FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1922, Page 12

FARM AND DAIRY.

TO ADVANCE TARANAKI. IMPROVE THE FARMS. X.. Writes an observant correspondent to the editor of the News: — From the viewpoint of the public welfare it will be readily admitted that any activity towards increased production based' on economy must be advantageous. You are, no doubt, fully aware of the disparity of results obtained by dairy farmers of varying degrees of ability. Much has been said and written of the necessity of improving the breed of dairy cows. I do net deny such doctrine, but I hold the opinion that the widest and most easily accessible avenue towards improvement is better management. It is obvious to many who are familiar with dairy fanning that the farms as they are and existing herds would produce 20 per cent, more forthwith if better management were applied to them. Now better management implies better knowledge. I may say that I have no fault to find with the irfdustry of the dairy farmer, excepting, however, the temporary aberration which occurred during the boom. The promotion of knowledge demands continuous effort. Repetition of the things it is desired should be learned and above all accuracy and suitability of theory and practice. Improvement on the dairy farm is comparatively easy. There are no difficult problems to solve. The remedy is patent, viz., improve the farmer. Cultivation of land, rotation of crops, control of weeds, and many other phases of agriculture are almost sealed books to many of our dairy farmers who are at present emerging from the pioneer stage. The feeding of cattle is also but imperfectly understood. The problem of the hill country is much more difficult. We have not solved it yet. WORLD’S DAIRYING. THE LARGEST PRODUCERS. AMERICA AND RUSSIA. The United Kingdom and Germany are, under normal conditions, practically the only two countries in which imports exceed the exports of dairy produce. The United Kingdom imports much more than all the rest of the world combined. The United States has imported annually for some years about ’do,ooo.ooolb of European cheese to satisfy the demands of people from these different countries, while at the same time about an equal quantity of butter and cheese has been exported to various countries. Even in Canada there is a small importation of cheese, partly to supply a so-called “fancy” trade and partly to suit the tastes of some of our foreign population. The United States, with something like 122,000,000 cows, is easily the largest ’ producer of dairy products in the world, but barely enough butter and cheese is produced to meet the demands of a population of over 100,000 people. During the first nine months of 1920 the United States exported 354,000.000 pounds of condensed and evaporated ’ milk. the equivalent of 82,000,000 I pounds of cheese or 36,000,000 pounds of butter. The exports of condensed ‘ and evaporated milk are now declining rapidly, having dropped from 51,000.000 pounds in April to 21,000,000 pounds in September. Russia comes next. The rapid development of co-operative dairying in Russia was the most notable feature of dairy progress throughout the world during the ten years preceding the war. In 1896 the total number of creameries in Siberia was 29. In 1910 there were 3109 creameries. The number of creameries (co-opera-tive) in the Union of Siberian Creamery Associations increased from 563 in 1914 to 1000 in 1916. After the year 1918 the co-operative creameries were» not interfered with by the .Soviet Government, but in 1919 the Government assumed control of the co-operative movement, and it is said that there has been a very considerable falling off in the production as a result. In 1914 Russia exported 6,034,560 pounds of butter to the United Kingdom and at the same time a very large quantity was sold to Germany. At the present time there is practically no butter coming from Russia to the United Kingdom. It is understood that whatever surplus they have is now going to Germany. Germany has a normal cow population of about 11,000.000, which are not ■ sufficient to supply her own needs. A large quantity of Siberian and some Dutch and Danish butter found its way to Germany in pre-war days. Denmark’s total exports of butter in 1914 were slightly over 200,000,000 pounds. Denmark is a negligible factor in the manufacture of cheese, only a comparatively small quantity being manufactured, and that being mostly made j from skimmed or partly skimmed milk. France has a well-developed and, in some respects, a highly-organised dairying industry, with about 6,000.000 cows, or sufficient to provide a considerable surplus of both butter and cheese for export. BRITISH DAIRY HERDS. SHORTHORN’S PREDOMINATE. In a report regarding the milking capabilities of some of Great Britain’s best dairies it is interesting to notice that more than two-thirds of the aggregate are Shorthorns, with 153 giving a thousand gallons or over. In point of quantity of milk the Shorthorn takes second place to the British Friesian, the latter having a splendid j record of achievement in deep milking. ■ Nine of the breed head the list of no- | table individual records, with the famous cow’. Hedges Moss Rose, first, with , 1958 gallons, or 19,580 lb in 265 days, j The best Shorthorn record is 1376 gallons by Ruby, in 343 days. It should I be noted that the yields are not for the lactation periods, but for the year October 1 to September 30. and hence the variations in the days in milk. In all 265 cows attained the thou-sand-gallon level, ami of these 155 gave over I<MX> and less than 1100 gallons; 63 gave over 11(M) and less than 1200 gallons; 28 between 1200 and 1300 gallons; 13 between 1300 and 1409 gal- ; Ion'; and over 1400 gallons, up io the , great record of Mr. J. H. Bean's. British Friesian cow, which headed the list I in the preceding volume also with 1570 I gallons in 303 days. While the better- ; known breeds are still prominent, they are not by any means having things all their own way. Crossbreds are well jn the running, as might be expected,

