FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 50, 21 August 1911, Page 8

FARM AND DAIRY

FARMING IN GREAT BRITAIN. It is customary to talk of the decay of agriculture in Great Britain, as if the oldest of imdustries was on the point of extinction. A writer in the National Review take a more hopeful view of the situation. While admitting that farming has deteriorated from the standard which formerly rendered it by far t'te host in the world, he shows that Brifish farmers are still holding a foremost place, though changed conditions have compelled them to change their methods. He writes:—"By means of producing butter, bacon and eggs, under the most economic conditions, resulting from their admirable organisation, the Danes are able to obtain a living which would be regarded as a meagre one in Great Britain. As they make butter pay, while sending it nearly all to our markets, British farmers are asked why they cannot produce it instead of allowing an immense quantity to be imported. Nothing could better show the ignorance of British agricultural circumstances which characterises those who essay to teach our farmers their business, for butter-making for the wholesale market is the least profitable of all our branches of farming. It requires 2% gallons of | milk to make a pound of butter, which I averages not over Is the year round. Allowing 2d for the separated milk, | about two gallons, its utmost feeding value, the return is 5 3-M per gallon of milk, at least Id more than the Dan-

iah farmers receive, but not satisfactory I to British farmers. The latter prefer to make an average of 7d to 8(1 by selling their milk in its raw state, or to convert it into cheese, for which, according to the quality and market prices, they get 6d to Od per gallon of milk used. Butter-making is mainly confined to those who are neither conveniently situated for marketing milk nor resident in cheese-making districts, and those who can dispose of their butter to consumers at retail prices. Milk is the only agricultural product of this country, which, in its raw state, is not subject to any considerable foreign competition, and since agricultural depression set in, milksclling has become the mainstay of a very large proportion of our farmers, •he breeding, rearing and fattening of live stock to an increased extent aro other important forms of the adaptation to circumstances mentioned above, while a great development of our poultry industry, and an extension of fruit producti"n. are also included. By such adaptation. aided by a great reduction of rents, '•a rel'nl economy ir labor, and the extension of agricultural science as applied in practice, British farmers, as a body, are paying their way, while living much better find spending much more upon the clothing and education of their families than the Danes.' NEWS AND NOTES. Young calves should be kept dry and never allowed to become chilled. The best thing for any dairying locality is the organisation of cow-testing associations. ' All reports show that the demand for butter, milk and cream continues to be greater than the supply. When the cows get pretty well along in the period of lactation the churning does not come as rapidly as when they are fresh. A Southdown sheep which won the championship last year at Chicago, dressed SS.S per cent, of its live weight. Under similar conditions at Smithfield, in London, the Southdown dressed 62.40 per cent, of its live weight. It would be interesting to obtain a comparison with these figures and some of our prize-takers at the winter shows after they are slaughtered. This is a feature which might be developed with advantage by the various associations. The effective agricultural value of superphosphate of lime soluble in water, although when the superphosphate is applied to the soil the fertilising constituent does not remain in such soluble condition. Being so readily soluble it is quickly dissolved by the water in the soil, the phosphoric acid being gripped by the soil, and is not liable to ,be washed away as is the case with soluble nitrogenous manures. The phosphoric acid is, as it is termed, "fixed" by the *oiL J Under the pure food and drug laws of the United States an article is adulterated if it is mixed, colored, powdered, coated, or stained in a manner whereby damage or inferiority is concealed." Failure to withdraw all the milk from the udder at the time of milking is the commonest cause of cows drying off soon, for a prolonged lactation period can only be secured when the complete removal of milk at each milking is obtained. Very few club-headed, thick-necked steer-horned cows are any good. Even with the cow the tail tells a tale. The heavy club tail seldom follows a good cow, while, on the other hand, a slim tail is one of the characteristics of a good one. The manner of holding the reins and whip, and the posture of the driver, are of much moment in skilful driving. Watch the fences and repair the weak placets. Prevent the first outbreak, and the flock will be easily controlled. ~I f: '? general average of the herd that decides the profit, and not the returns from one or two of the best cows. Clover seed is about the only thinu it pays to waste—or seem to waste. A few extra pounds of seed per acre mav not be needed, but it is a profitable crop insurance. The Peruvian variety of lucerne introduced from the United States is proTatn™ T? rk fine results at the Wh w 1 Ex P enmental Farrn - South Wales. Some samples of this ucerne were sown in August, IQIO. The first cutting occurred in November of that year, but, as the crop was then Tt X l With r dS '."° record was kept hnJI second cutting, in January, 1911, however, one ton per acre of dry lucerne month" a tt- k H en ??• In the {ollow "'g nth a third cutting was made. This ir aS 1 tott lcwt P er acre - Ine Juj f g Was in A P ril - Ifc Pl'OJ fnrH P fi )er f re - Tilis month still for £2 nn) U m been sold standing 0 tho ZT' The >ndistoosoft so the In™ I i - a DloWmg mac l"'ne, and 1 n / Wh ® hftß P. ® having it cut with a scythe wid carried out by hand. One of the Stv V C!mract( ' rißtios <>f this variety of lucerne seems to be its caDaA M Y' th3tandin g seve re frosts, ft w farmer Btates that tea mSv fn UtCWai is an exce "ent reB I? Se M m ' ln - Vo,, ""'' ,!vf ' s . >'c having j it with success. . The process he idopts is to boil some hntewai in water n +r ,X \ Wth the mi,k ' which is given "ed f lO ° rd !" ar >' of X ™ .. ,( states that he has found t an unfailing remedy.