FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1921, Page 10

FARM AND DAIRY.

/ GENERAL JOTTINGS A Wairarapa paper says:—lt is an open secret that recently many hundreds of cows have been "old to dairy farmers which were never intended as dairy cattle, which have no milking blood in them, and which until a few months ago were every-day, unblushing stores. The dairy Rirmers of’ to-day would he wise to take an interest in the cow-testing movement which is being advocated by the officers ef the dairy division. Inefficiency is unpardonable in a dairy herd to-day. We can take it for granted that many dairymen are giving feed and shelter to n. certain number of rows which are sheer “robbers.” No dairyman can afford to do this in present Pircuinstaiices.

A Canterbury farmer, who is on a visit to -Wanganui, states that the recent rains were doing an immense amount of good to the young farm crops, some of which have been at a standstill for lack of moisture. There was now a reasonable prospect of the harvest being a success, and this should absorb a great deal of casual labor during the busy season. Questioned regarding the prospective wages in the harvest field, the farmer said he could not state definitely, but judging by the opinions freely expressed among farmers, he considered they would not be prepared to pay the high rate that existed during the past few years, except, of course, in eases of extreme urgency.

The position of the jute market in Calcutta has caused a firming in the price of cornsacks, and the rain of last week, causing prospects of largely increased necessities, has created considerable activity in the local market (asys the Wanganui Herald). There was a considerable carry-over of high-priced sacks from last year, but the quantity will not appreciably help to meet the extra demand anticipated next Beason. Two to three months ago cornsacks could have been purchased by merchants at 9/8, whilst to-day including through store charges, they are worth about 12/9. On September 12 they were quoted at 11/2, on the 16th at 11/7|d, and on the 20th at 10/o|d, which shows the rapidity of the increase. On the present basis the price te farmers would be from 1/3 to 1/4. The August-September shipment, is likely to arrive in the Dominion about the end of October, but the Nov-ember-December boat is the main cornsack shipment.

When anyone starts a new herd, says a Jersey enthusiast in Hoard’s Dairyman, the one important consideration is as to how long before the returns commence. The Jerseys come to -maturity as quickly as any other breed, and are considerably ahead of some. They not only mature quickly and commence mak ing records before two years of age, but they also continue to produce until a very ripe old age. The American Jersey Cattle Club gives reports of registered Jersey cows in iniix at 20 years and o\er. Pogis Irene 2nd qualified for the register of merit four timeq after she was 15 years of age. and the peculiarly satisfying thing about it was that the record made at IS years d 11 months wa« the highest of the four, she having produced 5901hs of fat from 99301 bs of milk in the year.

The question of the quality of manures that may be kept in store for any length of time, should be always considered. Some manures deteriorate a good deal in storage. Superphosphate is probably the worst, and it is that manure that is in the greater use. Basic slag will keep for any length of time provided it is in a dry storage. A writer on agricultural matters states that superphosphate is in a category apart from other manures; it undergoes a slow change in storage, which up to a certain stage is advantageous. Well-made samples in good condition have been stored for the necessary time by the manufacturers, but prolonge<l storage, may cause deterioration to opt in. It is therefore desirable to avoid the necessity of long storage by careful caluculation of the requirements, and to use early any material that may happen to be left over. In view of the great increase in cropping that is taking place in New Zealand at the present time, it is considered, by one of the country’s greatest authorities on the subject, that horse stocks are falling lower than they should be allowed to. He points to the statistics to support his contention, and observes that an American writer recently arrived at the conclusion that the tractor which was expected to oust the horse’, had failed to do so, and that the horse was coming into greater demand than formerly. The New Zealand statistics fihow that up to 1911 there was a great increase in the number of horses in New Zealand. Between 1909 and 1911 the number rose by 40,000. By 19,16 they had fallen by 30,000, and by 1920 there was another 30,000 drop. The number in the latter year was 346,407.

The possibilities o fthe Waihi district for dairying, pastoral, ahd agricultural purposes were referred to by Mr. A. T. Kenrick, manager of the Waihi branch of the Bank of New Zealand at a farewell ’unction prior to his departure for Inglewood. There were still many years of successful mining ahead of the district, and in the meantime agricultural pursuits, and particularly dairying, were steadily coming to the fore, and would, at no very distant date, play a most important part in the industrial welfare ol the town and adjacent districts. Alleady the annual output of cream would surprise those not in touch with the district.

The tick menace was discussed by a recent visitor to Tauranga, Mr. lan Robertson, of Manchester, who lias had considerable experience in stock-raising in the Argentine. Among the diseases with which stock-raisers have to contend in that country are foot and mouth disease and cattle tick. Mr. Robertson said that the tick was a very serious menace, and called for the utmost vigilance, necessitating frequent dipping from early spring till late autumn. He lad visited the tick infected areas in New Zealand, and was of the opinion that the tick might be checked, if not eradicated, if the measures now in force were carried out. The pest was not to be trifled with, and if it should get a sufficient grip would be ruinous to the hide trade.