but the inclusion of a Jersey, a Kerry, and a cow of the White Park breed in the list of thousand gallon cows, as well as three 'South Devons, is instructive and very pleasing to the supporters of these valuable varieties. Two Herefords just miss the thousand-gal-lon level, and are marked on the 900gallon line, a creditable performance for a breed so famed for its beeving 1 properties. The need for increasing and cheapening production increases as wages and other costs advance, and the principle of the milk recording system is one of the safest and most effective in surmounting the economic difficulties of the time. NEW ZEALAND DAIRY PRODUCE. THE POWER OF ADVERTISING. London, Feb. 28. A marked feature of the month has been the unloading of held stocks of butter consequent upon the higher scale of prices, and meanwhile there have been further substantial arrivals from British Dominions, particularly from Australia. A dozen or more steamers from Commonwealth ports have had a good deal of butter in their holds, and among these must be included the Palma, Osterley Boonah, Middlesex, Baradine, Port Pirie, Port Hacking, Naldera, Kent, and Matatua. The finest of these and previous consignments is selling at 126 s to 128 s per cwt., with 112 s to 124 s for good to fine, and 120 s to ISOs for unsalted. The stocks of New Zealand butter have been added to by shipments on board the Piako, Mahia, and Port Victor. which are steadily passing into consumption on the basis of 160 s to 164 s for unsalted, and 138 s to 140 s for salted. South African butter has been fetching 1265, tailing down to 110 s according to grade. The butter market generally is rather quiet, with prices, on the whole, firm. In view of the campaign in favor of colonial butter being sold everywhere on the market under its own name, it is interesting to note that one firm, at least, has, enough faith in the taste of the public to advertise £he fact that the butter supplied by it comes from Otago.

Mr. W. R. Webster, chairman and managing director of the World’s Stores and Walker’s Stores. Ltd., who own about two hundred grocery shops in various parts of the country, is a friend and promoter of “colonial” produce sales, and bears testimony to the fact that New Zealand butter can successfully challenge comparison with the best Home-produced butter. Indeed, the sale of New Zealand butter as New Zealand butter is effected by this company at its Devonshire branches, right in the midst of the best English butter country, and the name of New Zealand is said to seize the English consumers’ imagination, and the quality of the article does the rest. The color poster which the company displays is a good one, and its drawing powers only bear out the fact that intelligent advertising goes a very long way towards popularising food products in this country.

