On the Land.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXIV, Issue 3750, 6 April 1908, Page 2

On the Land.

CHALK FOR SHEEP.

Air Riddiford said the other day, in an interview, that what gave constitution to the Romneys at Home were the chalk downs in Kent. Here is what Professor Wrightson, who is a chalk farmer himself, says about it:

“What could we chalk farmers do without chalk? When we remember that there are no fewer than seventeen English counties situated upon this formation, the question is a pertinent one. Chalk is a most useful material fdt buildings, inside and out, roads, water courses, and muddy thoroughfares; and it is a capital dressing for both grass and tillage land. It- is associated with flints, and furnishing employment in vacant times when there is little else to do.”

Alas, we have no chalk in New Zealand; but could we find no substitute? We are afraid not. The blue v papa country has some characteristics of chalk, and, if it was available, would make an excellent top dressing. But the country is so broken and steep that there is not the slightest chance of its use. Further, it will not bear any cartage. What Professor Wrightson means js carting from a chalk pit on the farm and top dressing the land. It is stated in the Rothamsted records that the effect of chalking a field has still shown its benefit after a great number of years. Liming the land would have something the same result as chalking; but drainage is necessary. In the chalk country one has perfect natural drainage, combined with a readily available supply of lime in the form of chalk. There is no doubt, however, that alfanimals seem to thrive in limestone country. Horses bred and reared on it are famed tor their large bones, and sheep' are apt to dwindle where there is an absence of it. Lime can be supplied in the food, and oats will provide it as well as anything; but we cannot afford to feed oats to sheep on a large scale at present prices. So that the fortunate man with good limestone country will reap the benefit.

OATS FOR MILK PRODUCTION. Commenting upon the subject of the judicious improvement of milk by giving a judicious amount of oats to cattle, a writer in a Danish dairy jouimal recommends the giving of oats in small quantities when the milk is watery, adding that about Jib to jib would be sufficient per head per day. This, the authority in question states, might be accepted with a certain amount of hesitation had it not been proved in a definite manner by experiments that a supplementary ration of a little oats has a very favourable influence, not only upon the amount of fatty matter, but also upon the taste of the milk, and the butter made; moreover, there is an increase in the production of milk and butter in consequence. The foregoing contention is supported by an experiment which was made on ten cows divided in two groups of five each, in such a way as to insure that their milk production was almost identical. After a certain day the first group received, as a supplementary ration, about 11b of oats per head daily. Even as soon as the second day the favourable influence of this method was apparent, which lasted up till the tenth day. The milk was very good, having a fine nutty flavour; the butter was better, and the cattle in good condition.