EXTRA CHOICE PRIME

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 584, 9 February 1929, Page 29

EXTRA CHOICE PRIME

EXPORT OF LIVE STOCK SUGGESTED CONTROL (Special to THE SUNJ ( WELLINGTON, Friday. Following upon investigation by the Royal Agricultural Society, a Domin-ion-wide conference of sheep-owners is to be held in Wellington to consider the question of exporting stud sheep from New Zealand. Last September it was announced that drastic action was being taken by the Government stock departments in Australia to prevent the dumping of inferior stud sheep from New Zealand in the Commonwealth. Australian representations had been made to the New Zealand Minister of Agriculture, and the suggestion had been made that there should be an export tax of two guineas a head on sheep leaving New Zealand, the feeling being that this would prevent the shipment of poor sheep. This matter was considered a menace to the trade in New Zealand stud sheep and the Royal Agricultural Society therefore conferred with Dr. Reakes, Director of the Department of Agriculture and discussed methods to prevent inferior sheep from being sent from the country. From their conference a plan of procedure was drawn up and circularised among the various breeders’ associations. The plan provides that any owner wishing to export sheep must apply to the breed society concerned to have the sheep inspected and its type and quality determined, the Royal Agricultural Society being notified of this application. For this

inspection, if the sheep were registered in a stud book the fee would be collected by the breed society concerned, but for unregistered sheep the fee would be collected by the Royal Agricultural Society. Each breed society would compile a register of men competent to act as inspectors of sheep and this should be by the Royal Society. At the time of inspection the man appointed would be accompanied by a representative of the Department of Agriculture who would inspect primarily for health reasons. it is also proposed that all sheep of exportable standard shall be tattooed with a registered mark of the Royal Society. Only sheep from registered flocks shall be eligible for the registered stud mark of the Royal Society, while sheep from unregistered flocks shall be tattooed with the registered flock mark of the society. It is provided, however, that any breed society may use its own tattoo mark on all exportable stud sheep if it desires. The export certificate of each breed society is to be endorsed by the Royal Agricultural Society, and without that endorsement will be deemed invalid. The society also will issue export certificates for unregistered sheep, certifying that they are up to standard as flock animals. Copies of these certificates are to be sent by the society to buyers of all export sheep and to the breed society concerned in the country to which the animals are exported. Propaganda is to be conducted in sheep-buying countries informing buyers of what is being done. To recoup the Royal Society it is proposed that a levy of 2s Gd a head on all stud rams and Is a head on all stud ewes and flock sheep shall be instituted. After consideration of the scheme the various breed societies have asked for a conference and this will be called in Wellington at an early date. GRAZING LUCERNE INTERESTING TESTS An experiment has been conducted in South. Africa recently to test the effect of grazing and haying lucerne. The grazing is imitated by frequently cutting the lucerne while it is still short. The weight of the lucerne removed from each plot is recorded. While the method used would not be quite so detrimental as real grazing, nevertheless it gives some idea of the relative amounts of lucerne that will be available from the different treatments. The following figures of the relative yields of hay following different treatments are interesting in this connection: Not grazed (all crops cut for hay), 40.9; continuously grazed (all crops grazed), 22.3; grazed for the first two crops (last four crops cut for hay), 33.2; grazed for the third and fourth crop (first two and last two crops for hay), 37.4; grazed for the fifth and sixth crop (first four crops for hay), 37.2; grazed for the first two and fifth and sixth crops (the third and fourth crops for hay). 26.5. From these figures it will be seen that if stock are allowed to graze conanuously, they will obtain only about half as much feed from the lucerne is would be obtained if all crops were :ut for hay. It will also be noted that ucerne grazed for the period of the Irst two crops, that is spring grazing, s more detrimental than summer or utumn grazing. Grazing in both the pring and autumn is almost as bad s continuous grazing. If one must .raze, it would seem that the sumrer or autumn will result in least ujury. These results conform largely i practices in New Zealand. Where ir and away the best results are seired is when the lucerne is cut reen throughout its growing season nd fed to dairy cows.

