PRACTICAL FARMERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1922, Page 12

PRACTICAL FARMERS.

PIONEER SETTLERS. The question which is of paramount importance to the dairy community of to-day seems to be that of greater production and consequently increased profits. Many practical suggestions have been advanced and many promising theories brought forward, but the real solution, so often evaded and excused, lies with the men. aye, and women as well, who are responsible for the planning. financing and actual working of the farms. Nineteen years have passed since Mr. W. J. Freeth first settled in Pukearuhe, then a village in name only, whose pretensions hardly justified its existence. There were no roads, no fences, no adequate means of transport, and the Mimi bridge, the key to the district, collapsed a few months after Mr. Freeth’s entry. Temporarily cut off from hi* source of supplies, this enterprising pioneer carved for himself a home of surprising beauty from a wilderness of scrub and ti-tree.

HOUSE AND SURROUNDINGS. Standing upon a low hill well back from the road the comfortable homestead peeps between interlaced branches of puriri and rata on to the restful green of flourishing night pastures. Winter’s rigours are checked by a background of pines and tree ferns. Shelter is perfect without being oppressive in summer, and the garden, springing from wonderfully fertile soil, is a blaze of riotous color tempered by the virgin white of plum blossoms and blending picturesquely with the cooler shades of creepers, vines and shrubs, while the somber touch of utility was added by a square of healthy vegetables. A tree worthy of note was Wright’s Early Pium now in full flower, but so quickly does the fruit mature that luscious ripe plums of a distinct flavour may be obtained as early as December IS. Beyond the first shelter belt and lying nicely to the sun. Mr. Freeth has planted proves of lemon and peach trees, and, where least expected, the intruder stumbles upon a plantation of passion fruit sturdily endeavoring to conquer a collection of posts and netting arranged so as to foster the growing propensities of ambitious young vines. Without the garden enclosure, yet conveniently situated, a concrete floored calfshed was inspected. The interior was divided into fifteen separate pens, and .an adjoining yard allowed the newly born calf to exercise after its morning feed. Pedigree calves are separated from the grades, and all appeared healthy and full of life. One weed which Mr. Freeth is keeping as an experiment was born in an abnormal condition, the fact that it is alive at all being attributed to the wonderful constitution of its parents. Like a well known car. it is stated to be living on its reputation. Experience ha«? shown Mr. Freeth that blood scours in calves are of two distinct kinds hereditary contracted, the latter being in many • instances, due to over-feeding while young. ■ PASTURES. A farm of 409 acres, of which 90 per cent, is ploughable, requires a large number of permanent paddocks. Years of experience have led to the adoption of the following method of breaking in new land for pasture. Lea land is turned under to a depth of about 8 inches and maize at the rate of one bushel to the acre is sown. Wnen the corn has attained to a height of about a foot. 10 ounces of soft turnips are cross drilled. This combination has proved to be of immense feeding value. 84 cows being kept on 20 acres for three months. In the autumn the paddock is just disced (ploughing seems to have a detrimental effect) and the permanent grass mixture sown down. Remarkable results have thus been achieved, for the grass in all cases, has struck exceptionally well, and pastures treated in this manner show a strong, even growth after years of use. Next season Mr. Freeth is going to experiment with two annual top dressings. Slag is to be applied in the autumn and basic super in the spring. This method has proved very successful in South Taranaki, and there can be little doubt that great stimulation will be effected. While agreeing in principle, the writer would prefer a slower acting manure for the autumn dressing, say 2cwt. of Nauru phosphates, or if the grass is very backward., green bone, obtained from the abattoirs or butchers, will be found beneficial. Paddocks used for hay on this farm are provider! with pits excavated from a hill-side; thus, if adverse weather conditions prevail, ensilage can be made, or the hay crop, instead of being arduously forked into a stack, can merely bo thrown into the pit and carefully built at a lower level. Sogie pits contain ensilage at the bottom and hay on top. the hay. of course, providing all the necessary weight to maintain good ensilage maturing underneath. For so large a dairy farm the water supply is remarkable. Numerous springs flow just where needed, and in only one corner have artificial means been required. For domestic use a large ram from a 4ft. fall pumps a stream 1700 ft. with a lift of 120 ft. PLANTING. Articles in the News have led Mrs. Freeth to renew her interest in planting. Through her industry odd corners and waste creek banks are being gradually laid out in pinus insignus plantations. There will be ten acres of hitherto unprofitable land planted out by next winter. Tn addition, a pleasing manner of rounding off grazing paddocks !bv arranging triangular plantations of various shelter trees in the corners, lends to the natural beauty of the farm. Boxthorn has been tried and found wanting, so sub-divisions are bein? laid out in assorted gums and black wattle. Manv of these are growing strongly, and should prove a profitable investment, as the wood makes first-class posts. HERD. Although the popular Jersey predominates, Mr. Freeth has also a stud of 25 Hereford?, 20 steers and a number of stud sheep, but as these were running at the back of the farm they were ’ not” visited. Roth grade and pure L Jerseys are maintained, but the owner is slowly working towards an entire I pedigree herd. This season some 45 beautiful pedigree animals are to be I milked. The grades, however, are an oxtremelv select lot. as witness the fact

that for’ the past three years heifers from the herd have topped the New Zealand market. While inspecting the herds. Mr. Freeth commented upon treatment of newly calved cows. “Where the cow is of mature age.” said he, "a calf should be left with its mother at least two days. A cow is always in an abnormal state at this period, and the apX*' tee the proper and

natural means of securing prolonged lactation during the season. It is advisable to watch the mother closely, as some calves do not visit all four teats; she must then he milked out gently by hand. A heifer is altogether different,” continued Mr. Freeth. “First calvers have never been known to contract milk fever, but calves have a propensity for sucking continually at the one teat, which becomes soft, and if not stopped will so drag the udder in this quarter that in many cases the heifer develops a lop-sided effect. Calves should always bp removed from attentions to young heifers as soon as discovered.” In this connection Mr. Freeth advocates that semi-official testing should not commence until two or three days following calving.

It is now many years since the first pedigree appeared on Mr. Freeth’s farm, and he is now the possessor of some really choice matrons. The first bun (Swastika’s Conqueror) was a grandson of Majestic’s Fox, the head sire of the advanced register of merit. The second (Hill's Rambler) was an eminent Fontaine’s son out of a Fancy’s Lord Twylish cow. Two noble, masculine bulls are now at the head of this herd. Silent Knight, a grandson of K.C.8.. and Collie King, a grandson of Golden Swan. Four cows out of many are worthy of mention as being true type Jerseys, wonderfully developed and capable of yrcat performances. Ferngrove Irene, Bonnie Jess of 0.K.. Majesty’s Primrose, and Prim's Golden Lassie appear to be everything a Jersey cow should be. Nine yearling and two two-year-old bulls are to be offered for sale, seven at the bull fair and four at Newron King. Ltd’s Waiwakaiho sale. With such breeding behind their own appearance Mr. Freeth should command record prices.

After this coming annual sale, Mr Freeth. in the interests of young farm

ers, is seriously considering a scheme whereby guaranteed pedigree bulls backed with particulars and perfonnI ances may be purchased on payments , extending over a stated period. Thus farme"s wishing to improve their herds may do so by securing bulls rich in the blood of famous sires without expending a larce capital outlay. Farmers in Taranaki have a great future in the Jersey, a? they thrive exceptionally well on fertile. well-watered farms. There is no reason why Taranaki stock should not be found in prominent Jersey herjs the _syorld over.