FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 243, 23 March 1915, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

DAIRYING IN SWEDEN.

'I he total area of Sweden," a trawl

lii'-' cerrespondcent writes, "is al)rmt ItSO.nilH square miles, and the population fI,(iOO,OHQ, but the agrieiiltun.l l'l.'.blutn 'about half that total) I >.'!'•« si|ii:u-i- miles. There av. 2.700,f:00 cattle, which are mostly within this ar.'.i. \\ itliin the past five ywrs <rits luerabk* has been given to cattle breeding and feeding. "Working on what is called the Kellnor principle that the butter is clieaper to produce in rich milk than in poor, the leading farmers r.rc steadily nndeavomig to breed the northern races of cp.ttloiaw.iy frrfin natural low-grade milk up to higher percentages of fat. Imported Jersey and similar cattle yielding rich milk do not thrive in these latitudes. The native hardy re.ee:; yield •>* {-„ ;>j per cent. fat. Taking advantage of this variation, a careful selection is made from the nativi, cattle as to richness of milk and bred lip, in some cases to (i per cent., but generally in the present state of development to .It and 4 per cent. At ttie same time, careful attention is paid to keeping up and even increasing the total yield, so there are now several bred-up n«;ive 'herds, yielding OOOOIb of 4 per cent. n»ilk per oow per year. These cattle weigh about 12001b.

"Naturally more feed is required for (he larger and richer yield, but it has been demonstrated by practical tests that more profit may' be made per lb of feed on rich than on poor milk, and more on large total yi.-lds than on small. While accepting in 'general the Kellner theories of feed valuation, it. is found that the valuation for nitrogen is too low when applied to milk production; that instead of albuminous protein being 94 per cent, of vtie starch equivalent, it, is for milk production 4.1 per cent. This diango has the effect of raising the theoretical feed value of all the rich oil cakes, and meals, as compared with palm-kernel cake, copra cake, and other feeds whose! v..fue lie.s j n their carbohydrates. By the Swedish system opra cake is rated at 82.2 per cent'. This cotton-seed cake ranks relatively higher by the Swedish system. Commercial conditions tend to support the Swedisii theory that digestible nrtniniiiioids have n greater feeding value than digestiblstarch.

NOTES.

During a lecture at Eongotoa on Monday evening (savs the Manawatu Standard) Mr E. Xcwnmn, >l.]'., briefly dealt with the farming of bush land.' "This is aimost a, unique kind of farm ing," lie '-aid, 'and eaen settler has had to find i "! for himself how to work his farm 'o tin- best advantage. So far it hits w»y work, because the grass took v. ill in most instances and, given the proper class of stock, success was almost assured. But now a lot of bush land is going back, the finer grasses are dying '"it. ami are being replaced by poorer grasses, and. it is a great and important question, both for the bush farmers and the State, how these pastures can b> re-tored.'' Mr Xewman advised bush farmers to consider carefully the advice given by Mr liaylis, of the' Agricultural Department, who had made a study of the subject and delivered lectures under the auspices of the Farmers' Unions. Tu dealing with the world's wool market, the American Wool and Cotton Reporter says:—With the mormons armies now in the field, approximating 10,000,000 men, the requirements of woollens for military purposes alo;t" will absorb not less than half the total production of tile world for t)u' ]>]'(•■:.':>t I year, leaving for the manufacture of .regularly marketed fabrics, but half the quantity of wool ordinarily used for this purpose. The domestic inainifattiD'er apparently pays little heed to pivsi'ilt conditions, refusing to anticipate his requirements to any extent, preferring to pay higher prices in the future f need be rather than to accumulate stocks. Prifces in the primary markets are strongly indicative of higher values for some time, unless something entirely unforeseen should occur in the immediate future. There Ij, however, no precedent upon which to base predictions tor the future, conditions at the present time being without parallel in tho history of the trade. England is buying all the erossbreds available at prices much higher than domestic dealers consider a safe operating basis, and in many Instances arc paying for fine wools.

Whilst summing up in an alleged cat-tle-stealing ease at Vapier, Sir Robert Stout said that if tlie law had boon altered in accordance with/ a .suggestion lie made some 20 years ago, every person who bought cattle would send in to the registrar of brands a certificate that lie had bought an animal with a certain brand. This would greatly minimise i aUle-stoaling. Howe /or, this had not been done.

At the annual sale of pedigree sto.'lc at. Potchofstroom (South Africa) Government Experimental Farm last January, competition was keen though prices wore not up to the average of former years. A Tasmanian merino ram at lt.lgns topped the shoe]) sales; ogns was the top price for pigs, 3gus for Angora goats, £4!) 7s for Ayrshire bulls, 'MS for llerefords, while the top prices obtained for cows were.—Avrshircs £4(l, liincolns .€34, Hereford* £4(i, and Sus- *•:; £l2 12s.

A Scotch gentleman, Mr. A. Findlay, of Mnrislaml, Auchtcrmnchty. Fife, has raised a new variety of potato, which is regarded as being of great promise. Tie lias named it K. of K. Mr. Findlav lias raised several new varieties of notaiocs, and the present one is a worthy successor of Up-to-Date. In order to benefit the Belgian ami British Relief I'unds. 20011) weight of this new potaio are now being offered at six guineas per lb. the proceeds po be divided between the charities in the. proportions of two-thirds to the British and a third to the Belgian.