FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 215, 1 April 1913, Page 7

FARM AND DAIRY.

{ HERD-TESTING. The monthly figures showing the results of the Stratford and Midhirst Herdtesting Associations are published by the Stratford Post. The summary of the Stratford Association's figures for the thirty-day period ending March 12 is as follows:—Highest herd average, .30.541.bs butter-fat; lowest herd average, 19.871b butter-fat; average Association cow, 24.(i91bs butter-fat; the ten highest cows averaged 42.941bs butter-fat; the ten lowest cows averaged 11.871bs butter-fat; the best cow gave 40.571bs butter-fat; the worst cow gave 5.401bs butter-fat. The highest quantity of milk given by one cow was 13fiotbs, which at a test of :3.2 produced 4.3.G81bs butter-fat. The lowest .quantity of milk given, by one cow was Rl.otbs, which at <t test of 4.0' produced 5.401bs butter-fat. j The summary of the records of the Midhirst Association for the thirty-day . period ending' March 17 is as follows-:—' Highest herd average, 3(i.7(ilbs butter- I fat; lowest herd average, 17.091bs butter-,' fat; average Association cow, 2(5.711bs butter-fat; the ten highest cows averag- ■ ed 11.641bs butter-fat; the hest cow gave . : 58.05 ibs "butter-fat; the worst cow gave : 5.8411 H butter-fat. The highest quantity of milk given "by one cow 1261b, which at a test of 4.7 produced 5.()41bs bntter-fat. DEARTH OF HORSES. It is a singular faet that while Aus- ■ tralia is prob.-.bly the most horse-loving ■ country in the world, the supply of.' horses for defence purposes is proving limited. So much so that the Minister \ of Defence, in accordance with the demands of a recent conference of citizen officers, lias decided to put money on ' the Estimates to provide for the foundation of a national "horse supply. Hun- . dreds of horses are required annually for the permanent artillery, which is< being increased every year, for the re1' mount depots, and for various other branches of the service. The. Government at present is paying £3O per iheatl for animals which are far from being satisfactory. The position is the same in England, though it is easier to under-' stand its cause.there. The London correspondent of the Age wrote recently: "Military authorities express grave! concern at the serious shrinkage in the number of horses available for army remounts, and strong representations are being made to the Government to .pro l I hib'it as far as possible the export of horses by agents of foreign Governments." For. years (says, the ..Age) France,'Germain', Italy and Russia have b?en draining 'flic"English markets 'of 1 ., their best stallions and mares. 'The ' army of France, when mobilised, requires fl.->O,OOO horses, and as many as 13,000 ; remounts are bought annually from t the breeder, the tvpe of horse used being' based on the English thoroughbred, plus ' the Arab. The. poor show which Aus- . j tralia makes in the matter of 'hqrscs ~; was .summed up by a military officer, s ■ who said that "at a certain military tournament in the North-East recently ) ! there were not sufficient horses even to, 1 horse one gun in a style which would J ■ have been necessary in war." A man *■ who lias busied himself in investigating* the problem recommends as a solution .. that the practical management of; the Government stud, o'r studs." should be? ( left in the hands of a commission of'five { practical breeders, who could select suit- ,n able areas for the farms,. Each Sjtnte' j might be divided'into as many districts',. as the commissioners shouhl think, ncv cessary, and a systerti of'"premiums'for ', ( stallions founded. ITorse shows with, awards large enough to secure the entry.. , of high-class animals Would help on the , desired end. The Northern Territory' . has been suggested as a, : suitable place i r for the establishment of a Government j '- stud farm. ,

CALF-REARING. Many dairy farmers 'advocate,' the removal of the calf from the cow as soon after it is dropped as possible, while others prefer to leave it with the dam for a couple, of days. The latter (''.intend that the first milk,' or •'colostrum, is necessary to put the calf's stomach in proper ordcr.-while-if the cow's udder be inllamed the sucking of the calf is the best means of bringing it back to proper condition." This practice seems to have more advantage? than the one first-mentioned. In any case the calf should be given milk from its damrather than from another cow, as changing from one to another is likely to throw the' digestive system out of balance,-and result in scours. For an 'average-sizeu" calf, weighing about 701b at birth! 'fill) or IMb of whole milk per day, divided equally -between the feeding -periods, is sufficient to begin with. The amount should lie iucrra-'cd gradually, and great care taken to avoid over-feeding. The time for beginning the subsliliKion <if' skim-milk for whole milk will •depend upon conditions. Whole-milk feeding is necessarily expensive, and should not be continued longer than is necessary to produce good re-ull's; The change >hould lie made gradually, so that the' calf's stomach may ndjn.-.t itself to' ilie different condiii.nis wiihotrt trouble.' Regin by placing, lib of whole milk wiih an equal amount of skim-milk at each feed of the day. and replace 211) the second day, and so on. Tn that way it would take about eight dr.ys to mare (he substitution complete. The skimmilk should, be nearly as po-sible the same from day to day, and should always be sweet. Many farmers fail in the attempt to raise skim-milk calves viih satisfactorv results simply because of the filthy and insanitary methods em-, ployed. The milk should be warmed to body temperature, especially with the younger calves during the winter. The amount of may he increased to 201b per day. but it is not generally profitable to feed in larger quantities. The length of time to continue feeding milk will vary with conditions, but ordinarily it does not ]»y after the calf is six or seven months old, except whin the supply is plentiful and would otherwise be wasted. ...... MANHUAL EXPERIMENTS. Experience has shown that the full r< salts of an experiment cannot always be demonstrated within the period of a year, but that better and more definite results can be obtained if the experiments are continuous over a number of years. At the Ruakura State Farm fifteen acres of land have been divided into half-acre plots, each of which is to receive a dressing of manure and is then to be cropped. The treatment of manure is to lie continued year after year; that is to say, a. plot that received ,an initial dressing of basic slag will receive the same treatment throughout the period. To make quite certain of the experiments, duplicate plots will be cul- ' tivated in order that allowance may .ie made for any difference in the soils in various parts of the paddock, while nomanure plots will also be cropped for purposes of comparison. - Swedes of one variety are being grown this year, while oats will probably be grown next year, without manure, in order that the condition of the soil may be tested.