RURAL TOPICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3008, 3 October 1908, Page 6

RURAL TOPICS.

(By "Agricola".) THE WEATHER. September has passed, an withal has been favourable to farmers, though a greaterirainfall would have been advantageous as in reality the country had not received a thorough soaking during the winter months, and this is only too apparent in the low state of most of the creeks, many of which are already at summer level. During the past week the a either has been warm with an abE as! of wind, and tie country has cU.ed very much. A gentleman who has been travelling, through the Caatlepoint and some of the adjacent country reports that feed is backward, and that rain is much needed. DOCKING. This is now in full swing throughout the Wairarapa, and reports to hand affirm that there will be a good percentage to record. On some stations there are said to be not so many twins as is usual. WOOL PROSPECTS. Recent advices from London state that the September sales opened brisk with the market steady, and so far as it goes* this is cheerful intelligence, but is unfortunately discounted by two grades of wool being quoted at 5 per cent, lower, and there is yet a considerable quantity of the coarse New Zealand wool still to come under the hammer.

THE CLASSIFICATTNG OF WOOL. In consequence of being unable to obtain the necessary supply of wool the local Technical School has been handicapped and unable to start the class of instruction which was contemplated some few months since. Now that shearing is within measurable distance it would appear a suitable time to make some arrangements with station owners for a supply of fleeces. The Technical School at Temuka seem to be to the fore in this matter, as the pupils attending are being taught the opening up, skirting, rolling and classification of fleeces, and the sorting of pieces. In connection with classification a runholder of some prominence in this district was approached by an individual who required employment, as a classer, and received the reply that wool was too low in value to pay for classing. This wool-grower's opinion may be correct, but a great number of people do not look at the matter in that light, and affirm that the lower the value of the product the more care should be taken in preparing it for market. There is an adage about "being a penny wise and pound foolish." Much has been written on the get-up of wool, and it is not my intention to enlarge upon the subject except to say that complaints are still being received from London authorities relative to the bad skirting and the packing df bellies and pieces in with the fleeces, which in some instances is so bad as to be characterised as "false packine." If sheepfarmers are so shortsighted to their own interests as to ignore and not appreciate the value of instructions from woolbrokers and comments from buyers and reliable correspondents at Home they should not be Surprised if their clips realise low prices. •- In the Shearers' Award there appears one clause which is to be commended, viz., to the effect that all sheep requiring it; are to be dagged prior to being shorn. This procedure will obviate a great deal •of wool being soiled in the night and catching peris, and also save an immense amount of labour at the wool table in skirting, picking over and separating the wool from the dags.

ENSILAGE. The predictions that there will be another dry season, may arouse the attention of dairymen to the value and necessity of conserving a quantity of their surplus grain and other vegetable products of the farm in the form of ensilage, which has been proved to be so admirably suited for feeding to dairy and other cattle. In Victoria and some,of the other States of the Commonwealth particular attention has been given to the subject by the Governments, but in this Dominion it has npt as yet taken its place in the rural economics of the farmer, that its usefulness and value dfiSGFVGS One lesson learnt from last season's disastrous fires was that many « settlers lost the whole of their hay which they had saved for winter use. This could not happen with ensilage, as the silos could easily be made, or rendered fire proof, and the contents owing to being damp would be immune from destruction. iSome encouragement and attention might be directed to the importance of ensilage for feeding purposes by Agricultural and Pastoral Associations offering prizes for exhibits. MORTALITY AMONG BREEDING EWES. This subject is of much importance to every sheepfarmer as the annual l loss every season from "bearing I down trouble" is very heavy. Various reasons have been assumed as the cause, oVer-fat condition of the animals being put down as one of the principal factors. If the matter is thoroughly investigated 'it may be found that there are several causes which predispose the animals to this trouble. From careful observation over a number of years I have come to the conclusion that the operation of crutching if performed late, when the ewes are far gone in pregnahcy, is a very potent cause. In the first place the ewes (with even the best care) receive a great deal of knocking about in mustering yardmg and forcing into the shed, and are often too densely packed in the pens. Then follows the handling by the men in crutching, and the placing of the animal in an unnatural position which oft-times the hand of the crutcher is pressed with considerable force into the fiank of the ewe. Having had to do on one occasion with a flock that was crutched late, I Übsetved that not only was there a creater mortality among them as compared with previous years (the co.dition of the sheep as regards fatness behg similar), but that also th*>-e wpre more instances of mal-formatio-haroong the lambs. • It has also been noticed that before crutching came into vogue that the percenta >e of deaths was not *> large as now oitains. Referring to mortality " through the over-condition of ewes it

is quite possible that it is one cause, but 1 am not aware that there is an excessive death rate among stud ewes, which are invariably in the pink of condition. I have also observed that ewes depasturing on, or about foul sheep camps or ground, were more prone to the trouble than those on clean healthy pastures. When circumstances permit it will be found a good remedial measure to remove the ewes carefully to fresh ground where the grass is clean as this has been found to have a very marked effect for good.