FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1921, Page 8

FARM AND DAIRY.

STRATFORD MODEL FARM. The monthly meeting of the Stratford Model Dairy Farm committee was hell on Tuesday, there being- present: Messrs.’ J. W. Deem (chairman). J. B. Richards/ S. Pitt, W. 11. Were and K. Tarrant. An apology was received from Mr. M. T. Phillips. The chairman extended a hearty welcome to Mr. K. Tarrant as a new member of the executive committee.

The farm manager’s report for the period August 9 to September 13 was adopted, and was as follows: 1 he feed in fields 4 and 5 is very slow coming away. The bottom paddock of oats will be finished in about a week. Top-dressing of plots in bush paddock was completed on August 9. Approximately a quarter of an acre of carrots are left, and practically all of tie mangolds', except a few which have be;n fed to the milking cows along with carrots. About a third of the stack of hay is left; the cows will not eat the hay while being fed on oatci. I hi; ty-tiirfee cows are being milked, the quantity of milk supplied for July and August being 22,6991b5. Test: first period, 4.2; second period, 3.7; third period, 3.6. The following were elected members of the society:—Messrs. W. Morrison (Tariki), Truby King (Stratford), E. S. Rutherford (Stratford). NEW ZEALAND LEADS THE WORLD. It is- true that in the design of the mechanical milker New Zealand has led the world (remarks the N.Z. Dairyman). We know that the mechanical milkers sold in New Zealand and Australia were built and designed here, but we learn from a visitor from America that most of the milking machines sold in foreign countries were designed by Now Zealanders. In the United States and Canada most popular milking machines arc the Dp Laval, Ltd., and Charpie’s Universal, Ltd. Both of those machines were designed by Now Zealanders working in conjunction with engineers and designers of the different companies. Norman J. Davsh, of Wairarapa, is responsible for the De Laval, and has disposed of his American and European patents to the Do Laval Company, the world famous manufacturers of the Alfa Laval separator. The other milking machines mentioned were all designed bv Arthur C. McCartney, n. Wanganui College boy. ITo is now president of the Pine Tree Milker Company, and has done more than any one in America to advance the design of the mechanical milker. Tn fact, in the opinion of this gentleman, A. C. McCartney and Norman Da.ysh put the mechanical milker on the map in the United States am? Canada. It is another illustration 01 the foot that New Zealanders, given ’ the scope to do big things, pan do them ' as well as any citizen fif any country. '

Another point must not be lost sight of. These two New Zealanders went to America, and were treated splendidly by the officials of the great companies there. They were given the best mechanics to build their machines. Americans were willing to be shown and anxious to do the square thing, and the success of the milking machine business in the United States and Canada is due to that policy. FREIGHT ON BUTTER. A request was recently made by the Victorian Butter Export Freight Committees for a reduction in the rate of freight on butter from Australia. The following reply has been received by that body from the Overseas Shipping Representatives’ Association (Sydney): “I am to inform you that owners have given careful consideration to the request of the Butter and Cheese Exporters’ Association, but are compelled to advise that owing to the continued high running costs and shortages of receipts, brought about by the dearth of outward cargo, they cannot agree to a reduction. They have, however, indicated their willingness to r?vie.w the rates as soon as expenses arc reduced and' outward cargo trade approaches normal.”

SHEARERS’ AV AGES. Tn discussing the award filed by the Arbitration Court in respect to shearers and shed hands, Mr. W. Cecil Prime, who represented the Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay sheep-owners at the hearing, said it would be a great disappointment to the farmers of the Bay district, because, as he had pointed out to the Court, it would be absolutely a great many to pay even those reduced rates. Their present income would not allow them to do it. The position was that a great many sheep-farmers are indebted to mercantile firms, and the latter are vry chary about advancing any more at the present time, except in case of absolute necessity. Wh'en it comes to shearing, said Mr. Prime, if a farmer names a nominal sum, the mercantile firms might bo induced to see him through, but when they see the high rates fixed by the Court, the firms will declare them to be too high, and request the farmer to make other arrangements. A great many farmers will have to carry out their already expressed intention to do their own shearing, which will result in less work for shearers and more unemployment.

NEWS AND NOTES.

A London firm of carriers purchased a Suffolk Punch gelding in continuous work on the London streets for fourteen years. It is estimated that he has drawn over 24,000 tons of coal for delivery to various parts of London. The experiment of crossing the Zebu with other cattle has been tried in America. A small Zebu cow in Western Australia produced animals to a Durham bull which went 22401 b, 18201 b and 17501 b, which gives some idea of their development. Take two pigs of equal girth of the same litter. Put them in styes side by side. Feed them precisely the same, and bed them exactly alike. Treat them similarly in every way, except that you wash one frequently in warm water, dry it comfortably, and keep it quite clean. At the end of throe months the clean one will outweigh the other by twenty pounds or more.

The figures concerning the dairying industry in Queensland show that butter production reached 38,219,0911 b in 1920; or an increase of over 13J millions on the figures for 1919, which was a dry period. The eheese output reached nearly ]U million lb. There are over 100 cheese factories in Queensland, and the handicap of a hot climate does not prevent very rapid expansion.

A new kind of milk industry is being developed in the United States. The skim milk from which the fat has been separated and churned into butter, and the buttermilk are evaporated, and coeoanut oil used to replace the fat that has been taken away. The finished product is called “filled evaporated milk.” The output of this product increased by 21 per cent, in the United States last year. There are many erops suited for the provision of green food for pigs, and one of the most useful is giant rape. Of all the green foods that can be grown for stock feeding, there is none with such good fattening qualities as giant rape. Tt has been known for generations that this is the crop for fattening sheep, and yet very few people have- ever tried drop on pigg nr on young calves. Tt is equally good for these latter animals as far sheep,