NOTES AND COMMENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20501, 18 May 1938, Page 13

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Bacon Championship One of the features of the Waikato Winter Show will be the Dominion bacon championship for which more than 45 entries have been received. Entries have come from prominent pig producers throughout the Waikato and the exhibition promises to he particularly interesting and educative, both tn the exhibitors themselves and to the general public. Waikato Farmers Criticised A writer In a southern paper states that Waikato farmers are showing unnecessary panic in the face nf tii ° facal eczema epidemic. For this, he state*, they must not be harshly Judged, as the panic is fundamentally due to lack of knowledge. Evidently this wiiler has not the slightest conception of the extent of facial eczema in this district or otherwise he would not have written in this strain. He refers to the Manawatu epidemic of 103'. and states that It affe.'tpd Manawatu as severely as the Waikato is affected to-day. but no figures are qunfnd tn prove that the southern epidemic was anywhere near as severe as the Waikato epidemic. Little Knowledge Available The southern writer goes on to state that Manawatu farmers have prevented the disease by feeding hay, but Waikato farmers have been equally aware nf the value of hay in ibis respect. They are equally aware f.f the other' preventive methods practised in ihe Manawatu. for facial eczema Is by no means a new thing to the Waikato. However, this year i disease descended upon the Waikato like a plague and it has hepn commonly referred tn as facial eczema- It is further stated in the southern paper that, officials of the Department nf Agriculture had done splendid work in the Manawatu district during 1935 when there was demonstrated a “practical, successful method of prevention.” However, high officials of the Department of Agricultre were apparently Just as nonplussed as the Waikato farmers themselves when the trouble made itself apparent in this district. Old Stud Dispersed With the complete dispersal last week of nne nf the Dominion's nldest established Jersey breeding establishrbru. the well known Mmadale >tud. the property of Mr W. H. Miers, of fßotntiina. the Waikato has tost one of its premier pedigree cattle studs. Mr Miers has lnng been associated with pedigree cattle breeding in the Waikato and all breeds will regret tint Pa .-gnenrj his active association with the Jersev breed. It was only on account of ill-health that Mr Miers decided to sell his stud. Assistance to Breed During his association with cattle breeding. Mr Miers has done much to assist the Jersey breed, for In his breeding career tie has been responsible for the importation of some noted sires which have done much tn establish the present reputation of the breed. He has held prominent offices .in Jersey societies and was one of the best-known and most successful exhibitors of Jersey cattle in the Dominion. He was a great suppnrter of local shows and on many occasion* his Jersey team swept the boards at the larger fixtures. Twins Born to Order Tf experiments at New Hampshire, t* S.A.. are successful, a vast branch of agriculture will revolutionised, and meat, clothes, carpets, blankets, may be much cheaper. Experimenters are striving in create a new breed of sheep, of which the ewes will normally produce nothing hut twins. Under the direction of Professor E. C». Ritzman. selective breeding has now produced a flock which already yields twins in about 70 per cent, of rases. Disease In King Country Although Individual cases of staggers among cattle are still being reported in the King Country, it is felt by the stock men that the peak of the malady has now been left behind However, facial eczema among the j flocks is still causing a certain amount of concern for many recurring cases are being reported dally. It is stated that several valuable horses have j lately succumbed to an unknown comI plaint in the Otorohanga district and I some believe that the complaint is allied to facial eczema. However, j there is no authoritative opinion to i support this view.

Tour of Island A tour of the North Island by North Taranaki fanners is being arranged by the North Taranaki executive of the - Farmers* Union. At a recent execu- 5 tive meeting, it was stated that the number in the party would be limited 5 to 75. It was proposed to commence ¥ the tour on Tuesday, June 21, and to proceed to Hamilton. Rangitaiki. Roto- ; rua. Napier and Palmerston North. ' The tour is being planned to last a * week. Preventing Soil Erosion Grass anchors soil against erosion. | 1 It*; decaying remains make the soil JI absorbent, roots bind the soil, and j' open tiny conduits into the earth, and j blades and stalks impede the downhill ; ter does ttl< damage, and c-makes running water creep Soil conserxation makes ! tures shed little water and lose very t little «nil. Forest places a roof over ; ' 1 tips it with grasping roots. Rain strikes gentlv beneath a »rce. and running water is by myriad twigs and leaves which form the carpet of a forest. Furrows up and down a slope are cutter* that conre ntratc and speed rainfall with its burden of top-coil from the land to drainage streams. Furrows around the slope are dams that hold rainfall and store i» in that vast reservoir. the • - United