakdown, fungal diseases were slightly less at 32 deg. F. than at the two higher temperatures, but the differences were exceedingly small. As far as mouldy-core is concerned, in the fruit used for the experiment only a very small percentage—usually about 3 per cent. — showed up, and it was not consistently modified in any way by temperature of storage or date of picking.

The Delicious is tolerant to a wide storage temperature range, but the best results were secured at a temperature of 35 deg. F. There was little fungus and no breakdown'at this temperature, and the characteristic flavour of the variety was fairly well developed without there being any suspicion of mealiness in the flesh. The objection to the lower temperature of 32 deg. F. is that the apples are of relatively poor colour and flavour, while at 38 deg. F. fungal diseases are apt, under unfavourable circumstances, to be rather severe. Fruit of the later picking was very distinctly superior in quality to that of early picking, and was not marked by any corresponding disadvantage. Other Varieties. In Statesmen and Sturmers, both good keepers and carriers, late picking as with other varieties mentioned, seems to give beneficial results.

“Taking everything into consideration,” states the report, "It appears that there is only one widely exported variety, viz,. —Cox’s Orange—which is likely to give serious trouble, although there is a little room for improvement with the Jonathan as well. It is desirable that more be known of the behaviour of the Cox’s Orange in another season and from other soil types, and under a more extended range of temperature and under different humidities, for it is possible that the abnormal season was responsible for the somewhat poor keeping quality exhibited under the conditions of the experiment. With the other varieties no serious trouble is anticipated if effect can be, given to the main recommendations set out in this report, and in this connection it is desired finally to draw special attention to the need for getting the fruit into refrigerated storage at the earliest, possible moment after picking.” A church built of beaver board, cardboard and paper on the boundary of an estate at Benoni, about 20 miles from Johannesburg, is to be moved as it stands to another site. It wAs sent from England in sections about 21 years ago, and although much used, has proved highly efficient.

BLENDED BUTTER. FOREIGN MAKES USED. SECRECY OF THE OPERATORS. "SOURCES OF ORIGIN HIDDEN.” Allegations that boxes, casks and barrels are systematically destroyed or defaced with the object of concealing the fact that the greater part of the blended butter sold in England is of foreign origin, are made by a committee of the Royal Empire Society, which is endeavouring to encourage the use of Empire-produced butter. The committee alleges that the labels used on blended packet butter lead the purchaser to believe that he is buying an English butter, and for it he pays threepence to fourpence a pound more than for Danish or Empire butter sold in bulk. After pointing out that in 1929 the imports of Empire butter fell by 8478 cwt. and foreign imports increased by 302,129 cwt., the committee says that it is reliably estimated that about 80,000 tons of butter are blended annually in England, of which about 16,000 tons emanate from Australia and New Zealand. Of the remaining 64,000 tons, about 60,000 tons are imported from foreign countries. Markings on Packets. No butter imported from non-Empirc sources, with the exception of Danish and, in some districts, Finnish, bearing the name of- the country of its origin, is to be found in the retail shops, states the committee. On the other hand, a very large trade is done in packeted butters. There are some 25 brands of these, and an examination of the wrapper of any of them immediately shows that, while they omit actually to state that the butter is English, the use of country names and addresses associated with famous English dairying districts, accompanied in many instances, by fancy names and illustrations, must suggest to the ordinary purchaser that he is buying English farm but-

ter. The evidence on which the committee bases its belief in the desire to preserve secrecy regarding the use of foreign butters in blending is set out in detail. Between Friday, January 10, and Sunday, January 20, visits were paid to 13 butter factories and creameries in the Home Counties, Devon and Somerset, and, in one case, in the heart of London, with the object of obtaining first-hand evidence that the imported butter was actually received there. As a result of the visits, the agents brought back a considerable collection of butter boxes and casks, or portions thereof, originating from various South American, Swedish, ■ Norwegian, Estonian, Latvian, Danish, Australian and New Zealand dairying concerns. Search for Evidence. “The origin of these casks and boxes is in most cases beyond question, inasmuch as j they bear the o branded names of the con-; signing dairy firms,” the committee says. "In a few cases, in which all identification marks have been carefully removed, independent evidence was obtained that the

firms from whose premises they were secured were periodically in receipt of imported butter. “The method employed ih obtaining the evidence was, in most cases, quite direct, and consisted of applying in person to the office or empty box depot of the factory for permission to purchase a box or cask for the purpose of despatching goods. In one instance, in the Home counties, pointblank refusal was met with and the inquirer was told bluntly that the staff had instructions not to give any information about the origin of the'butter sold by the company. In this case labels bearing the words ‘pure Estonian butter’ and ‘pure Latvian butter’ were obtained from a parcel of firewood obtained

