THE FARM.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 43, 14 January 1921, Page 11

THE FARM.

(By "Furrow").

more sensational PRICES. Taranaki hreeders have been speaking again in hundreds of pounds for individual animals, and even calves are in the three-figure class now. These high prices wero realised at a pedigree sale held at New Plymouth last month. Six cows and two-year-old heifers submitted on behalf of Mr Stonex averaged 158gs, the top price being r,ealised by Bay "V iew s Lass5 which was secured by Mr J. C. Nicholson, of Hawera, at I99gs. Mr J. B. Groom purchased the two-year-old heifer Bessie's Passion Flower at 136gs. Six calves av.eraged 67|gs, the top price being realised by the six weeks old heifer calf from the top-priced cow, namely, 92gs. A yearling heifer also realised lOOgs. In all, 14 submitted on behalf of Mr Stonex realised llll^gs. The top price for the sale was realised by Mr C. W. Reube's two-year-old heifer Avoca's Daisy, which was purchased by Mr C. H. Sharpe, Te Roti, for 312gs. Her four months' old heifer calf by Oakland's Squire Mahone realised 160gs. M^NURING FOR WINTER CROPS. If manure for winter crops are not already in hand they should be ordered without delay. As a rule wheat and rye wili not require artificials in the following cases : (1) Where farmyard manure has been applied ; (2) where they follow a root crop which has been well manured ; (3) if they follow clover, beans or rich pasture ; or (4) if the land has been bare-fallowed. Where land is poor, heavy bare fallows should receive about 6cwt of slag or 5cwt of superphosphate to the acre. After a st-raw crop or where the soil is impoverished, f to l^cwt of sulphate of ammonia, or its equivalent, in addition to 2 or 3cwt of superphosphate should be given. The superphosphate should be applied at sowing time, but the bulk of the sulphate of ammonia may be rese-rved for a top dressing in the spring. These manures may be used for winter oats and barley? but it should be remembered that the two crops named require less sulphate of ammonia than wheat. Of the leguminous crops beans will do well on land that has received a light dressing of farmyard manure, say 8 to 10 tons per acre ploughed in to a depth of five or six inches. Beans do well with an additional dressing of about 4cwt superphosphate or 6 to 8cwt of basic slag. In the absence of farmyard manure, 4cwt kainit or its equivalent should b,e added to the phosphatic manures, and these manures in like proportion may be used for vetches and vetch mixtures. THE W7ORLD'S GREATEST OX. A NEW ZEALAND PRODUCTION. Although we ar,e but a young ctuntry we have records in many lines of endeavour which have startled the people of the Old World. Durin.g the past two years, the live stock world here and in Australia lia-s been mildly interested in the size and weight of bullocks. Quality and the distribution of the meat to the best cuts was not the consideration, the aim being purely that of bulk. At the Grand National market at Addington last August, £204 was paid

for a Shorthorn hullock whose weight was given as 30561b. This bullock has been claimed as the Australasian champion. England's heaviest bullock is held to be "Pat th© Giant," an Irish bred roan Shorthorn, which scaled 254 stone, or 35561b. This a-nimal created a sensation when exhibited at Birmingham Eat Stock Show in 1912. His height at the should, er was 5ft 7in, length from ears to rump' 9ft, and girth at shoulder 10ft lin. His weight and measurement-s prevailed over those of the famous Durhair/ Ox and other giants of a few years ago. I It is as well perhaps to not,e that tha above weights have been disputed, but they are the maximum weights claimed. Yet despite this, a heavy bullock was produced at the recent Wanganui Show. This was a six-year-old bullock exhibited by the well-known Hereford breeder, Mr Frank Moore, of Bushy • Parlc, Kai Iwi. This was a Iiereford-Shorthorn cross, and when put on the scales at Wanganui he weighed 36401b, which 4s .equal to 1 ton 12cwt 2qrs. He is therefore 941b heavier thari Pat the Giant, and 5941b heavier than the Grand National bullock. Mr Moore's bullock which was bred by Messrs Bayly Bros., of Wanganui, will carry a lot of beef yet, as he came off the grass. He may be fed on concentrates and taken across to the Sydney Royal. "Given treatment of that n^iture, the hullock, which is of a very docile disposition, should easily

reach the 40001b mark, and thus a record would he established by New Zealand that might stand for a century