PRACTICAL FARMING.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1922, Page 12

PRACTICAL FARMING.

PRODUCTION ON GOOD LAND. / 7t COWS ON 91 ACREi ViA Land in the vicinity of Waitara has I long been famous for the richness of i its soil, and farms on both sides of the I river reflect to-day the truth of statements made by early settlers when ' writing of the remarkable fertility of j this district. Further inland a stratum [of clay appears, but along the Waitara Road towards Huirangi pastures are alI ready green with growing grass. Autumn and spring sowings are coming away well, and stock generally appears to have enjoyed a good winter. Prospects for a bumper season never looked brighter. This week a visit was made to the farm of Mr. H. Purdie, who last year wintered a herd of seventy-one grown head and nine heifers' on a holding of . ninety-one acres. This works out at one i animal to 1.14 acres the greater part of [a large hay stack and half his ensilage being as yet untouched. The turnip crop was a failure, and the quantity of mangolds practically negligible, but so well have the pastures been administered that the fine herd shows no signs of inattention or food shortage. Being almost wholly dependent upon an artificial supply of drinking water, Mr. Purdy has installed a convenient system by which an adequate supply is at the disposal of his stock in nearly every paddock. Two windmills have been erected, the lower one filling two huge concrete troughs capable of holding 14(H) gallons each, while the other, situated near the house, pumps clear, cool water into a large tank, from which water flows to the house, and on to the top pastures where three similar troughs of from three to four hundred gallons capacity may be utilised at will. During wet months, the house tanks are sufficient for domestic use. A large shed, having a broad roof area, is also called upon, and rainwater from it is collected in a concrete reservoir. Thus the mill is never over-worked while Jupiter Pluvius predominates. While examining one of these drinking receptacles Mr. Purdie explained that in order to neutralise any acid content, and to keep the water fresh and wholesome, a bucket of burnt lime is emptied into each trough every two months. SOWING GRASS. An excellent sole of grass was typical of all grazing pastures the growth already showing being almost phenomenal. When a ’paddock is to be sown down it Jis first worked into a fine tilth, then I rolled to make a firm seed bed, over which the permanent mixture is scattered. chain-harrowed, and rolled again. Mr. i Purdie has derived great benefit from

the use of bonedust when sowing down, and for top-dressing he advocates basic slag distributed in small quantities of about two to two and a-half cwt. per acre each year. Every third winter three cwt. of burnt lime is also applied, and the whole farm is subjected to an annual stroke of the tripod harrows. About fifty pounds of seed is usually sown to the acre, consisting of rye grass for early spring, cow gra-s and clover for continuous summer feeding. and the nutritious cocksfoot for its all-round growing and lasting qualities. It the paddock is inclined to be damp the addition of a few pounds of lotus major (a very small seed) may be used with advantage. One large field has | had no manure applied -for five years, but pigs have been allowed to run freely on it. Living near a butter factory, Mr. Purdie contracts yearly for the but-ter-milk by-product, and consequently is enabled to feed a large number of pigs. About seventy fat baconers come off this farm each season. | If a smaP farm is to become highly ; productive it must be well sheltered, i so that in cold, boisterous weather cows i remain warm and protected, the milk i flow is not lessened and additional feeding is not necessary. All along the road boundary a double row of closely grown pines protect the farm from dry westerly winds. Subdivisions are planted in macrocarpa and box-thorn, the latter being particularly suited to coastal propertip:. If kept free from weeds and fenced from stock the box-thorn grows readily, and attains a remarkable he : ght. in a short period. Some hedges which had been planted only two vears are already over si: feet high, forming a strong compact breakwind, and enhcne'ng the appearance cf the farm generally. COW AND CALF SHEDS. Breeding and feeding play an important part in establishing a highly productive an mal, but great attention must aliso be given to the actual milking. Mr. Purdie discarded his milking machine two years ago in favor of the hand method, believing it to be easier on the cow and more likely to produce a docile temperament. The shed has twelve bails, each provided with a feed box. A concrete floor lends itself to cleanliness, and each day during the season burnt lime is sprinkled over it to minimise animal odors. Not far away a compact calf shed has been erected, partitioned into ten separate pens well bedded down. A calf so enclosed may not suck itself nor be injured by any foreign matter. THE HERD. Eleven years ago Mr. Purdie commenced breeding pedigree Jersey cattle, his first six cows being "Avalanche, 1 ’ bought from Messrs. Tapp and Willis for 147 guineas, with a record of eight firsts and seven championships at Auckland and the Waik-.no, "Snow” (126 guineas), "Snow Wreath” (75 guineas), "Prim II” and "Poppy II,” from Mr. G. F. Moore, of Kai Iwi, and "Magnet’s Girl” from the late Mr. Jennings. The , now famous bull K.C.B. was the first i sire used on these cows, but was followed by other notable performers, ineluding "Marquis” and ‘‘Rioter of Pcncarrow.” The present sire of the herd is i indeed an aristocratically bred animal. Tiki Twilish claims for his parents the famous Francis Lord Twilish and Tiki. No other bull, to the best of Mr. Pur.die’s knowledge, can boast such a record as Francis Lord Twilish. three of whose daughters in succession have wen the [much prized gold medal for junior twe- ] year-olds, producing an average of over GOO lb* of fat. Tiki, as a junior twoI year-old, on a -even days’ test off grass | alone, produced in 1913 a record of 115.33 lb of butter-fat. This test was .taken within a few days of calving. Her grand dam ‘Charm.” won the gold medal .twice, and her dam "Floss,” was also a .great producer. With such pareips little I need be '.aid of Tiki Twilish himself. Suffice i- that he conform: tn the n-co‘->ni. ed Jercey type, and ii t three of Jjis daughters, all that have at present

been tested, have remarkable records; one has now done just on 700 lb of fat, and still has a little more than a month to go. Of those cows placed under the semiofficial test by Mr. Purdie. the best performance was by “Flower.” who did 773 lb of fat, and is twelve years old. Mr. Purdie has reason to be proud or his young stock, as well as his milking herd. A line of sixteen yearling heifers brought forth sincere expressions of delight. The writer cannot remember having seen such a number of promising young animals dispjaved as a line. The udd'-r development throughout was remarkable. more especially as these were the daughters of d’fferent females by different bulls. Each heifer seemed outstanding until one looked at (lie next. Then one became undec'ded. and ceased to winder at 'the individual, t<> express an opinion over the whole. What a herd is here in the making! And what a future'.may be before these beautiful inquisitive younsster.s'! Who knows but what .seme record sma«h : ng producer is 1 idden tlmro. some Jersey par?!"! n. of whose performance:; wo may reed in time to come, and wnnd~r that 6i7o’> pn an'mal could come from . naki the home of the Jersey-’’