ON THE LAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3663, 26 October 1912, Page 3

ON THE LAND.

FARM AND STATION.

ADDINGTON LIVE STOCK MARKET.

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM]

CHRIST CHURCH, Oct. 23

There were moderate entries of stock to a fair attendance. The entries were reduced through the wet weather, which prevented the sending, in of consignments of sheep and lambs. The fat cattle market opened at lower rates, but improved as the sale went on. On the who 1 © it was weaker than last week. Store sheep sold well, only a few lines being offered. Fat lambs again sold well, as did fat sheep, both classes being in shorter supply. Store cattle were in good demand. Pigs were unchanged in prices. Store Sheep.—Only a very small number of store sheep were penned, hoggets forming the bulk of the yarding, the balance being made up of pens of four and six-tooth wethers, and a pen of merino ewes. The attendance was moderate. Prices showed no change from the previous week. Quotations are: Hoggets, mixed sexes, 13s to 20s 3(1, weaners 10s 33d to 16s 9d, wethers Ms 3d to lbs, ewes in wool 15s Id, aged ewes in wool 8s to 10s 9d. Fat Lambs.—There were only 62 fat lambs penned and they were, as usual, of prime quality, and met with keen competition, only one lot of 13 selling at less than 20s. Best lambs made 20s 6d to 265, and lighter 16s to 20s. Fat Sheep.—There was a somewhat smaller yarding of fat sheep than last week, and it was made up of about equal proportions of woolly and shorn sheep. The average ouality was again good. The sale opened well, prices being firmer by perhaps for both woolly and shorn sheep about Is to 10s. The supply was barely sufficient for butchers* requirements. The range of prices was: Extra prime woolly wethers to 30s, prime 24s 6d to 27s 7<l, others 19s to 245, extra prime_woolly ewes to 275, prime 21s to 25s 6d, others 18s to 20s 6d, woolly hoggets 21s 4d, prime shorn wethers 17s 6d to 21s 9d, lighter 13s 6d to 17s, shorn ewes 19s 8d to 21s 3d, woolly merion wethers 19s 6d to 21s 2d. Fat Cattle.—Two hundred and nine-ty-one head of fat cattle were penned as against 179 for the previous week, the entries including some animals of exceptionally good quality, noticeable among which were two magnificent steers sent forward by Mr Thomas Chapman, of Mount Palm. At the beginning of the sale prices were eas- | ier than the week earlier, hut improved as the sale proceeded ; hut in spite of this the average price was Is per 1001 b below those ruling on October 16th. Beef made 27s bd to 35s per 1001 b, according to quality. Steers made £7 7s 6d to £ll, extra to £l6, heifers £7 10s to £lO 12s 6d, and cows £6 5s to £l2 ss. Store Cattle.—The entry of store .cattle was a medium one and consisted principally of fifteen to eighteen months sorts’ and two-year-olds. There was considerable inquiry for good cattle, hut few that could be thus classified came forward. The demand for all descriptions was free and a good clearance was made. Fifteen to eighteen months sorts raised £3 5s to £4 os, two-year steers £5 os. two and alialf year steers £5 17s 6d, three-year heifers £5 7s, and dry cows £1 17s 6tl to £4 os. Dairy cows sold at £4 5s to £9 10s. Pigs.—There was a medium entry of fat pigs, and the demand showed no marked change from the previous week except that porkers were a shade easier all round. Choppers realised £3 10s to £6 Is, heavy baconers 65s to 72s 6d, and lighter sorts 52s to 60s (or equal to 5d to 5Jd per lb). Heavy porkers brought 45s to 50s, and lighter sorts 37s to 44s (equal to old per lb), The supply of stores was rather in excess of requirements and consequently prices were somewhat easier. Large stores changed hands at 45s"to 595, medium 30s to 40s, small pigs 20s to 28s, small weaners 1-1 s upwards, extra good making to 245.