ARGENTINE FARMING LAND OF LARGE HOLDINGS FUTURE POSSIBILITIES In 1927 Argentina’s agricultural j exports -were half as much again in value as in 1923. Although live stock raising is still the chief agricultural enterprise,; the country is forging ahead rapidly in wheat and maize production, and in that respect is becoming a formidable competitor with America. How largely agriculture predominates among Argentina’s industries is

shown by. the fact that in the last five years 90 per cent, of the country's total exports consisted of agricultural products. Yet only a small part of the potential tillable land lias been j brought into cultivation. In a cereal; region as large as the maize belt of j the United States, only 8 per cent, of the land is in crops. Only 8 per cent, of the country's total area is in cultivation. Large estates are conspicuous features of Argentina's agricultural economy, and a very large proportion of the cultivated area is in the hands of comparatively few holders. Wheat was superseded by maize as the most Important cash crop of the country In 1927. Argentine maize competes in world markets with the exports of feeding grains from the United States. Among wheat-pro-ducing countries Argentina ranks seventh, and in wheat exports is exceeded only by the United States and Canada. Wheat grown in the northern part of Argentina is classified by the International Institute of Agriculture among the softer varieties; however, much of It is similar to hard red winter in the United States. In the last six years Argentina’s wheat production has ranged from 191,138,000 bushels in 1924-25 to 248,807,000 bushels in 1920-27. In flax seed production Argentina ranks first, and produces about 50 per cent, of the world’s crop exclusive of Russia’s contribution. It is first among flax exporting countries, with India second In oats production it is unimportal%, usually producing less than 2 per cent, of the world’s supply. As yet most of Argentina’s large land holdings are devoted primarily to ranching and fattening live stock and the country’s beef industry continues to dominate European markets. The number of beef cattle in the important province of Buenos Ayres has shown some decrease in the last four years, although the rise in beef prices in recent years may stimulate the industry. On the other hand, the country’s dairy industry has expanded. Argentine dairy products are already established in the world’s markets, and Argentine butter sent to Great Britain exercises an important influence on butter prices. Whether the country will develop a large pig industry on the basis of maize-growing, is not yet indicated. So far very little maize has been fed io pigs. VALUE OF lODINE INFLUENCE ON MILK YIELD “Certified Milk” publishes the following abstract of a technical report on the influence of iodine on milk secretion that appeared in a Swiss exchange;— Cows given 1 mg. of iodine a day gave more milk in the evening than in the morning. This is the reverse of what is usually observed. The iodine was given mixed with fodder after the morning milking. Thus the milk glands were stimulated during the day and showed the effect in the evening milking. When the iodine was given in the evening, the quantity of morning milk was greater. Stiner treated a herd of goats with agalactia (absence of secretion of milk) by means of a diet rich In vitamins as well as with small amounts of iodine (about 3 mgs. a day) and small doses of arsenic. The animals recovered entirely in from four to six weeks. No untoward results followed the prolonged use of iodized salt in cows. In experiments with milch cows lOgm. of iodized cooking salt was used (o.sgm. of potassium iodide to 100,000 gm. of cooking salt). Milk production in the cows thus treated was greater than In those receiving plain salt. The quality of the milk was also improved. Animals receiving the iodine were regularly impregnated with one covering, while in the others several coverings were required. The number of calves each iodized cow was 1.0 per control cow 0.7, in 1924; 1.0 and 0.8, respectively in 1925. A comparison of the effects of an organic compound with those of two inorganic salts showed the former to be superior. The largest sheep station ill the world is at Tierra del Fuego, the most southern part of South America One company shears more than 2,500,000 sheep every year. | One or two big records in the ped gree of an individual do not mean ; | much as a larger number of uniform’ i good records.