THE SOIL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3048, 19 November 1908, Page 7

THE SOIL.

SALT FOR DAIkY COWS. Professor Babcock, of milk-teste r fame, has been making some interesting experiments regarding the effect upon dairy cows of giving and withholding salt. He found that if Bait were absolutely withheld, the effect was seen, with some cows in from two to three week?, and while some went longer without "giving the show away," they sooner or later developed a state of low vitality, ending in_a complete breakdown. The effect was most obvious at calving time, or immediately afterwards. In general, the cows giving the largest amountjif milk were the first to show signs of distress, while there was less trouble when the animals were on grass than in the cowshed. In an ordinary daily ration there should be about foz of salt, ana even this, though Sufficient for dry stock per head, is hardly enough for a cow in milk. The milk drains away a lot of salt out of the system, and, therefore, an additional ounce per head should be added. Some time ago the French Government carried out ex- ~ periments to test the amount of salt required by the different kinds of farm stock; it was then found that a milk- cow required a total of 2oz daily, which corresponds with Professor Babcock's figures, allowing for differences in the size of the -different breeds. In the paddock, the best way to administer salt is to let the animals have ready access to a lick, but indoors the salt must be given with the food.

TO DISCOURAGE FLIES,

Every dairyman knows how much annoyance and irritation is caused to. his herd during hot weather by flies. Generally sp-aking, the best preventatives are cleanliness and good ventilatlun, but the cleanest and best •aifgd dairies aVe seldom without flies, and tHd owners may be interested enough in the following extract from the "Journal d'Agriculture Pratique," to try the effect of blue wall's It has been ascertained that there is a distinct decrease in the fly population when once the walls of the dairy have been "whitewashed" with blue. Says the journal in question:—"A farmer had 170 cows housed in different sheds;- they were pestered with flies, but he observed that in one shed, the walls of which were a blue tint, the cows were not worried. He, therefore, added a blue colour to the lime with which he washed the walls of his building, and from that time the flies have deserted his buildings. The following formula is used by him for the wash.—To 20 gallons of water add 101b of alaked lime and lib of ultramarine. The whitewashing is done twice during the summer, when the insects multiply most and are particularly troublesome."