A well-known sheep-farmer informs the Wanganui Chronicle that it will be absolutely useless to seek funds for unemployment relief in the country districts, so long as a large body of workers continue to be ordered by their leaders to refuse work estimated by the Arbitration Court to amount to an average wage of £5 16s 6d per week, and to hold up a groat and already distressed industry for more money than that. The wage accorded by the Court tc the Shearers’ Union is itself far more than the industry can afford, but the farmers intend to loyally provide it, if they can. The shearers are ordered to demand still more, and to stop the industry till they get it—notwithstanding Uiat skilled shearers can easily make

£2 per working day even at the award rate. This manifestation by Labor leaders of reckless ill-will and greed, as the farmers at least regard it, will cause any demand in the rural districts for unemployment relief to be regarded with actual derision. It will merely be providing strike funds to kill the farmers’ cwn businesses, and encourage those who are seizing the moment of the farmers’ hardest struggle to hurl threats of ruin at their heads.

Surprise at the price of land in Southland was expressed by Captain F. Colbeck, of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. in the course of an interview with a Southland Times reporter. Captain Col beck belongs to Morrinsville, where, he says, land that brings from £3O to £4O here would .fetch from £BO to £lOO. At least, that :is his impression, after a brief visit to Southland. In addition, he pointed out that, contrary to the opinion that seemed prevalent in the South, it was necessary to grow winter feed in the Waikato ac elsewhere. Grass, after all, was harder to grow than root crops, and they had to grow it in three relays. Tne geographical outline of the land was a decided advantage over that of the Waikato, and tile land was therefore much more easily worked. The roads, too, were all in Southland’s favor, for in the Waikato it was necessary to use three horses for haulage compared with two down here. In railways this part of the world was again very fortunate. “In fact, if I was a younger man, I would be very much inclined to come down here and take up land,” declared Captain Colbeck. Our Wttitoitoi correspondent writes: — There still seems to be a certain amount of indecision on the part of many dairy factories as to the most profitable article to manufacture, whether cheese or butter, whilst there is very little indication as to the price likely to be obtained for either. Offers for cheese from Home buyers seem to have practically ceased, arid those factories who accepted ll£d when it was offered for the season’s output are feeling on somewhat good terms with themselves. The N.Z. Dairyman str.ongly advises those factories that have dual plants to make butter until Christmas, stalling that butter made here in September, October, November, and early December will arrive mostly in the depth of the northern winter, which commences on December 20, and during that period the supply of butter from countries in the Northern Hemis phere is practically negligible, which means that our summer-made butter will realise a good price, and in ir«e meantime it will allow the market to be cleared to some extent of the accumulated stocks of delayed shipments of cheese from New Zealand, and also to clear the tail-end of the Canadian make, which, of course, is the pick of Canada. Factories are also strongly advised to pay strict attention 1 to the quality of the article manufactured, as there is a movement on foot to buy on a quality basis, and the fact of butter or cheese being first grade will not be the only requirement.

This matter was under discussion at recent meetings of the Tatiia and Norfolk co-operative dairy companies, held in the Thames Valley recently, when Mr. J. R. Lundon stated that he had witnessed the grading of the company’s cheese in Auckland, and ho had been told to convey the message from the graders that the turnip flavor in the Tatuanui cheese was so pronounced that the matter of rectifying the cause of the complaint, would have to receive immediate attention. During a discussion on the matter, Mr. C. A. Stopford, chairman of directors, thought a lot of secondgrade cheese was caused through indiscriminate turnip feeding. He would not say that turnips should not be ‘fed, although it would be better if they wero not, but certainly discretion should be used. The question had to be faced. Quite a number of suppliers fed turnips last year, and he thought they were rather unfair to other suppliers.. He suggested that all tainted milk should be returned. Mr. Harkness, Government dairy instructor, said the matte? of supplying clean milk was one that rested entirely with the supplier. Turnip feeding, he knew, had put one factory in a queer position. The making of secondgrade cheese spoiled the reputation of a factory and the manager. As a practical man himself he knew that a factory manager could not make a first-class article from the milk of fed indiscriminately on turnips. Turnips and rape were two feeds to avoid in milk for cheese-making. There was no harm if the turnipe were pulled the day before feeding and laid out in the sun. He agreed with other speakers that the whole of the tainting was not caused through turnip and rape feeding, but a considerable part of it through dirt. The | time had come for the farmer to put more time into the cleaning of dairy utensils. He was getting the high-class cow, and prices were right, and he should certainly improve the conditions for dealing with the milk. He could tell thq meeting that, on occasions, he had been unable to partake of his meale after having inspected and cleaned out a number of milking machines. The decision regarding tainted milk, he said, should be wholly left in the manager’s hands.