FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 165, 12 January 1914, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY.

A SERIOUS .MATTER. Sonic of the cheese factories in South Taranaki are confronted with a dillieult problem. Having received word from London of the exigence of taint in their cheese make, and the consentient unpopularity of the brands, the managers have lie.cn instructed to exercise the greatest enre during the process of manufacture. As a result, the managers have; ;bec'h rejecting all milk that in their opinion is in any way tainted. Willi the morning's milk they find no ■fault, but with the over-night's they have rejected during the course of a. month as much as twenty-live per cent. of a dairyman's supply. This is a serious matter for the supplier, who, of course, can only feed his pigs or calves with the milk, which in these days of high prices for land and stock he does not regard as a very profitable proceed- )"?•■ . . . ...

The rejected milk, as one supplier explained to a Daily Xcws representative, is eminently suited for butter-making. "The fact of the matter is," he added,

••'our land is too rich for cheese-making. \\ r c will have to go back to butter-mak-ing or casein. The best cheese will always come land of second-class quality—never from lirst-class; whilst the opposite obtains in regard to but-ter-making." Unless something was done whereby his rejected milk could be profitably utilised, our informant stated that he would be forced to stop supplying after this season and go in for butter-making on bis own account. tfOTES. More maize is being grown in the Masterton district than in any previous season, farmers recognising it as a splendid fodder for dairy cows. .Since tile year 1909, .Mr. William Perry, of Penrose, Masterton, has appropriated SU championships and 85 first prizes in Lincolns, and 16 championships.and 53 lirst prizes in i'omneys at the principal agricultural shows of the Dominion.

The Akaroa .Mail sink's that the hist week of warm weather lias made a great diU'cronce in the appearance of the cocksfoot paddocks, and the successful flowering period should mean good germination and yielding for Hie 11)14 harvest.

The number of bales of hemp graded in (hi! Dominion during' December was 14,4i)(i, as compared with 13,54(1 for the corresponding period in the previous year. During Die last twelve months lti!>,4l!) 'bales were graded, as against !>!1,()22 for 11)12, an increase of (>9,4!)7 bales. The -principal gradings for December were: Auckland 2(178 bales, Wellington 5212 bales, Fox-ton 3170 bales and lilulf 2218 hales. During the same month 4700 bales of tow were dealt with, as compared with 5331 for December, ISII2, a decrease of 025 bales. For the twelve months the number of bales graded was [ 57,000, against 31,708 bales for the previous } ear, an increase of 25,838. The i chief gradings for December were: —

Auckland 112!) hale 3, Wellington 1282 bales, Foxton 010 bales and Blnli 8!) .bales. There were 050 bales of stripper slips passed for export, Foxton contributing 701 bales and Wellington 19!) bales. It is a great advantage for dairy farmers ta keep milk records in conjunction with the careful breeding and feediiig of their cattle. It is then possible to build up a herd of cows that yield a maximum quantity of good quality milk without consuming an excessive amount of food. This is a great gain to the dairy farmer, for whatever purpose he is producing milk.

,' The [milling system is-likely to be introduced into the Dominion. ' It has . been found advisable when roots have not turned out u success, either through missing at sowing or through attacks of disease, to preserve them as much as possible- by pulping and give a ration in .this form. It is also one of the best means of serving a ration, which can be made very appetising. In the assimilation of a coarse, fibrous food, such as wheat straw, the energy whiuh is expended on its digestion is reckoned to lie so great that there is very little left for any other purpose. This is particularly so in the case of a horse, where an experiment showed that the amount of substance abstracted from the straw may not supply as much nourishment as would produce energy for the digestion of the food.

The milking Hereford is not as popular as the milking Shorthorn; but at least one pure herd exists, which is the property of Mr. W. J. S. White, of Wiltshire, England. This herd was founded in 181(1, and contains a large number of pedigreed Hereford cows," which have been kept exclusively for milking purposes. The Hereford Herd Hook Society announces its intention to offer prizes for Hereford milkers at the next Royal Show.

The amount of corn that can be ullowed to hoi sea dill'ers with the character of the work they are performing. If they are doing no work at all, 21b or alb is all that is necessary, but when in full ration up to 121b of oats may be given. Town horses are usually' fed larger quantities of grain than those of the countries, anil the 121b limit does not apply to them. Farmers, too, sometimes exceed this, and as much us 181b of crushed oats given with a little linseed cake have been known to be fed, although this is rather costly feeding, with an unlimited qnanlity of hay. Many experienced pig-keepers recommend the use of a moderate dose of (lowers of sulphur and Epsom salts given once a fortnight during warm weather. It act* in a beneficial manner on the blood. Charcoal is unquestionablv a very valuable hygienic agent for pigs. It is a corrective, and undoubtedly prevents some diseases arising- from disdered digestive functions. A point rthould be made of seeing that charcoal oi- wood ashes, which act .similarly, are kepi within reach of the pigs. A valuable shipment of twenty-live milk-record Ayrshires is reported 'from a. few of the leading Scottish herds to, the United Slates. Among these arc' noted several of the Lessnessock tdain, so favorably known in New Zealand through Messrs Rankin tiros.' bull. Mr. R. Roberts, of Pennsylvania, was the purchaser of these Ayrshires, and was accompanied by Mr. a! W. Montgomerie. of Lessnessock. in his lour of inspection and selection. The pick of the cows was secured from Messrs Wallace, of Auchenbraiii. She. is Kirsty Nil., n four-year-old, sired by the Lessnessoekbred bull, Crusader. " Her record as a three-year-old was 11,0701b of milk, at S.liil per cent, and for her was given the highest price ever paid in Scotland for jiii Ayrshire. Mr. Roberts is tile owner of the Ayrshire cow flrown Kate IY, purchased from Auchenbraiii three years ago, which holds the world's record for (he breed. Her figures are 2:!.0221b milk for 3115 days, averaging ,'!,!)!) per cent, of butter-fat, equivalent to 917.01b butler-fat.