Farm Notes.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4413, 20 May 1909, Page 4

Farm Notes.

MILK ANALYSIS, Ixorder to settle the vexed question as to vhether the pres'UJ' standard f< r milk is too rigid the Victorian D< * partment of Agriculture and the Board of Public Health are c> operaingina thorough investigation into the composition of this article, and two expert officers from each department have been specially s«t aside for purpose. It is expected that the researches will extend over a period of twelve months, and in the opinion of Dr. Norris, the chairman of the Board, the results are like'y to be of a ns.fal and valuable character.

; - THE PIG. Thk susceptibility of pigs to contract tuberculosis is well known, and the large per centsge of condemnedstoek, is a serious matter to the farmer A prominent farmer, speaking to a representative of the F irm.ers’ Union “ Advocate,” attributed the prevalence of the diseape to the milk supply, He thought that the solution of the difficulty lay in the pasteurisation of the skim milk. In his experience where several farmers pasteurised the titilk the decrease in condemned stock, was most marked. To ensure healthy pigs, all fool v ; should be boiled Not only is boiled " ' food more readily digested, but it is .lao altered that it requires less vital energy to convert it into flesh an l bone, while the liability of disease germs to multiply is minimised • “ Crossbred Berkshire and Tam- ’ Worth are the p : gs to thrive; half Berkshire and Tamaorth sows crossed with a purebred Berkshire boar give fe the best results,” says a writer on agricultural topics.

< A Canterbury fruitgrower states that the little owls which have been imported to cope with the small biid y pest have accomplished wonderful resuits. Before their arrival, he said he hud gives up all hope of coping with flie destructive birds, and his orchard was going to ruin.

As a check upon dishonest or careless droving, “ Farmer,” writing to the Christchurch ‘‘Press,” suggests v that a rule should be enforced at Addington and other saleyards making it compulsory that every mob of sheep coming or going should be counted, the owner to furnish the drover with a ticket setting out the numbers and particulars of shpep sent either, way. He suggests that the » ticket be given up and retained when the sheep are delivered. ' .In October, 1811, a small farmer near St. Albans made his appearance one market day mounted in a small c-r drawd by f -ur large hogs. He entered the town at a brisk trot, amid ;; the acclamations of the crowd, and / after making the tour of the marketplace three or four times he came into the Wool Pack Yard, saw his team unharnessed, and taken into the stable, where the bogs were regaled with beans and wash. After the farX mer had despatch' d bis business he *r ut them to and drove home again. .i It took six months to train the hogs to harness, and their tractability was the subject of general remark. Their owner indignantly refused an offer of £SO for his tunmout.