At The Furrow’s End

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 170, 8 October 1927, Page 29 (Supplement)

At The Furrow’s End

Beef Breeding for Profit For beef, as well as for butterfat, there is much in the breed when it comes to a show down on the question of comparative profit. There is only a certain length of time during which it pays to keep a beast before the margin of profit is reduced, and it is the animal which makes the greatest growth in that time which is the most profitable. Westfield market affords an interesting study. There, a well-finished pen of medium-framed fat cattle will always draw keen competition as compared with the demand for mediocre and even heavy, big-framed sorts. A special favourite among buyers, is the small, compact, well-finished beast, especially if it has been topped oft' on turnips or extra choice pastures. Even for export this is the class of animal which commands the greatest attention. Thus is all boils down practically to a question of breed. In this respect it would seem that few could go wrong with the little Polled Angus. Nothing looks better than a straight-out line of these cattle, and one great factor in their favour it the rapidity with which the bullocks reach a profitable marketing stage. Again, they are healthy and do well in practically any class of country or climate. Certainly other breeds have their claims for attention, but to-day quickness of return is what is aimed at. On this winter’s Westfield values well-finished Polled Angus cattle under three years old would bring an average return of £ll to £l2. This, to the farmer, represents a return of over £4 a year. Kept over that age, of course, the profit per year would rapidly decrease. This rule applies to all breeds. Buyers have definitely indicated that they will give preference every time to the compact, well-finished beast, rather than to the huge-framed animal, however well finished. This was seen at Westfield only this week. The heaviest and best-finished beast seen in the yards for several years made on a weight basis about half the value of small, compact animals.

MINERALS FOR STOCK CHECKING DISEASE The need of minerals for stock has been clearly indicated in South Africa where experiments have shown that many animals were cripples as a result of a lack of lime and phosphorus in the soil. When two lots of cattle, each of 50 head, were experimented with, the lot

provided with the bone-meal made a Sain of 2001 b a head more than the other lot, although otherwise the stock was grazed and fed under the same conditions. If farmers would adopt the practice cf giving bone-meal as a lick or in the feed of stock the stock would be better able to make full use of the feed available, apart from the fact that they 'vould not suffer from diseases brought about by the absence of mine rals in the soil. The disease is prevalent in Victoria and in South Australia and Tasmania, as well as in other parts of the world, useful work in the investigation these troubles has been done by ry Seddon, of the University of Melbourne, and in America. The South African experiments confirm results Previously obtained. Dr. Seddon isolated a bacillus from a bone of an anipia! which died of impaction paralysis Tasmania. This bacillus is consid-

New Zealand’s wool Interesting comparative figures are given in Dalgety’s Wool Review for the 1926-1927 season. The season, states the Review, was a good one, comparing favourably with that of previous years. England, again, proved the bigges:t factor in maintaining values. The net production of wool in New Zealand was 587,000 bales, as compared v „th 585,910 bales last year, an increase ux 1,090 bales. There were 10,844 bales of unsold wool at the beginning of the season—a better position than in the preceding year, when growers were confronted with a carryover of 26,639 bales. The total sale was 513,461, an increase of 21,879 bales over the 1925-26 season.

The following table shows the number cf bales sold at the various centres and the average price realised per bale, compared with the 1925-26 season:—

nui .. 59,111 54,624 16 19 716 15 1 Wellington . . 109,003 105,861 18 1 1 17 8 6 Details of the purchases by respective countries for the two seasons 1926-27 and 1925-26 are given in the following table: Bales. Bales.

ered to be the cause of the disease. The microbe, while not identical with bacillus botulinus, which has been proved in America to cause forage poisoning in horses and sheep, is similar in its action. Tha depraved appetite of animals, indicated by their chewing bones rags, and other materials, is caused by a deficiency of salts in the soil and feed. Bone-chewing may lead to paralysis through cattle picking up the toxin of the bacillus parabotulinus from bones.

GIANT OATS PRODUCT OF THE NORTH (From Our Otcn Coi'respondent) WHANGAREI, Friday. A small sheaf of Algerian oats, which has reached the extraordinary height of 9ft. 6&in., has been grown toy Mrs. H. J. Turner, of Otuhi, near VTiangarei, in her kitchen garden. The straw is not too coarse, is of a fine chaffing quality, and the heads range tc almost 3ft. in length, containing a fine sample of grain. Last year. Mrs. Turner grew a sheaf 7ft. 6in. high, which she has beaten this year by over two feet. She hopes to excel even this enormous height next year, as she is confident that the sandy loam in her locality is second to none in New Ze^and.

Average per Bale. Bale Sold. 192627. IS 2526. 1026-27. 1925-26 £ ‘d £ d Akld .. 46,149 40,618 16 3 15 12 11 Ch'church 75,406 74,020 19 11 10 17 1 8 Dunedin 73,681 67.692 19 11 3 17 2 11 Gisbne Invercar3,214 3,755 12 S 6 13 4 0 gill . . 26,301 24,126 15 12 4 14 14 11 Napier 91,372 92,188 16 18 8 16. 15 11 Timai'U Wanga29,224 28,420 19 6 10 17 0 0

United Kingdom 1926-27. 309,248 1925-26. 262,300 France *1.446 33,224 Germany and Austria .. 70,969 58,220 Belgium and Holland .. 4.546 3,088 Japan, China and India.. 7,981 7,800 Unite! States and Canada 21,537 52,400 Italy and Switzerland . . 5,800 4,446 Local manufacturers 44,734 65,398 Australia 7,200 4,706 Totals 513,461 491,582