FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 February 1920, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY.

STRATFORD MODEL DAIRY FARM. CROPPING REPORT The good rains which fell at New Year and at frequent intervals during the month, have had a very beneficial effect upon crops and pastures. The fodder crops which, in December, promised at the best, to be very light, made a good recovery after the rain, and will now provide a heavy cutting for ensilage. In the root areas, good crops are now assured, and feed generally is so plentiful that the stock at present on the farm is not sufficient to keep the grass down. Field 13.—The process of weeding and thinning in this paddock has occupied a good deal of time during the month, most of the work being done by hand. Mangolds, carrots, cabbages and swedes have made good growth. In the mangold manurial tests, an interesting feature was the failure of the rows treated with bone meal. Seed germinated and plants came up as well as any, but suddenly disappeared. It is reasonably safe to assume that the plants were eaten off by insects attracted by the smell of the manure. Adjoining rows were not affected. The two rows affected were refilled by transplanting.

Field 11.—The swedes in this field are a good' regular strike, and the crop is corning away well. Field 10.—The fodder crops', as stated above, have grown and filled up well during the month, and preparations are in hand to commence cutting for ensilage on Monday next, February 9. Pastures.—Check plots of top-dressed areas in Fields 2 to 5 were cut and weighed on the 13th January. There was no appreciable difference between ephos, basic Ruper and basic slag- The young pasture in fields 0, 7, S and 9 is looking fresh and green, and has been making strong growth since the rain. Tar weed was a good deal in evidence in field 9, chiefly on plots No. 3 and 4, where Italian rye was used in the grass mixture. It was decided to put the mowing machine over the paddock. RESTOCKING EUROPE. A good suggestion is made by Professor Robert Wallace, the well-known British authority on live stock, regarding the restocking,,of the devastated countries in Europe. He writes to the Scotsman as follows:—"There is one practical way,of adequately and successfully restocking, with hardy animals, the devastated allied countries that have lost millions of cattle. As foundation stock the cattle of this country, reared as they have been, are quite unsuitable, for, under existine conditions, most of them would probably die. Moreover, we have no females that are not urgently required at home, suffering, as we do, from acute scarcity of milk. Under arrangement, with the Government of Mexico, tens of thousands of suitable two-year-old heifers of a robust type could be shipped—price £0 each, or about onetenth of the price now being paid for the pure-bred, but non-pedigree, milking Shorthorn heifers that cost £lO each above last year's prices. The first cross from Mexican mothers by pedigree bulls of British breeds are excellent commercial cattle, and after five pure-bred crosses the progeny would be 'pure by crossing,' and practically safe from the insidious diseases that carry off unacclimatised animals. The correct course to follow would lead to a rapid increase of healthy cattle sired by British bulls, for which there would be a steadily increasing demand. The wrong course, already begun, is to send a negligible number of soft cattle to die without begetting progeny, and leave the country unstocked, and not only lose money, but also valuable milking and pedigree blood—unless, indeed, the experience of South Africa be repeated and the death of the 'wrong ones,' injudiciously sent cut, prove a blessing in disguise." The Mexican cattle would have to be shipped lit a certain time of the year only to enable them to get acclimatised' before wintei set in. or they would have lesn riiance, coming from such a warm climate, of standing the change, than the "soft" British cattle The Americans are looking to do a big trade in live, cattle with the Continent, and. if money can he made out. of Mexican cattle, no doubt the trade will be developed through the United States.