On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 11 March 1915, Page 59

On the Land

GENERAL. A circular silo 10ft x 25ft -will hold about 36 tons if filled to the top after it has settled, and this, at the rate of 351 b per day, will feed 10 cows 205 days. What is believed to be the record price this year for oats was reached a few days ago, when a Southbridge farmer sold to a firm in Leeston a line of 360 sacks of Algerians at 5s per bushel. The perishable nature of an egg is too little understood. Dampness, heat .above 60 degrees, strong odors, draughts, delay in marketing, are factors which very quickly destroy the freshness and good quality of eggs. It is a fact (says an exchange) that by the practice of soiling that is, growing a succession of green crops and carrying them to cattle instead of allowing the cattle to get their living by grazingthe yield of milk and 'of meat per acre can be doubled. The ravages of insect pests annually take from the agricultural interests of the United States of America £160,000,000. By way of comparison it may be said that the milch cows in the United States are valued at approximately 160 millions sterling. The prolonged absence of the usual rainfall has (says an Auckland correspondent) produced a great shortage of nearly all New Zealand-grown seeds, particularly cocksfoot, ryegrass, danthonia, and latuses, and growers are demanding high prices for the small quantities of seed they have been able to save. Seedsmen have consequently advanced the prices of several kinds of grasses, rape, and some other seeds. A memorandum on a new price-list issued by an Auckland firm states that on an average it will cost farmers about 4s per acre more for seed than in previous years, and that owing to the unsettled state of the market the present prices may be further increased. - At Addington last week there were small entries of fat stock and a medium yarding of store sheep. The attendance was the largest for several weeks past, as harvest is now practically over. Fat cattle showed a sharp rise, and store sheep, fat sheep, and fat lambs sold better. Fat Lambs.—Best lambs, i 7s 6d to 22s : others, 14s 3d to 17s. Fat Sheep. — Prime wethers, 21s to 26s : others, 15s to 20s 6d : prime ewes, 20s to 25s 4cl ; medium, 16s 6d to 19s 6d : others, 13s to 16s. Fat Cattle. —Ordinary steers, £5 15s to £l2 ; extra steers, to £lB 2s 6d :■ ordinary heifers, £6 5s to £8 10s: ordinary cows, £6 10s to £8 5s ; extra cows, to £l3 ss! Prices of beef per 1001 b, 34s to 455. Pigs.—Choppers, 50s to 80s light baconers, 47s to 555; heavy baconers, 57s 6d to 67s ; extra heavy baconers, ..to, 73s—price per lb, s£d to 51,d; light porkers, 30s to 33s ; heavy porkers, 34s to 40s price per lb, 51 d to s|d ; large stores, 26s to 30s; medium, 20s to 25s ; small, 12s to 17s 6d; suckers, 3s to 8s ; sows in pig, 25s to 30s. At Burnside last week there was only a small yarding (150) of fat cattle. Freezing buyers were not operating; but, on account of the short supply, there was good competition from the butchers, though the demand eased off towards the close of the sale. Prices were - about 15s per head above those of previous week. Quotations: Best bullocks, £l4 to £ls : medium to good, £ll to £l3 ; light, £9 10s to £lO 10s; best cows and heifers, £lO to £ll 10s; extra, to £l4; medium to good, £8 to £9; others, £6 to £7 10s. Fat Sheep.— 2585 yarded, being a fair-sized yarding, but there were not many prime sheep forward. Freezing buyers were operating, but on slightly reduced limits on account of the decision of the Imperial Government regarding the export of meat. Prices generally were about Is per head below those of the previous week, but medium quality ewes showed a drop of Is 6d to 2s per head. Quotations: Prime wethers, 24s to 265; extra prime, to 31s; medium, 22s to 235; light, 18s to 19s; prime ewes, 21s to 23s ; extra, to 27s 6d : medium, 17s to 19s; light, to 15s. Fat Lambs. —700 penned. A small yarding, containing a large proportion of mediumquality lambs. Prices generally were much the same

as previous week. . Good lambs met with fairly keen competition, but medium and ! unfinished were dull of sale. Quotations: Good, 17s to 19s; extra, to 22s 6d; medium, 15s-to 16s; unfinished, to 14s 6d. Pig.__ 74 fats and 40 stores were yarded. Fat pigs were slightly easier, and stores sold much the same as at the preceding week’s sale. , - CATTLE ‘LICKS.’ On this subject a veterinary authority says ‘he does not agree with mixing salt, bone- meal, and- sulphate of iron as a lick for cattle and sheep. The salt and bone meal should be placed in separate troughs. There is some danger of communicating diseases to stock through the medium of bone meal, unless it has been specially prepared for. the purpose. Ordinary bonedust should not be used. Sulphate of iron (copperas) is much disliked by stock, and they will not partake of food or water if it is added in large quantities. It is best administered dissolved in water. . Where the water supply is in troughs hang a bag containing sulphate of iron on each end of the trough until the water becomes led ; then remove : put the bag's again in the water when it loses its red color. Where the water supply is a running stream sulphate of iron should be given in the food supply in the case of cattle and sheep. Dissolve 11b of sulphate of iron in 25 gallons of water, and add a pint of this solution to the feed morning and night for cattle, and for sheep about one-sixth of this quantity. The sulphate of iron is a valuable tonic, and can bo used for anv length of time. Given to sheep, it helps to keep them free from internal parasites, and improves the quality of the wool.’ LAMP AS. Lain pas, a swollen condition of the horse’s palate immediately behind the upper incisors, necessitates very little treatment. If the horse is running out, with plenty of good grass, no special feeding is required. If stabled, soft food should be given, in the shape of bran mashes. A dose of laxative medicine is nearly always beneficial, and a little dry burnt alum may be rubbed on. If this is not efficacious, ioz of bicarbonate of potash in the drinking water twice daily may be allowed. Burning is extremely cruel, and quite unnecessary. A veterinary surgeon will sometimes scarify the inflamed part, but an inexperienced hand may pierce a blood vessel, and fatal cases have been known to result from haemorrhage. LIMEWATER FOR HOVEN. A simple remedy for this over-frequent complaint is given in an American journal by a correspondent, who attributes the cause to gastric trouble, which existed before the hoven developed. The recommendation is to keep limewater on hand, and give each cow a pint of it twice a week as a preventive, or, if she has developed the habit already, to give it to her oftener. In the case of cows affected with hoven, cures are mentioned as made by slightly warming some limewater and drenching each cow with about a quart of it. A pint of cold water dissolves less than 10 grains of lime. It would be a good plan to keep handy several long-necked quart bottles filled with limewater. If a cow gets hoven, one of these can be slightly warmed and the contents poured down her throat. Limewater should be prepared in a clean vessel and kept closely covered. When the lime has settled, the clear limewater can be poured off the top. This is a much simpler remedy than the one lately recommended by an American farmer, who fastens a round stick 12in long and .3in in diameter in the mouth like a bit, then slowly works a piece of rubber hose 3ft long and £in- in diameter down her throat. The gas comes away, and the hose can be removed in five or ten minutes, leaving the bit in 10 or 15 minutes longer. Veterinary surgeons condemn trying to force hose down the throat, as likely to lead to choking the cow. ■ : • •