FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 275, 17 May 1912, Page 7

FARM AND DAIRY

PROCRESS OF DAIRYING IN NORTH TARANAKI. As a further exemplification of the progress of dairying in the northern portion of Taranaki, a return of the working of the North Taranaki Dairy Company to the end of April will give an idea of how the land is being brought into use by the farmer. For the previous year ended June 30, 1911, 324,6141bs of butter were manufactured, whilst for ten months ended April 30, 1912, 351,9561bs were made, an increase of 27,3421b5, or 12 tons 3%cwt., increase, with two months to go. For the period ended April, 1912, as compared with 1911, an increase is shown of 20 tons s>/ 3 ewt. Suppliers have now received £2009 Is 8d more for their milk than for the same period last year, or £1397 more than for the whole of the preceding twelve months, the amount paid for 1911 being £11,325 Is Bd, whilst for the ten months of the current year they have received £12,721 9s od. Comparing the months of April, 1912, suppliers' cheques amounted in the former year to £767 14s 7d, whilst for the latter £1093 12s 7d has been paid, an increase of £345 ISs. Butter made: 1911, 22.1181b; 1912, 30,8501b5, an increase of 3 tons IScwt. 2qrs. The averago test for April month was 4.75.

NEWS AND NOTES. The value of a milking-strain bull cannot be over-emphasised, according to a Canadian dairyman. It is, he urges, a pcnny-wisc-pound-foolish policy to try to get a cheap bull. No one can do as much harm to the dairyman as tho scrub or grade sire. ''.lf 1 had to play a mean trick on one of my worst enemies," says the dairyman in question, '•[ would make him a present of a scrub bull."

A piping, weakly chick, by the distress it causes the mother hen, will often lead to disaster. Despatch it ere the mother treads on one or two of the healthy ones.

As soon as the young birds begin to pick up green morsels, and they will do so when very young, give them some finely-chopped spring onions, about once a week. After one or two feeds they will take greedily to these. Movable coops are much to be preferred when raising chickens. The bird/? can thus be given a fresh position every day. This is just what they like. If on grass, then so much the better; they will obtain a picking of sweet herbage at everv move.

Don't "save trouble" by mixing up enough soft food to last the whole, day. You will almost surely be inviting it by doing so, for no matter how carefully blended it soon becomes sour, in which condition look out for bowel complications in the young birds. In running pigs on pasture it is best Jo have all the pigs in one lot. By being together they become acquainted, but if separated by a fence will fight through it, become restless, stop eating, and fret.

Do not commence too early to figure the cost of the calf's daily feed of milk. You may get cheaper gains on cheaper feed, but you will have a cheap, runty calf on which subsequent feeding will not tell as it should.

The cow is a creature of habit, and if you have formed the habit of having her eat a dainty while being milked there will be trouble if you fail to bring the tribute. She may kick more really than literally. There are few better -pig feeds than boiled mangels. The half-sugar variety, in addition, to its extra bulk yield, is considered the most nutritious, containing all the feeding virtues of the ordinary sugar beet. In the boar formation and size should be faultless in every respect, so that whether he is used for pedigree purposes or for producing ordinary pigs for food the result will be strong, vigorous animals.

Australia has cows enough to give each man, woman and child in the island continent three apiece; while the Argentine can do even better—there are live cattle to each inhabitant in the big South' American Republic.

When liming grass lands, slake the lime before application, but do not let it- break up fine. After spreading, harrow lightly. Good drainage is an important essential to tho health of the pigs. The piggery should always stand on ground which commands a good fall. Maize and barley have different protein values, and it lias been shown that maize alone, as a pig ration, does not give such a large daily increase of weight as does barley. The selection of the sow does not involve so much care as the selection of the boar, as an animal of good type will, as a rule, give such a progeny as may be quite satisfactory.

Summarising the results of various observers, it may be stated that the relation of milk and cereals for pig-feed-ing purposes would appear to be 31b of separated ,milk to lib of meal. One. of the most essential and perhaps one of the most difficult lessons in poultry keeping for the beginner to learn is that of weeding out. The first loss is the best.

The dreaded "walking disease" has again appeared in Washington State, U.S.A., and it is estimated that 100 horses have died from its effects. No horse stricken has been known to recover. The cause of the disease is a mystery, and no cure has been discovered. The symptoms are walking. The horse will walk over anything, anywhere, and in the last stages of blindness and madness will walk into a fence, barn, or any other obstruction, the only desire of the animal seeming to be to walk. Sometimes the horses live only a night, others struggle on longer, and most of the animals stricken live for a week or two weeks, walking at every opportunity, and suffering terribly. Farmers are now shooting horses showing any sign of the disease, in order to stamp it out and save suffering. Chemical analysis has shown that five tons of common farmyard manure contains about 401b of nitrogen, and that during fermentation in the first period 51b of nitrogen are dissipated in the form of volatile ammonia, in tho second period 101b, and in the third 201b, Completely decomposed manure has thus lost about one-half of its most valuable constituents.

It is usually considered that a large carrying capacity of live stock tends rather to increase than to decrease the fertility of the land, and that sheep are more valuable in this respect than any other class of stock. The sheep which carries a full fleece to the shearing board and .is most profitable because it is easily fattened should therefore be encouraged by every floekowner who wishes to turn over a largo number annually, for that class of sheep returns the most handsome profit. By co-operation a particular stallion could be obtained for any district.