Accumulations of colonial cheese have been, to a large extent, liquidated during the past month, and fresh arrivals have not unduly clogged the market. From New Zealand large consignments have arrived by the Piako, Mahia, Matakana, and Port Victor, while the Middlesex and Kent had some Australian cheese on board. Fair quantities of Canadian have arrived. For nearly all descriptions the tone has been firm at higher prices than those recorded a month ago. New Zealand colored makes 100 s to 102 s per cwt., and white 90s to ' 945, while Australian has risen several i points during the month, being now quoted at 86s to 945. Canadian, both white and colored, is readily sold at 96s to 106s.—Christchurch Press correspondent. OUTLOOK FOR DRIED MILK. MR. GOODFELLOW CONFIDENT. Mr. Goodfellow, speaking at Te Awamutu on Wednesday of last week, expressed himself confident as to the future of the dried milk industry. “I had every opportunity,” he said, “when at Home of investigating the position, and I am confident that within five years we will be able to produce the powder required. At present we are in the hands of the economic position at Home, but as that improves we are bound to experience a heavy demand for the high-grade powder we are manufacturing.” Mr. Goodfellow added that when butter was high in price there was a good demand for margarine, so that in turn a big demand set in for their powder. Referring to the business developments during the past three years, Mr. Goodfellow said that in that period their butter factory capacity had been increased by 50 per cent. It was a gigantic undertaking, and meant that they had really put in plant and machinery and spent two years’ share capital, all of which had been spent in I South Auckland. To-day the output of the dairy company was more than the total exports of butter from New Zealand in 1914. They now had' to sit down and stop capita] expenditure for twelve or eighteen months.

THE FRIESIAN. A great admirer of the Jersey breed stood by the stall of a certain celebrated cow at a recent show. “Look at. her.” he said. “Look at her! Look her all over! And just think of it—SOOlbs of butter-fat! That's the sort of cow to have. Only one other cow in all New Zealand has beaten her for production. That’s the sort of cow you fellows want.” A group of young men who were passing stopped, looked, and listened. ! Finally they went on their way very ■ much impressed- -apparently. Of course the Jersey booster did not know—perhaps he never will know—that these innocent-looking* young men fancied another breed, where 8001 b cows are common, and between them owned no less than three who had exceeded this high figure of butter-fat producA great record has just been made in Australia by the Friesian cow, Woodcrest Johanna Tehee, owned by Mr. Eric Lloyd Jones. Lyndholme. Bundanoon. In a period of 273 days (nine months) she produced no less than 20.- • 601 llis of milk, thereby establishing an Australian record in this division. She calved on May 7. 1921, and in her first month on test gave up to SO’/olbs of milk in one day. which is also believed to be an Australian record. Her monthly figures for milk production are: May, 30361b5; June. 2715; July, 2220; August, 2203; September, 2130: October 2130: November, 2265; December, 1.86-

She was milked three times a day throughout the test. It is interesting to know that this great cow was purchased in New Zealand, where she had already made a record of 21,4831bs milk and 754 fat in 365 days as a senior four-year-old. Some two years ago a son of this cow was sold for 410 guineas, which constituted a record for all breeds of cattle in New Zealand at an auction sale. This record has only just been beaten by another Friesian, when a sixmonths old bull calf was sold at Invercargill on March 1 for 510 guineas. The highest price ever paid privately, is believed to be 550 guineas, also for a Friesian bull ealf.—Hawera Star.

WHEAT AND OATS. Returns of actual threshings received to date (March 18) from threshing-mill owners show that so far 939,982 bushels of wheat and 602,617 bushels of oats have been threshed out. The average yields per acre in cases where particulars of areas were furnished (covering 99 per cent, of total threshings) work out at 30.70 bushels for wheat and 35.06 for oats. A table is appended showing, by land districts, the quantity of wheat and oats threshed and the yield per acre in each case. Wheat and Oats Threshings, Yields and Averages, January-February, 1922. —Wheat. —

