FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 19 October 1907, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY

Every farmer will i'«>l grateful for the remit warm sun-hiiu\ and it is to be hyped that the fine weather will continue. Pur the past two months dairy-farmers have had a mo>t trying lime. Coming after a mild winter, the harsh weather has been very trying to stuck, especially dairy cattle." With l»riees jjood last year most dairymen timed their herds to come in eiirlv. trusting that the spring would be as mild as that of last year. The result has been that nearly all the herds have come to profit early, and feed has been so scarce fall the winier feed having been utilised I and the season so -wet and bleak that tin cmv> have been starved, and the amount oi milk has been much below the average for tlie number of cows in milk. 'l'iie 1 mortality amongst the herds, too. has been exceedingly heavy and scan ely a herd has escaped without loss. through the province rqwrts are to hand of the large number of dairy cow ; that hare succumbed to eold and want of good feed. Unfortunately iiin-i of tincows that have died are the be 4 in tinherds, these beillu' the hetter-hred ami more delicate in constitution could ml be expected to withstand the ruuxli treatment meted out bv the winterv elements, and as farmers could ""t lim;-e and feed them the mortality Ita-- lie-ii disastrous. Heifers and the rougher bred cows have not been affect* d to an extent, but even these could not do reasonable duty iti the cowyard. I lie dairman whose herds are late calvers will have the best of it this reason should the vile weather not return, as it 16 more satisfactory to milk late calving cows right into the late autumn, thin to milk early calvcrs that have to face such ripors as have been experienced during the spring of the present season. The one cheering aspect is the ability of the Taranaki land to recover, and as we many now reasonably expe.-r .some warmth and sunshine a wholesome changes hould immediately come over the industry in the colony.