FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1922, Page 12

FARM AND DAIRY.

NEW CHAMPION MILK AND BUTTERFAT RECORD. ALCARTRA CLOTHILDE PIETJE AND HER PERFORMANCE. (By W. M. Singleton, Director of the Dairy Division, in the Journal of Agriculture.) For many years it has been the keen desire of New Zealand breeders to attain a I,ooolb. butterfat cow, and it is pleading to record that this much coveted ideal ha« .now been well realised. The Friesian cow Alcarthra Clothilde Pietje, owned by Mr. Vernon Mar£, of Mangatoki, Taranaki, calved with twin heifers on 31st October, thereby qualifying for certificate with the splendid production of 31,312.51 b. of milk, containing 1,145.241 b. of butterfat. This places her as leader of the mature class of Friesians, and chainpion milk and butterfat producer of New Zealand. Alcartra, who commenced her test at the age of 7 years 356 days, displaces Messrs. North and Sons’ fine old eow Burkeyje Sylvia Posch, who since October, 1919, has held the championship with the high production of 26,2261 b. milk and 983.201 b. butterfat. It will thus be seen that the margin between the two champions is no less than 5,086.51 b. milk and 162.041 b. fat. Alcartra. Clothilde Pietje was on test during the season 1919-20, when she produced (from three quarters only) 842.711 b. fat from 23.01Ub. milk in 365 days, calving some six weeks after finishing her year. Alcartra Clothilde Pietje is a champion carrying the blood of champions in her veins. She is descended from American Friesian's of tne highest quality, and from strains imported by Mr. Newton King, of Taranaki. Her pedigree affords an interesting study in breeding, a most noticeable feature being the fact that proven individuals have been mated as closely as discretion will permit. Tracing to the fourth generation back, we find the name of Sir de Koi Inka Pietertje appearing twice. He is sire of fifteen C.O.R. daughters, and his name is sufficiently well known to students of the Friesian breed to nopd no annotation here. One generation . nearer, we find that both male ancestors appearing in that generation are one and the Same—namely, King Alcartra Pietje, who is sire of three C.O.R. daughters, one of whom has produced over 6001 b. and another over 5901 b. of butterfat. A son of King Alcartra Pietje—King Alcartra Rose de Koi—was then mated with a daughter of King Alcartra Pietje. —Clothilde’s Alcartra—and from this mating sprung our champion. Beside Alcartra Clothilde Pietje, King Alcartra Rose de Koi has- sired three certificated daughters whose records were considered creditable at the time they were made, and the dam. Clothilde’s Alcartra, has one certificate for 469.441 b. fat as a senior ‘ three-year-old, and another for 605.451 b. as a mature cow. Here and there a name in the pedigree holds the eye. Four generations back is Rozine 111 de Koi, dam of three daughterswhich have gained their certificates of record in New Zealand; and. Pietje XXII, Hengerveld de Koi, and Alcartra Polkdadot are names which stand out among the makes of the breed in America.

That our Friesian breeders who im_ ported from the United States the stock from which Alcartra Clothilde Pietje sprung, selected wisely is quite apparent from the foregoing remarks. New Zealand now has many Friesians of the special-purpose dairy type and high production, as a review of the records appearing from month to month amply testifies. That in breeding' for production constitution has not been sacrificed in Alcartra Clothilde Pietje is evident from a glimpse at her photograph, robustness and capacity being distinctly revealed. We understand that Alcartra Clothilde Pietje had no forced feeding while on test, though naturally she had a plentiful supply of supplementary foods. Doubtless the excellent pasture on which she was running wont a long way toward allowing her hereditary quality even’ opportunity, and must also have done much toward retaining her fine constitution unimpaired. That she has been well handled all round there is no doubt, and Mr. Marx is to bo heartily congratulated on the achievement. When it is considered that Alcartra Clothilde Pietje calved nine days within the year prior to commencement of test, that she carried twins and calved sixteen days after completing her 365 days on test, that she received no forced feeding. and that she was not at any period of the test milked more than three times a day, it is doubtful whether her performance cannot be considered a world’s record. The twins were sired by Coldstream Pontiac Paul, a bull of particularly strong butterfat backing, and we shall look forward with interest to the day when these heifers will be on test.

RED WATER. This disease is most frequently caused by sour pasture. The urine varies in color from a reddish tinge to a deeper red; and there is a general appearance of unthriftiness, together with dullness, 'trembling, staring coat, hot muzzle, and diminution of milk. The disease is becoming more common in some of our richest dairying country, which has been .grazed with cattle—first beef and then dairy—since it was first settled. In this country the liming and top-dressing of pastures with superphosphates has been tried with good effect. Tn the irrigation areas, feeding too exclusively on lucerne, and thus providing more than the right proportion of protein, has been blamed. Cows are very liable to the disease just after calving. In Europe, feeding in low, swampy pastures, or in forest country, on irritant and unwholesome food, which affords the digestive organs and liver, is the most frequent cause. At the beginning of the disease an active purgative, such as salts, may be given if there are no colic pains. Olive oil nr other soft medicine should be used if abdominal pain is noticed. .The herd should bo removed to sounder pasture, and grazing supplemented with .sound, dry grain fodder. If dieting is necessary, give bran mashes and linseed v preparations. The stock department recommends as a feed mixture, 6 lb bran, 3 Ih crushed oats, 1 lb pollard, and I lb linseed meal, together with bright, sound chaff. Veterinary firms advertise .tonics which improve the system. A simple mixture is 1 oz. tincture of iron, and 4 drams chlorate of potash, in one pint of cold water, given as a drench three .times a day 4

