FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1917, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY.

MANGOREI HERD TESTING.

Following are the results of -tho herdtesting of the Mangorei association for the month of April:—

Best herd, lbs milk 210, test 4.6, lbs fat 19.2 C. Worst herd, lbs milk 305, test 4.5, lbs fat 14.01. Best cow, lbs milk 585, test 5.5, lbs fat 30.03. Worst cow, lbs milk. 135, test 3.2, lbs fat .4.32. « Average Association cow, lbs milk 378, test 4.6, lbs fat 17.70. BELL BLOCK. The following is the summary for the Bell Block Association for the month of April, 1917: Best herd, lbs milk 472, tost lbs fat 28.28. Worst herd, lbs milk 200, test C.S, lb; fat 12.28. Best cow, lbs milk 780, test Ik' fat 42.12. Worst cow, lba milk 105, test ;".2, lb.; fat 5.40. j Average Association cow, lbr. m:!k S3*, test 5.1 r lba ffct 17.40. NEWS AND NOTES. >"itrate of soda contains nitrogen equal to about 184 per cent, of ammonia. To convert nitrogen into its equivalent ot ammonia, multiply the nitrogen by 1.2. Thus 10 per cent, nitrogen is equal to just about 12 per cent, ammonia. Both butter and cheese will putrify if the milk utilised contains colostrum, A very high percentage of albumen is present in colostrum, the albumen is really decomposed by bacteria. Colostrum coagulates on being heated, owing to the high percentage of albumen it contains. Canada last year had over 12,000,000 acres in wheat, and if the effort, after .x oO per cent, increase, be realised with 20 .per cent, in Australia, : i:d 10 per cent, in India, it would mean an increase of only 11,500,000. Much more will be required, and Canada realises that it is her duty to put down in seed every possible acr?.

If warm milk does not sour after being at a temperature of under. IflOdeg. F. for scleral hours, it is a sure sign that tlio milk is badly contaminated by the harmful species of bacteria. Tiie kinds of germ the function of which it is to produce lactic acid predominate in clean milk, and sour it if left nneooled in a warm "dace.

The texture of butter is often spoiled by cver-churning. or having the cream to 3 warm when in the churn. Wc-U-made butter has a nice gramilnv texture, which mnv be seen by cuttinsr n pii'ce of butter half through, then breaking it. Put some breaking water in the churn as soon as the butter breaks, then, after revolving the churn a few times, this water is drawn off and. the butter grains tmTargC'l.

Garden crops should always be forced. If onlv farmyard manure is used for garden vegetables, the soil may not be. sufficiently in condition to immediately supply the demands of plants. Highgrade, complete fertilisers should be ap"plied wherever crops are to be. grown quickly, as they are in proper condition for feeding the young plants.

Milk is at its maximum viscosity when at a temperature of 32 degrees F., and the viscosity decrease., as the temperature rises, In order to demonstrate tlie viscosity of milk, two pipettes, or narrow glass tubes, may be used. Draw up a quantity 'of water in the other. Then, by comparing the time taken for each tube to empty, it will be observed that milk is the more viscid of the two. Tt is important to have the milk at the right acidity for renneting, and therefore an acidimeter should be employed In every ehe-esemaking dairy, \tfith this appliance milk, whey, and starter, etc.. may be tested for acidity. Nothing should be left to guesswork, or prime cheese of uniform quality cannot be mado. Thermometers must be used for ascertaining the temperatures at the various stages of the process of manufacture. A crop of weeds that are nearly mntured, but which have not produced seeds, is one that will pay if it is ploughed under. Even weeds can thus be put to good use if rightly handled, but the farmer who allows a single weed to produce seed multiplies his work in liie future. There is no waste of time in killing weeds, as no work on the farm pays better if future labor is considered. The natural yellow coloring matter fn milk is termed laetochrome, and is contained, in the bhtter-fat. The more lectochrome there is in the milk the deeper is the natural color of ths butter. When cream is churned'at too high a temperature, or the butter is ovcrwashed, this coloring matter leaves the butter, Tito best colored butter is made when the cows are feeding on good pastures. , Do not attempt to feed young pigs on roots, especially raw roots, though a certain quantity might be used to supplement other feeding. Roots contain far too much water in the. first place, and in the second place they contain far too little digestible albuminoids to nourish young animals and enable them to grow. If roots are to be used in any quantity they should be supplemented by some dry food containing a high percentage. Carbohydrates is a chemical term to include starch and materials closely allied to starch chemically. Starch does not form musle, or blood, or the curd *of milk, or wool, but it furnishes, by its combustion within the body, the liest which is necessary for the existence of the animal. It is also a producer of energy or the capacity of work within the animal. But it is well to remeihber starch has not the same value as fat, weight for weight* as a heat and energy producer. Approximately lib of fat is

equal to 2.11b of starch for these purposes. Of all the organic nutrients in a fodder libro has the lowest feeding value. As a rule, fodder which has a high percentage of fibre has a low feeding value. Fibre, in so far as it is digestible, is used by the animal in the same way as starch, but in the majority of feeds the fibre is largely indigestible, and is consequently valueless for tho! nutrition of the animal, though it may be of some service in giving bulk to the feed —a point of seme- importance. But the farmers coarse fodders always supply a sufficiency of this constituent, and there is no reason for purchasing it.

MANGOEEI ASSOCIATION. Herd Averages. Highest Indiv. Yield Lowest Indiv. Yield for Month for Month. Cows Milk, lb Teat. Fat, lb. Milk. lb Test. Fat, lb Milk, lb Teat. I''a t,°!b 15 30.G 4.0 1G.92 G15 3.8 23.37 345 3.7 12.70 21 387 4.0 19.10 555 5.1 28.30 ISO 4.0 8.28 21 410 4.0 10.2G 450 5.4 24.30 270 5.5 14.S.5 15 421 4.5 19.25 510 4.8 24.48 270 5.4 14.58 50 305 4.5 14.61 5S5 5.8 39.93 \135 X2, 4.32