CAMBRIDGE FARMERS CLUB.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1294, 14 October 1880, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE FARMERS CLUB.

The , usual monthly meeting of the Club was held at the Club House on Monday, when there were present — Captain Runciman (Vice-President, in the chair), Messrs R. Reynolds, G. E. Clark, Buttle, John Fisher, F. Hicks, E. Allen, Paton, Ramsay, and Ellis. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, and after the transaction of some other routine business, The Chairman said the chief business on the order paper was the discussion on the Taluable paper delivered by Mr R. Reynolds at the previous meeting. The matter was quo Qf considerable importance, and one in which, they were all interested. Unfortunately, he had not been able, owing to press of other work,, to give that amount of attention which was necessary in order to allow of i his taking part in the discussion. He had read the /essay over in the Waikato Times, but since then he really had not had time to think over the matter. .However, other members may have had more' opportunities than he had had, and he trnsted they would not be, J baokward, if it Was only in 1 compliment to Mr Reynolds, who had taken the trouble | to produce bo admirable a paper. He, indeed, felt that he owed Mr Reynolds an apology, 'When a nismber toolc the pains to write an essay, the least he ought to expect from the others was that they should attend and give the result of their experience. (Hear, hear). Mr John Fisher said he had ( read the essay over, and it had given him great pleasure. He greatly approved of the system proposed thereiu for treating younj? stock. It was necessary that the cattle when fed on turnips should have hay. 1 Last year his cattle did remarkably . well on turnips ; indeed,. had he not had such food many of the animals must have died. He quite agreed that sheep must have frequent changes of food, but they must have plenty of water. Ho had lost more sheep this year from that cause than at any time since he had been in the Waikato. Mr Clark fully recognised the lmportauce of the subject which they were met to discuss. He was entirely of Mr Rey* nolds' opinion in regard to the earlier treatment of young stock at weaning time, etc.; but there was one consideration which they ought not to lose sight of, and that, was that not only did tho animals, whether sheep or cattle, require plenty of food up to the time they were weaned, bub they should be well looked to after. They wanted to be kept froing till they arrived at maturity. He had seen cattle in the sale-yards recently which were actually worth more seven months ago than then, and this was simply from neglect. When younir stock were weaned they required to be well fed on turnips, or something of the sort. There were other considerations wrapped up in the turnip question beoiiles that of providing suitable wirter food for stock. They wanted to renew their paidocks, and what means could bo more effective or lejs expensive than by taking a ,crop of turnips off the land ? As tci the result which might be expected he would give them his experience of the season just past. Some iivo months auro ho purchased some cattle, and had fed a portion on grass, and the lest on turnips. The former had four acres of grass per head, and the profit on them for three months feeding was 2<ss e.'cU. The others, put on turnip*, at the rate of three beasts to the acre, returned him in the same period a profit of £3 15s per head Such was his experience of the different methods of wintering stock. He thought th^y would all agree with him. that after paying the expenses connected with powing the turnip crop there was a very considerable margin for profit. The turnips were sown on a long ('trip of ground 13 acres in extent, and on this the cattle were penned, having a grass paddock to run in. Sheep followed the oattle, and for thirteen weeks the 13 acres of turnips kept 40 head of cattle and 300 sheep. (Hear, hear). They had nothing to speak of from the small paddock into which they were allowed to run. The other cattle, twelve in number, had a fifty acre paddock of the best grass on his farm. They would see the difference between the two methods of feeding. It was important in the rearing of young wheep to keep up their size and the quality of the wool. He had started some yesu's ago with large-framed sheep, and had only used pure-bred rams*, and yet ho had seen his sheep getting smiller and smaller year by year. Two years ago ho tried wcaninsr the lambs on rape, and they did well as long a.s it lusttd. But when it was gone they had nothing but old gra-*s, and then they went buck. List .sens'm he had weaned the lambs on r.ipe, and followed it up by turnips, and they were doing very well. Ho was convinced that they would be as l.irsfo <ts over they \vei # o. He woulcL follow the some courbe this year. Iv regard to manuring, it had been proved beyond dispute in the grazing land* m England that the bone properties in the earth were going out, aud in Chohire the fnnmrs we»*e fearful lest they .should have to give up dairying altogether. An examination was made of tho soil, and it was found to be deficient in the qualities necesb try for the production of bone. A hber.il application of bnuodust restored it. In this country, if they intended to rear young stock, they must prepared to give bones to tho land. The young cattle were continually taking the bone earth out of the ground, and unless tho farmers returned it they would have to give up breeding. One thing he would like to impress on their minds and that was, tho tvirnip se> r mou was now approaching, and