FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 218, 23 December 1910, Page 7

FARM AND DAIRY

i COASTAL XOTES.

:Tlie damp weather, along with the luxuriant growth of vegetation, of the recent weeks, seems to have revived the old trouble in connection with cow lameness along the coast. Some of .the dairy farms are suffering worse than others, there being, in occasional instances, as many as from about 15 to 20 per cent, of the herds attacked, which naturally seriously affects the milk supply, as the lame cows are unable, in almost all cases, to hunt about for their necessary nourishment for milk production. On the other hand, infrequent rains have greatly facilitated agricultural matters, so that ploughing and cropping have gone ahead apace, and the seeds are springing with rewarding rapidity. USEFUL KFORMATIO3L Xever give the working horse more food at a time than he will clear up. It is an easy thing to get the measure of the appetite of each animal in the team, iajttd to feed it accordingly. When a foal is five months old it is j time that it should be weaned. There are two methods of procedure—one the gradual taking away of the foal, the other the abrupt.

There is a somewhat larger acreage sown in potatoes this season, and for the most part these crops are looking singularly healthy and promising, but, of course, it is yet too early to indicate as, to probable yields, inasmuch as the dreaded blight has in the past few years caused serious damage to potato crops at about Christmas and New Year time.

In Japan, soils have been cropped for ages and maintained in a high state of fertility without .the Tiise of 'Commeraial nitrates, phosphates or potash salts, according to the report of Mr. F. H. King. See that the herd of cows is in "a heaMihy condition, and if .milk is low 7 in fat a Jersey added to the herd will be found to mean improvement and will also give '.color and finer flavor to the butter.

A good supply of drinking water, which should 'be pure and plentiful, is necessary for aows. The cowshed should *be kept in a clean condition, and strict cleanliness on the part of the milkers is most important. 3Dhe Queensland Government has imparted from Britain a high-class collection of pedigree live stock. The list of animals reads like an auctioneer's catalogue. Mr. Mahon, who, is the principal, of the Gatton Agricultural College, brought back from England with him five Lincoln red bulls and five heifers, four Clydesdale stallions and five Clydesdale horses, two Pereheron stallions and one mare, three Welsh pony stallions, one Shetland pony stallion, one Suffolk Punch mare, five Ayrshire bulls, seven Ayrshire heifers, two Hereford bulls, two Hereford heifers, one Guernsey bull, two Guernsey heifers, two Jersey bulls, one Shorthorn bull and three Shorthorn heifers, also twenty-seven head of poultry, including several pheasants. It may be noted that all bone meal imported into 'South Africa has to be Sterilised, with the obect of rendering it impossible that any stock disease germs should be brought into the country with the bones.

Legislation is now being considered in the Danish House of Parliament with the view of securing more uniformity in the export butter trade, and of .establishing an official brand mark, the word "Lur" having been selected. The preliminary agricultural returns for oreat Britain give the total number of horses for Great Britain ;as 1,54'5,287, being a decrease of 7706, or Oio per cent., as compared with last year. Of the number 1,130,841' are horses used for agricultural purposes, there being of these an increase of 4827. There are 282,269 unbroken horses one year old and above, a decrease of 112,388, and the unbroken horses under one year number 126,177, a decrease or 145. Adding the figures for Ireland, the total "for Great Britain and Ireland is an inorease of 6353, but the return only refers to horses in country districts. Because their owners do not indulge the -foals with a feed of corn now and again whilst they are with their dams, it often happens, when .the separation comes, the young animals are left on grass and rapidly flesh, which takes a deal to replace. Cows which are left too long without milking often get very distended udders, and may suffer very considerable pain in consequence. Very heavy milkers "have sometimes to be milked 'three times 'instead of twice a day to relieve the pressure on the udder.

Manure is necessary for the land so as to maintain its productiveness and increase its yield; yet we believe that many farmers nardly realise the benefits tnat accrue to thorough tillage and clean farming, which are of vital importance in days of fierce competition and rivalry. Kindness should be .the rule with all farm animals. Not simply for the reason that it makes the animals bad to "Be treated badly, but because no person can do that and not himself be made a little worse than he was. Character is made up of little acts. Kindness builds a strong, true life.

When putting young horses in harness for the first time handle them very gently, and load them very lightly until they become somewhat used to the work. •Many young horses are injured by being crowded; into heavy work too suddenly, and not gradually seasoned to heavy usage.

The parsnip is said to be one of the best of all roots for milch cows. It is a very sweet root, and its extensive use in the island of Jersey may have contributed to making the superior milk and butter qualities of the Channel Island cows.

For the thirty-day period ending November I<s, the operations of the Kaupowonui Cow-testing Association, which is carried on under Government supervision, resulted in Mr. E. Long's herd being at the head of the list with an average milk yield per cow of 12381b5, test 3.87, and fat 47.971b5. The average yield per cow for the Association was 9391b5, test 3.64, and fat 34.211.b5. To obtain such a result it is evident there must be some particularly good animals among Mr. Long's herd, which numbers twentynine. The record of the champion cow in the herd, Bluebell, for the thirty-day period, was 12671bs of milk, test 5.5, and fat 69.681b5.