LINSEED CULTIVATION. ■' •

Linseed is a standard article of commerce. There is a large demand for the oil for paint and varnish and for the manufacture of floor covering. Linseed cake is beyond question the most valuable of the live stock food concentrates. The yield per acre may* be placed, at from 12 cwt. to 15 cwt. The price quoted is on the average from £l2. Linseed is a crop that is easily grown. It certainly requires careful preparation of the soil, but not more than other plants. The plant matures in about 100 days from the time the seed le sown. It should follow lea, roots or legumes. The seed should be sown as soon as the danger of severe frost is past and the weather has permitted the land to be • thoroughly cultivated. Seed should be evenly but lightly covered. If the plant® appear to be growing too closely use the harrows vigorously; . this will reduce the number. Sturdy, branching plants are wanted. The crop should be stacked when once the sheaves are dry. Linseed cake is the standby of the British stock ownert it is becoming as valuable to us in New Zealand. DENMARK’S BEST COW. It may interest dairymen to learn that Denmark’s best cow for last season yielded during the 12 months 20,76 S lb of milk, making 958 lb of butter. She is a big, well-developed cow of the red Danish race of milkers, and weighed nearly 1860 lb before her last calving. The prevailing idea of many farmers that the Friesian cow is the favorite in Denmark is a mistake. Very few Friesian cows are seen there, and although they have been imported and tried repeatedly, the Ted Danish milkers have been found to give the best results. DAIRY PRODUCTS AND PIGS. Dairy products should be fed fresh and in a sweet condition. Skim milk should be given a few hours after being separated, this allowing any gases to escape. A good practice is to feed in the morning what has been separated at night, and vice versa. Avoid the practice of some feeders Who allow the skim-milk to remain in the tubs or barrels for two or three days, and then feed it in a hard, curdy, sour condition. This is looking for trouble, for not only is there the danger of germ infection from the barrels, but most of the rheu- 1 matic ailments among pigs- have also - been traced to the feeding of sour milk, j Always feed whey as fresh as possible: J there is danger of it fermenting, Which may cause serious trouble.

For using dairy by-products to the best advantage the farmer should try and balance the ration as far as practicable by the growing of various forage crops suitable to local conditions. The farmer who provides forage crops for his pigs whenever possible is the one who stands to make the most profit. Green forage is essential to the economical production of pork. If the farmer, instead of making his dairy products the maintenance ration, would adopt forage crops for grazing as the first ration, and use his milk foods as a supplementary one, he would find that not only has he healthier and more robust animals, but that the milk foods will go twice as far and allow him to keep nearly double the number of pigs. The system of the grazing of forage crops and pasture by pigs is not confined in practice to the dairy farmer, but is suitable for any one who wishes to engage in pig raising. The only difference is that while the dairyman uses milk as a supplementary food the other allows the pigs a liberal supply of grain to balance the ration. Most feeders use a ration of 11b. to 31b. of maize, barley, wheat or oats for every 1901 b. weight of pigs.

Lucerne can be used for grazing sheep, cattle and pigs. The principal drawback to pasturing cattle on lucerne is their tendency to bloat. This danger can be avoided to some extent by not allowing the stock on the lucerne while they are hungry, or 1 when the lucerne is wet. Lucerne should not be grazed in the first season, nor at any time grazed continuously, as the plants do better rested occasionally. Avoid grazing the plants in early spring, when young shoots are appearing. When grazing sheep on lucerne the field should be divided into breaks. Allow the sheep on the lucerne when it. is 6 in. high, and take them off before the lucerne is eaten all bare. The ways of the cattle thief are hard. The resources of science are brought to bear in stopping these depredations. This is all on account of an interesting 'development of the fingerprint method of identification. A farmer in Minnesota being much troubled by thefts of his cattle has invented a card catalogue to take the nose prints of his stock. He claims that the lines of a cow’s nose are as permanent a® those on the human finger. The system is said to be infallible—so much so that a cow which was recently taken to the record office and shown the nose print of a calf whose ownership was in dispute, commenced to moo pathetically, and sat down where she was until her missing off-spring had been produced; —Exchange. More and more thoughtful dairymen are coining to realise that in order to have profitable herds they must raise and develop their own cows. Men who have good cows are not anxious to part with them, and the dairyman who depends upon the purchase of mature cows to keep up his herd is forced to pay someone -a handsome profit for raising them, or be content with the culls of other herds. Even when he pays the high price he is not certain that the cows he buys will prove, a profitable investment. It will be found much cheaper and more certain for the average dairyman to raise his own cows than to pay someone a profit for “raising them for him. It is a fact that most of the best producing herds in the country have been bred and raised by the men who own them.