FARMING NEWSLETTER by W. J. PETERSEN

ON THE DAIRY FARM By now the prudent dairy farmers will have used the majority of their spring-saved silage or perhaps they will still have some October-sown green globe soft turnips left but whatever may be the case the butterfat production will have benefited beyond their greatest expectations. These wise men have planned ahead to provide ample supplementary feed for their dairy herds as an insurance against the rainless summer months which we may experience every year. Too many of our farmers just carry on and just hope for the best. They allow their surplus spring grass to go to seed and although they intend to plough up that poorly grassed paddock they just don't get around to doing it, so things just drift along until the hot summer weather comes, when the feed disappears and consequently the dairy cows go dry. This does not happen on a well run farm when the farmer plans his work at the commencement of each new season. Planning the work on a dairy farm is no different from planning the operations of any other successful business, but planning does not stop at just providing ample feed for the dairy herd, as the planning of the financial side of all businesses is also most important. All farmers must work on what is known as a budget, which is a form of simple accountancy which should not be beyond the average Maori farmer. On a dairy farm the farmer must know the quantity of butter fat that he expects to produce during the coming season. Also the number of bobby calves, cull cows and pigs that he will sell. Now write these items down on the left hand side of a page of writing paper under the heading of receipts and work out their value. The total value of these four items will in most cases be the total income that the farmer will receive for his year's work and he cannot spend more than this sum. What amount will he have to spend to get this revenue? Now write the expenditure items down on the right hand side of the page under the heading of expenditure. To run through these items we have rates, insurances, accident, life and fire. Maintenance of fences, water supply and all buildings. Then topdressing manure, crop manure and seed, cartage of all materials and the cost of additional labour for the harvesting of bay and silage. The cost of running the tractor and plant, milking machines, and water pump, not forgetting the power used. Then perhaps a new bull or boar is wanted, and there is the herd-testing and calf and pig meal. There are the big items such as rent for the farm and the repayment of the loan and don't forget the income and social security tax. Now take the cost of all these items from the total receipts and the amount left is what the farmer will have to live on for the year as well as providing his pleasures.

ON THE SHEEP FARM The above planning and budgeting will also be applicable to sheep farmers and all sheep farmers would be wise to adopt a system similar to the one outlined above. In my last newsletter I promised to cover the handling of the wool in the woolshed, so I will continue from where I left off when shearing was in full operation. It is more essential today than ever before to have your wool offered for sale in good order and condition and sold in straight lines. The difference in price between a mixed lot and a well-got-up lot is considerable, so the average farmer with a flock of up to say 2000 sheep would always be wise to have his clip binned for classing and sold with other wool of similar quality in straight lots. To have this done, he must always give definite instructions to his wool broker who, will look after his interests from the time the wool leaves the shed until it is sold and shipped away. The handling of wool starts before the sheep enter the woolshed and if sheep are brought in to the shed in a cleanly dagged state it is easy to keep the wool clean and the work on the wool table is made much easier. Clean fleece wool should only be lightly skirted by just taking off the dirty edges, and bellies must always be kept separate. All fleece wool can be rolled and baled together for classing at the wool store. Care must be taken to see that each bale is correctly and clearly branded and the class of wool indicated on one end and one side of each bale. It is most important to advise your broker of the number of bales forwarded and the instructions on how you expect your wool to be sold.