of the various kinds of manure UMjd some preferred one and some another ; he directed their attention to the experiments tried by Mr Reynolds. Mr Hicks thought tho cs«ny bad gone to the root of the matter. The suggestions regarding the rearing of young stock were applicable not only to this district, but to many parts down South. They had one advantage in Waikato over their Southern neighbors (he referred more particularly to Napier), in that they could grow roots with success. He thought Waikato had very little to fear, and that in a few years the district would be second to none in the colony. When he was last in Napier he was astonished I at the miserable appearanco of the young I stock. Speaking of the advantage of feeding sheep on turnips, he referred to some sheep which were disposed of at Messrs Martyns sale, and which were not looking nearly so well as in any previous year. Some of the number broke away and were not sold, and were subsequently wintered on turnips. They now looked as well as any sheep he had seen in the Waikato. Thirty sheep and 70 calves were on 30 acres of turnips, and the calves were looking extremely well, with plenty of food to spare. Turnip sowing would also improve the land. He thought cows in calf and rearing calves required to be well fed. Mr Reynolds and the other members of his family were known to be thoroughly practical farmers. They had not always been successful, but he attributed whatever want of success they had experienced to not providing winter food. Of course, they had been in the borne box with their neighbours, and had benefited by their past experience. Mr Buttle was of opinion that in the rearing of young stock three things should be carefully attended to. They must provide food, plenty of shelter, and they must furnish frequent changes of pasture. From the time lambs begin to nibble until they are twelve months old

■»;« ' .;;.' y$ arthey should be on Ine very fcesb pasture, The necessity of shelter wm geu&ally overlooked, but'thegf&ught ftyfeke^S to provide it. Nothing could be better than the natural shelter afforded by ti-tree. He believed in the principle, that what is worth, doing is worth doing well. They often tried to do too much, overrunning their farms with too many sheep. Ttiking it as a genoral thing, people tded to do too much. One lamb well reared was worth a dozen of such scrubbers as they frequently taw in the yards, and the same remark would apply to cattle. . , * Mr Reynolds then replied. In regard - to the effects of the different manures in starting the rente, he might give'thern his experience. The Long Island guano and Victorian bonemeal started well, but the two phospa^es- were perhaps better at first. The Californian bonemeal was little better than nothing at first, but after a few months the effects were very noticiablej Several of the mangolds manured with this missed, but those that did pull through were fery well grown. The mangolds without manure were almost worthless. He • was sorry to pee thin, because they had grown very good Toots before without manure. He attributed it to the land not being in good order, being portion, of an old paddock, choked with fern. The carrots without manure did not suffer so much, because they were deep rooted. Mr Fisher had spoken about the necessity of giving sheep water, but water would not provide all he had mentioned in his essay. (Laughter.) He might state, however, that the cattle ana sheep referred to by him ■ had always had plenty of water, . Mr Hicks had spoken of the necessity of giving plenty of food to cows and ewes during winter, but he thought the dams should not be too well fed before lambing or calving. After that period they should of course be well kept. If the young stock were stunted it would be almost impossible to got them on. When they arrived at the age of two years they could stand almost anything. He quite agreed with Mr Bnttle's remarks about overstocking. He .remembered hearing of a fanner in England who, when he wanted move milk, used to sell a cow or two. (Laughter). Mr Buttle proposed a vote of thanks to the essayist, and in so doing referred in nattering terms to the excellence of the paper. Mr Fisher, in seconding the motion, considered Mr Reynolds' the most spicy essay ever read before the Club. The motion was put aud carried. Mr Rej'nolrlsj in returning thanks, said he had done his best to make the essay interesting and instructive, and was pleased to find that his effoi'ts had been appreciated. He had not by any means exhausted the subject, and he hoped that some other members would take it up again, and deal more particularly with the subject oi breeding. He thought this was a matter which ought to be taken in hand by our local high-class breeders. (Hear). In accordance with notice of motion, the Chairman moved that the members be requested to furnish the Secretary with the, time they consider most favourable for sowing turnips. He thought the information obtained in this way would prove of much value. , The motion was seconded by Mr Buttle and carried. The Chairman obtained permission to hold over his notice of motion regarding the printing- of the es«ays, and a notice of motion by Mr Brooks lapsed. The following gentlemen were nominated for membership :— By Mr Hides Mr Merriok and Mr Hoiking; by Mr C ark, Mr T. Hunt; by Mr Fisher, Mr John Houston ; by Captain Runciman, Mr T. Wells. The ballot will be taken at the next mpeting. The Chairman announced that Mr Buttle had presented the Club with the numbers of the Farmrr-s 1 Magazine for the last two years. A. vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Buttle, and the Club shortly afterwards rose.