from the factory by persons living in its vicinity. This second-hand evidence was, however, supplemented by securing from the land adjoining the factory, and, apparently used for the purpose of breaking up cases, the end of an Argentine butter box and the top of an Estonian butter cask. Bulk Imported. “In some instances, offers were made to ‘clean u;»’ the boxes or casks by planing off the names and identification marks, but these offers were, by appropriate excuses, declined. In two other cases admission to the empty box store was denied the inquirer and the request for boxes was met by the offer of articles from which the identification marks had been removed by planing. In these cases, however, further inquiries were made which went to show that the bulk of the butter used was undoubtedly imported. “Almost 'without, exception great caution in parting with the empty boxes or cases was exercised by those in charge of the empty box department. Assurances were required as to the purposes for which boxes were to be used and sometimes the name was inquired for, and in one instance at least registered. “In the case of one very large firm arrangements were made with the contractors responsible for removing the empty boxes •from the factory for the purchase of a considerable variety of imported butter cases, but at the last moment the transaction was cancelled owing to the contractor becoming suspicious. He explained his attitude by Stating that under the terms of his contract he was forbidden to part with any case until the identification marks had been removed. "Confirmatorj' evidence concerning the receipt of regular consignments of imported butter was obtained by inquiries from the local railway good yards staff and of persons living in the neighbourhood. A feature of the evidence sectired here was the celerity and secrecy that were observed in transferring the consignments of imported butter from the goods yard to the factory. Impressions of Public. “Agents who purchased numerous samples of the packeted butter at various London

shops were, in nearly every instance, told that it was English. The impression left in some shops was that the assistants themselves genuinely believed that the butter was made from English cream, in others that they were,repeating ‘sales patter’ which they had learnt. One retailer explained, in answer to a question, that ‘blended’ meant that cream coming from different farms had been blended in the West Country factory named on the label.

“The general effects of the practice which has been described, are that the public under the impression that it is buying Englishblended butter, is paying approximately two and a-quarter millions more for its packeted butter than the value of the constituents justifies and Empire-produced butters are seriously handicapped by the unfair competition of inferior foreign butters bought by the public as superior English. The struggling home trade is being strangled and the blending factories are reaping the harvest the British farmer has sown. The consumption of British butter has declined according to Ministry of Agriculture figures to little more than 10 per cent, of the total consumption. Most of this is consumed in the locality where it is made.” Endeavours are being made by the Royal Empire Society arid other bodies ..interested to have it made compulsory that all butter labels shall disclose the country of origin, as was suggested by the Imperial Economic Committee in its report. '

.VALUE OF NITROGEN. AN IMPROVED AWARD. BETTER RYEGRASS STRAINS NEEDED. In view of the interest that Is being shown by farmers in top-dressing pastures with superphosphate and lime and also in view of the advocacy in some quarters of several dressings per annum of nitrogen, the whole position was recently discussed with Mr R. McGillivray, Fields Superintendent of the Department of Agriculture at Christchurch, states the Sun. Mr McGillivray stated that he had seen a lot of nitrogen in its various forms used on pastures, and had kept in elose touch with many areas where nitrogen had been used. He could say that in most cases the sward of grass had been improved to a very marked extent. In some places the grass had disappeared except where the sulphate of ammonia hud been applied. Mr McGillivray said that with short-lived types of pasture plants full results would not be obtained from nitrogenous or other fertilizers, but with the introduction of more persistent strains of ryegrass, etc., he was sure that far better results would be obtained.

He said that the April application of ? lewt an acre of sulphate of ammonia showed rapid results, but one had to remember that on the plains of -Canterbury hard

frosts were experienced, and it had yet to be proved that the autumn applications of nitrogen were a' payable proposition. Speaking of the early spring application, Mr McGillivray said that sulphate of ammonia couy be relied upon to provide a succulent bite, and where early spring feed was in demand a dressing of one to IScwt sulphate of ammonia in late July or early August would prove profitable and would give a growth of grass much earlier than would otherwise be the case. He remarked that farmers should try small fields for themselves this season. In all cases the pastures should be well-managed and in every case the grass should be fully utilized and not allowed to become rank and unpalatable.

Mr McGillivray concluded by saying that he was sure there was a place for nitrogen in connection with the improvement of our pastures, but he was strongly of opinion that liming and phosphate applications should precede nitrogen dressings if full results were to be obtained. FEEDING IN THE OPEN. Feeding hay on the ground to stock is a very wasteful process, as so much of it is always trampled underfoot; and carrying it from the stack to feeding racks is not only heavy work, but is a very slow job when any quantity has to be given out. Therefore, an idea of racks built on the slide principle may be of interest says an English paper. Procure two substantial saplings 15ft. long and not less than 4in. at the small end. Dress the under side if necessary to make it level and smooth, and bevel the big end off to a point. Lay them 4ft. apart and bolt together with a solid crosspiece well let' in at each end, then for more strength let in another crosspiece in the middle. Now mortise a three by two hole at each corner, 3in. deep, and put in three by two uprights 3ft. 4in. in length. A centre pair is also needed. Shoulder a crosspiece of same sized timber on to each pair of uprights, Ift. above the logs, and again at the top. Place a three by two pine flatways on the centre of the bottom crosspieces; this is to nail the slats of the racks on. Bolt a three by two securely to the tops of the posts on each side, bevel the inside of this, and you can begin nailing on pieces of three by one for slats, bringing the bottom ends against the bottom ends of those on the opposite side, and in the centre of the three by two pine. When finished a strip of pine along the centre gives additional strength to the slats. The distance between the slats can be left to the discretion of the builder; Ilin, is not too much, while 2in. in the case of coarse hay is suitable. At the heavy end of the logs holes are bored in the crossbar, and a chain attached to take the hook for the swingle bars.