FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 259, 12 April 1915, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

DAIRY FARMER'S LAMENT. ProbaHv everybody knows well wftat a formidable '—w (in the baker's ?::,'»-1 mation) horse feed (w L. :., me cost of delivering bread. Similarly horse-] feed comes into the retail price of meat, and horse-feed is not overlooked when the milk-vendor defends bis price. Now' it is the turn of to figure con-1 spicuously. ■ A dairy? farmer who is a! credible witness states:— ! "Dairy land has now risen to such a< price that the food of a cow costs from £5 to £6 10s per annum, i.e., on land costing £3O to £6O per acre. Labor to milk costs from £3 to £6 per head, bo that a cow must return over £lO per head per annum. Farmers claim they make from £l3 to £ls per cow, but do they admit fie above costs and the losses, such as weak quarters, failing to get in calf, percentage of condemned cows, and cull cows, which must be placed at £lO to £l2, after selling these said culls at £4 to £7 per head? ; "Take the dairy fanner getting a profit of £3 per cow on fifty cows. Is his income too much? Remember, his stake in the country is far greater than any milk vendor's security, which consists of a depot, stable,' horses, milk cans, steam engine, though man" Have not this latter, and a separator. Ee price of lOd per gallon now and through the winter is not enough for a dairy farmer paying the afore-mentioned prices. "The average amount of milk daily; from a herd of fifty cows at this time and for a few months is from 1 to 1 1 /-, gallons. In smaller herds, and by buy-' ing in new cows, an average of more may| be possible. Take 1% gallons at Bd and lOd for the winter, and £1 15s per month is not high. And it is not to be wondered at that many dairy farmers who for this winter supply have to work in the wet, dark mornings and nights by lamp-light find that it is more profitable to cater for the dairy factories during the spring and summer months and take 4y 2 d to s</jd per gallon and the skim-milk for their pigs and calves, without having to specially feed their milking cow*."

The main potato crops in the western ■ districts of New South Wales, which provide the bulk of the supply, are practically a failure owing to the dry sum- J tner. A line of 50,000 sheep, purchased in the Gisborne district by a Hastings dealer, are now on the road and arc expected to reach Hastings in the course of a few days. There was heavy snow at Clinton en Friday evening. Speaking to a station manager in North Otago, a Southland News representative was informed tliat in nearly thirty years' experience he had never seen snow lying so low down in April before. This break in the weather will seriously hinder harvesting operations in the Clinton-Gore districts, where most of the crops are now being cut. On Monday several of the hands employed at one of the threshing mills struck for higher wages (says the Lake j County Press.) One shilling per hour lias been the ruling rate of wages 'luring the season, but the men demanded Is 3d. The farmer concerned refused "to accede to the demand, and the men were paid off and their places filled by others. , "The rabbits are increasing in ihe province," said Major Lusk, the president of the Auckland Branch of the Farmers' Union, to a New Zealand Herald reporter. "We have had communications from different districts complaining or lamenting ovev Hie matter. The advice we have given is the formation of rabbit boards, which are recognised by the State. In every district where the rabbits are becoming a nuisance steps should be taken in the direction indicated. This course has proved to be wonderfully successful, and is relieving people of a great deal of trouble mid anxiety. The Rabbit Board acts in much the same manner as a drainage board. An area, generally a largo one, is defined, in which the operations of (he board take place. There is a small i'>!.;■'lbution. and farmers pay a trill? on each head of stock towards the operations. The board employs an expert, who lias charge of the area, and he is responsible for keeping the pest down. IT'' can recommend assistance, and, if taken in hand in the proper manner •■nd in the proper time, an immense amount of good (•■m be done. In the district between WTTakatane and Opotiki the /ichenie has proved entirely successful. The work is done principally by po'evin-