FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 October 1922, Page 12

FARM AND DAIRY.

GOOD NEWS FOR GROWERS. RISE IN CROSSBRED WOOLS. The opening of the seventh of the series of ‘London, sales witnessed an unexpected rise in the prices of coarse -and' low crossbreds, both of which recorded pn advance of %d per lb. This does not look very much expressed in uch terms, but it really means’ that a. bale of wool 4001 b weight ie worth 12s 6d more than is was worth lately, and that advance, small as it is, will be appreciated by the North Island woolgrowers, whose clips are mainly crossbred. All other grades of Wool advanced also, merinos rising a penny per lb. The ‘.closing prices of the sixth series, and the opening jriees of the seventh series, compare ,as under:

When it is remembered that at the July sales B.A.W.R.A. had tn withdraw practically the whole of its offerings of New Zealand crossbred wool, and restricted its offerings at Liverpool and Hull, and adopted the same policy last month to prevent a fall in values, the change that has come over the market is significant. The statistical position of croesbred wool is no better than it was in July last, and yet the prices advance. The restricted offerings no doubt helped to maintain values, but the real cause of the advance is the soaring values of merino. It was stated that Bradford woolmen were alarmed at the high prices ruling for merino wool at the Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne sales, while manufacturers contended that they were unable to get back the price of tops in the manufactured article. There is an old saying in the wool trade that “when wool is dear it is dangerous, and when it is A-evy dear it is very dangerous.” Merino wool is getting to the very dear stage, and the trade is turning to the cheaper raw material. That happened some years ago when grolvers who received advances of 6d per lb. had to.meet reclamations. It seems almost safe to say that the tide has turned for crossbred wool. Values may not soar upwards, but they should show steady improvement from now. on.

NEWS AND NOTES.

Teach your horses to go into the collar gradually. When a load is to be started speak to them, and take a firm hold of the reins so that they will arch their necks, keep their legs under them, and step on their toes. A loose rein means sprawling and slipping, often with one horse ahead of the other.

From the sixth to the twelfth months a calf should have a daily ration of grass ad lib (or in the winter time say From 51b to 101 b. of either mangels or Swedes as an alternative), and from 11b to I’/jlb of mixed linseed cake and meal. In the winter time 41b of good hay should be fed in addition to this ration. The best milk obtainable for the manufacture of dairy products is that obtained when the cows are feeding on good grass which is free from obnoxious weeds. When is it not possible to teed cows chiefly on grass, the foods must be so selected that they will not taint the milk for the production of butter or cheese.

Annatto is a golden yellow colouring matter employed in the dairy to colour milk, butter, or cheese. Annatto is obtained from the seed of a plant known as Bixa orellana. When it is found necessary to artificially colour dairy products, tiie annatto must be very carefully added to the milk or cream, otherwise unsatisfactory results will obtain. There is a direct relation between the oil in the sheep’s; wool and the fat on its body. Tliei sheep with most oil is? hardest to fatten. That is why it is not worth while trying to cheat the manufacturer in any event. He has a very exact knowledge oi the shrinkage of wools.

Tn the Mudgee district of N.S.W., Mr. Norman Cox, Wilbetree, has seven acres of maize, which yeilded a return of 721 bushels, an average of 103 bushels to the acre. This is claimed as a district record. The variety in question is known as Goodra Vale, and was grown on land which has not been disturbed for 70 years.

What surely must be a record for a litter of pigs was established recently at the farm of Mrs. Bradley, at Malebo, near Wagga. A two-year-old Berkshire sow gave birth to 10 pigs. One died next day. but the remaining 18 are doing remarkably well. With pig values at their present level this sow and her progeny represent a small goldmine to their owner.

An English Red Poll cow, GressenhaH Molly, has created a record in the matter of milk yields, for on January 4, in 42 weeks sixjdays, she had yielded 18,024n41b. of milk, with an average of 4 per cent, of butter-fat. Her seven-months-pld bull calf was purchased by Viscount Folkestone for £lOOO for his herd at Longford in Wiltshire.

Sept, sale. s. d. Oct. sale, e. d. Average greasy merino 1 114 2 1 Fine halfbreds, 50-56 I 44. 1 5J Medium halfbreds 48-50 0 1U 1 0 Fine crossbreds. 46-48 0 0 9 Med. crossbreds, 40-46 0 74 0 8 Coarse crossbreds, 40-44 0 '7 • 0 7§ Low Crossbreds, 36-40 * 0 6J 0 71