NOTES AND COMMENTS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 32, 10 March 1930, Page 10

NOTES AND COMMENTS

At Addington last week beef recovered the lali of the previous week'* sale. * * * Sheep sold veiy firmly at slightly advanced rates but fat and store lainbs eased a bit. « » * Store lamhs went back by ls to ls 6d per head and fat lambs by about ls per head. * * * , Values generally were a shade easier at Burnside last week. * ' * * The prices for fleece wool sold at Napier sale on Thursday last were up to a penny lower tihan those ruling at the 16th January sale. * * * . Some lines of lambs' wool, which were passed in at the January sale reoffered last Thursday sold pence per lb. better. Tliis is accounted for by their being practically no, demand for this clas3 of wool when it was first offered. * * * . Most of the growers who quitted their wool are feeling relieved, as the great uncertainty surrounding the future of the market appeared to be worrying them, and it looks as though ii will be a source of worry to those growers who are . withholding their wool from sale meantime and also to those speculators who are at present operating in the market. The present linancial depression at Home, together with the poor business offering for woollen manufacturers, are very disturbing factors which may take a long time to reach normal again. * * * Some idea of the extent of the pig industry in Irelanrl may be gauged from the fact that in 43 weeks, 929,816 pigs were cured. - * » * Some very heavy crops of wheat have been harvested in the Masterton district this season. The yields have been the best recorded for many years. * * \ * Milking contests for goats are regular features' of some of the >English shows. At a recent show a goat yielded 14.71b of milk, wliile a Dexter heifer yielded only 13.91b. * * * To kill ragwort tbe New Zealand De-J partment of Agriculture advises tbe use of one part sulphate'of iron ,to tbree parts common salt, applied to the plant during dry weather. * * * Beef values in Poverty Bay are now at the highest rates for many years, and some good saies have been made. Poverty Bay lamb has been " selling well on the London market, the first consignment having bronght lljd to lldi per lb., while later shipments brought lOd to ll^d. * * * Speaking of the set-hacks farmers had to- face every year, a Morrinsville farmer stated that he had lost five high-producing cows this season from various afflictions which vetennary skill could not cure. They had cost about £20 each, so there was a loss of about £100, without takmg into consideration the loss of production due to~ a diminished herd. Last week a cow which had already producea 350lbs of hutterfat, had become ul. It was no easy matter to replace such cows. * sfc * At a meeting of the ManawatuOroua branch of the . New Zealand Pig-Breeders' Association, Mr P. R. Counell. of the Department of Agriculture, gave some details of the pro~ posed farm competition scheme. He said that it was proposed to keep records, and to offer to farmers substantial casb prizes. It was wellknown, said Mr ConnellB that th© pro" duction of properties possessing practically equal advantages, differed greatly It was decided that Messrs Russell Nielsen, Croucher and Thuraston, represent the branch at a conference to be held concerning the matter. / * * * Successful fallowing depends chiefly upon the success with which the rains that fall during any season of the year are stored and kept in the soil until needed by the plants in their growth It is unwise to attempt to standardise methods of fallowing. for much is dependent on factors such as climatic conditions and the nature of the soil, but an -understanding of the underlying principles of cultivation methods will enable the farmer better to apply his own judgment as to 'liow and where the various operations should be conducted to suit the particular conditions. * * * By growing legume havs and feeding them to their cattle, experts of the United gtates Bureau of Dairy Industry point out, farmers would cut down their feed bills considerably, and at the same time develon better cows. Tbe legume hays, because or their high quality protein and lime content, furnish more milk-making nutriments at cheaper costs than otlier varieties. Especially where cerial grains and nonlegume roughages are used, additional protein often has to be bouglit in the form of linseed and other meals. As earl.v as tbe first centurv after Christ, Lueius Junius Moderatus Cplumella, Roman writer and author of a work on agriculture, recommended legume hays. such 'as lucerne. and vetch, as tbe best fodder for dairy cows. Since tben the trutli of his contention has been proved time and again.