GENERAL ITEMS. “It costs 2£d per lb to shear, transport and sell wool at present,” stated the organising secretary at the ordinary meeting of the Eketahuna branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. Figures that “talk” were supplied to the Manawatu Standard the other day by the secretary of the New Zealand Farmers’ Dairy Union, who stated that his company had just paid out a total of £5857 to its suppliers on account of butter-fat supplied during March, as compared with £7llO for the corresponding month of last year. The significance of these figures lies in the fact that while the production for March of this year represented an increase of 54 per cent, on that of March 1921, the sum advanced per lb of butter-fat to suppliers was a decrease of Is Id per lb. “There must be a frightful accumulation of dairy produce in the stores at Wellington awaiting shipment,” remarked the secretary of a cheese factory to a Palmerston Standard reporter. “Take the case of our own company. Our last shipment was on April v, when out of 575 crates of cheese which we were desirous of shipping, space could be found for only 60. Since then we have not, through lack of ships, been able to despatch a single crate, and we have no advice of the next sailing. To-day we have 550 crates waiting shipment on the wharves at Wellington, on which we are paying interest and heavy storage charges. This is a serious matter—indeed we have had to actually reduce the amount of our monthly advance to suppliers. And the irony of it all is that we are missing a favorable market for our produce.

The latest “pay-outs” on the part of local dairy factories on account of but-ter-fat supplied during the month of March include the following:—New Zealand Farmers’ Dairy Union, Is 2d for cream butterfat and lOd for whey butterfat; AwaJniri Co-operative Dairy Co., Is 2d per lb; Whakaronga dairy factory, lljd per lb. It is interesting to note that the Dairy Union’s advance represents an increase of 3d on the amount for February, and that of the Awahuri Company an increase of 2d. Both these companies are butter factories, while the Whakaronga Company concentrates mainly on cheese. The latest cable advices received by local factories are to the effect that the butter market is steady at 180 s, with more enquiries. About 10 days ago prices were declining somewhat, buyers holding off in anticipation of values receding, but the contrary has proved to be the case. Consequently enquiries have increased.

A South Australian visitor to England recently inspected the Islington market —the live stock market of London. “I found to my surprise.” he stated. “that they only yarded weekly about 900 cattle and 3000 sheep. I did not think much of the size and qtiality of the stock, but I liked the price. They get £3O to £4O for cattle, 600 or 7001 b; £3 10s to £5 for crossbred sheep. These cattle in Adelaide would fetch about £7 per head, and the sheep [ 10s to 20s per head. The sale is cari ried on very differently from what it is lin South Australia. All the cattle are tied up, and the butcher handles them Hike wo would sheep. After Sir Archii bald Weigall’s remarks about the ‘monI grel cattle’ of South Australia, I did expect to see something worth seeing, but we can easily beat them for size and weight. Three to four-year-old steers hero weigh about (500 to 7001 b.. while in Australia they would weigh 800 to 9001 b easily and then not be • band-fed or housed. They take the live weight on scales, five at a time, and they get 7s fid to Ss fid per stone of 141 b live weight. Most of the cattle I come from Wales and Ireland. The I Irish cattle are not, badly bred, but the Welsh cattle are little blaek eattle. like Australian scrubbers, and at three or I four rears only weigh 600 to 7001 b live I weight.” ■ The Sandon rye grass was a very I small crop this season, and on account lof the adverse growing conditions the quality was not quite up to the usual standard. There is a tendency in odd i lines for Italian to appear, with a coni sequent depreciation in value. Dogstail lis estimated in good supply, the crop, which is estimated ai probably 80 tons of dressed seed, being heavier than that of last year. The quality is a good average. Part of the crop has not. been threshed vet and may be discolbZ UH

Quantity Average Yield Land District. Threshed. Bushels. Per Acre. Bushels. Hawke’s Bay 4.345 18.73 Taranaki — • — Wellington .. .... 25,994 44.97 Nelson . ... 8,960 22.92 Marlborough 9,792 34.36 Canterbury . ... 448,991 32125 Otago 93,023 36.84 Southland Totals .... ... 939,982 —Oats.— Quantity 30.70 Average Yield Land District Threshed. Bushels. Per Acre. Bushels. Hawke’s Bay 13.054 36.10 Taranaki ... —— — Wellington 25,994 44.97 Nelson 2,025 23.55 Marlborough 3,678 44.38 Canterbury ... 448,914 32.25 Otago ... 106,914 50.84 Southland 1,961 40.85 Totals .... ... tiO2,G17 35.06