On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 11 May 1911, Page 886

On the Land

Many people forget that the hoof-horn grows and expands, whilst the iron of the shoe does not, and this is the case more particularly with young horses. , hAlthough pigs like to wallow in slush in warm weather, th<jy require a dry sleeping place to keep them, in good health, and, as they feel the cold acutely, it is absolutely necessary that they should be protected from cold and damp. When cows are badly treated, or frightened just previous to milking, their milk is often very poor in quality, the butter fat being sometimes reduced by one-half. Butter made from milk of this description is very white in color, and sometimes inferior, in flavor. With regard to the potato disease, Mr. E. G. Pratt, an English potato grower, states that ‘ Irish blight can be greatly reduced, if not destroyed. The profitable lifetime of any variety of potato is from fifteen to twenty years, and when any one variety is grown beyond that number of years it loses its constitution, and consequently is more liable to disease than a new variety of stronger growth. The E resent varieties grown in Tasmania commercially should be discarded, and new and disease-resisting varieties should be imported from England or Scotland, the latter being the rearing bed of the potato world. On the qustion of spraying, Mr. Pratt was emphatic that the ; more times the better, as such spraying will increase the yield of the crop considerably, and at the same time prevent disease. During the past fortnight (says the Otago Daily Times the market at Burnside has held very firm, and at the same time showing no material advance. At last week’s sale 159 head of cattle were yarded. The quality was still exceedingly poor, and prices ranged up to £l3 10s per head, or an average of about 30s per 1001 b for good beef. Owing to the scarcity of fat cattle in the local market some of the Dunedin butchers have been looking, to Southland for their supplies, and several hundred head have been purchased from that district for forward delivery at up to £ls per head. About 2600 sheep were yarded, and the bulk of the yarding comprised ewes, with very few good wethers offering. The highest price reached for wethers was 21s 9d per head, which as equal to per lb, while good ewes realised up to 2Jd per lb. About 1750 lambs were penned, and on the . whole prices were a shade easier, first-class quality lambs selling from 13s to 14s 6d per head, while an extra good line was disposed of at 16s. For horses and cattle a good remedy for lice (according to the Farmer is made as follows : ‘ Boi for an hour eight, tablespoonfuls arsenic, eight tablespoonfuls soda ash, and sixteen tablespoonfuls soft soap in two gallons of water. After being prepared by boiling add enough water to make two gallons. When cool wet the animal all over with a little of it, using a brush or currycomb to get it into the skin. Another good remedy is made of boiling stavesacre seeds, one part to twenty parts water, for an hour, and letting it simmer for another hour, then adding water to make it up to the original bulk. This applied to the affected parts brings quick relief. It is advisable to repeat the application in a week or ten days, so as to catch any new lice from any eggs that were not caught by the first application v A very common treatment is secured by mixing a pint of linseed oil, eight tablespoonfuls oil of tar, and eight tablespoonfuls sulphur. This is then rubbed on the affected parts once a day for two days and allowed to remain for a few days, after which it is washed off with soap and water In serious cases the application should be repeated within a week or so. Of course any of the disinfecting fluids on the market, used either as a spray or a -wash, will do the work satisfactorily. V 3 At the Addington sales last week there were average entries of stock and a fair attendance. Beef met with a dull sale at late rates. Store sheep showed little change e . wes bein S m the best demand. Fat lambs were slow of , sale in consequence of the large proportion of unfinished were she P l Sold welL Pi S and store cattle were dull of sale, and dairy cows were in good demand There was an entry of 7393 fat lambs. Extra prime lambs fetched from 16s to 17s /d, and prime from 8s Id to 15s 16s 6d T +o St??,**?™ ab "beep was : Prime wethers to 21 m? d ’ lighter 11s. (d to 16s, prime ewes 13s 6d to 2os 6d. There were 287 head of fat cattle penned ineluding a small consignment from the North Island ’The yarding was composed chiefly of cows, with a few lines of useful stores and heifers. The sale was not very brisk and prices if anything were a shade easier. The ranee of prices was : Steers £7 15s to £l2 10s, heifers £5 17 s fid prime’ 2 a^ 0 C °23s fff f ss to y 95s ( Ton l to 25s to 203 for prime, 2ws to 23s 6d for medium, and 20s to 21s 6d for cow and inferior beef per 1001 b). The entry of pigs was oufte sufficient for requirements, the demand being P rather better than at the last sale. Choppers sold up to 60s, and extra 6cl fequal in 5S ’ and ¥ lter 35s to 42s lighter 99. to 9fi= (equal per lb) iargo porkers 28s to 325, ngnter 22s to 26s (equal to 4£d to 4£d per lb). ’