BUTTER OR CHEESE

THE QUESTION OF BREAD

The great changes which are taking place in New Zealand of the conversion of butter factories into cheese factories, may have a‘material effect upon the breed of cows for dairying purposes. In discussing this point as to the best breed for cheese pur-' poses an English paper says: “The best kind of milk for cheesemaking is that which is rich in quality. but having the butter-fat globules very small and uniform in size. In butter-making the object is to remove the fat from the milk as completely as possible, while the_ cheesemaker not only does all in his power to prevent the cream rising, but endeavors to keep it evenly distributed throughout the milk. The richer the milk for cheese-making, the greater is the cheese yield, wovided the fat globules are not so large that an undue percentage of fat is inevitably lost in the process of manufacture. Perhaps the best kind of milk for the conversion into' cheese is that obtained from Ayrshire cows. In this milk the fat globules are very small in size, and therefore more easily retained in the curd, and subsequently the cheese. The reason for milk of Jersey and Guernsey cows being generally considered unsuitable for cheese is not that the milk is too rich, but the fat globules are very largo, and only with difficulty is an excessive loss of fat prevented. Whero milk is produced solely for the purpost 1 of cheese-making, it would ho advisable to keep Ayrshire cows. By the use of milk records, and the judicious feeding ef the cows, _th©_ far-, racr can obtain rich milk, which is of the nature required for cheese. Whero milk is produced partly for cheese, and partly for general purposes, the dairy Shorthorn cows give excellent results.”

Wo may, therefore, yet see the Ayrshire becoming more popular in New Zealand., The boom in Jerseys has been very marked of late, but Ayrshire men need not despair of their turn coming.

We have seen that the rise of the lamb trad l " in New Zealand has given a groat fillip to the Romney breed of sheep, and the change to cheese may have a similar cfleet in cattle. Wo have noted already that the Ayrshire temperament is more likely to stand milking by machines, and the combination of this and cheese making, may have a matrial difference in the estimation in which the various breeds are held by dairy farmer*.

JOTTINGS

The younger generation of farmers is being recruited from the brightest and best educated of our young men, particularly from the graduates of the agricultural colleges, and these recruits are rapidly putting into practice everything worth while from the researches of our agricultural institutions. These young men are taking up farming with their eyes open. They realise'that the farmers of the future will have to meet much sharper competition and he content to captivate many acres of less fertile sod than those who cleared the virgin forests or broke the prairie sod, but they also see clearly that the population of the country is increasing more rapidly than the number of farms, the number of farmers, or the yield of farm-products, and that this increasing population must have food and the materials from which clothing is made.— U.S. Experiment Station .decord.

Mr. Duncan Eraser, Bull's, writes In fumigating rabbit-burrows with carbon-bisulphite, I procecdd in tne following way : Having -tied a piece of saturated wool to the end of a small stick or wire, I pushed it about 3ft. into the burrow and then ignited it by throwing in a lighted match; immediately afterwards I threw a sack over the mouth of the burrow. About thirty seconds later I pulled the sack a little, so as to leave a small aperture to create a draught, I chose a time when a slight breeze was blowing on to the burrow. In about ten minutes from time of ignition the flames had travelled a chain in several directions, and the outlets of the burrow were then easily found by the exit of the fumes. ffiiio outlets were _ then closed bv a sod or bag.. The fumes remain m the ramifications of a burrow twelve hours. I fail to see where you can get a better fumigator than nature provides.

Sixty cases of fruit attractively and Carefully packed are as many as an orchardist should expect from his employee. If, as frequently. happens, this umber is increased to eighty and one hundred packages, lower average prices are to bo expected. An extra gain of 2s a case on all fruit packed during the day is more than sufficient to pay the wages of the packer. This gain cannot be reasonably looked forward to when packers are allowed to put up as many as ninety and one hundred cases a day.—“ Australasian.

A shipment of New Zealand honey, comprising 201 cases, each containing two tins holding about 601 b., recently arrived in London per s.s. “Turakina.” On being opened up, after much delay caused by the dock strike it was found to he in a messy and unsightly condition. The soldering was evidently faulty, as the joints had broken away and caused a great leakage of honey—some tins containing only a few pounds. The cases were scrubbed and cleaned, and those containing full tins realised 40s. per hundredweight. Tim quality <>f the honor was very satisfactorv. being

clear, and of good color. The remainder of the honey in the damaged cases is being disposed of to the host advantage.—High Commissioner’s Report.

Cows must he, well fed to return the maximum yield. But in the first place they must he well bred and well managed.

The bull is an important factor in herd improvement. An inferior anta mal is clear at any price.

Five minutes will suffice to drive spikes in the walls to hang dungforks OTI.

Mixed fanning is the solution for soil exhaustion ; but there must bo a just proportion between cropping and grazing. <

Lime assists in hastening the chemical action of other materials, and renders them more readily available as plant food.

Strictly speaking, a manure and a fertiliser arc not the same thing, though now the terms are used synonymously.

G’asein is likely to become an important product. It is used as a substitute for ivory, in the preparation of foods, and for many other purposes.

The free circulation of air under the bottom of a stack is essential, and the foundation should he laid in such a way as to allow of this.

It is wasteful management to breed first-class animals, and then neglect bo develop their good qualities by proper feeding.

You know how it feels 1 to lie on a lumpy straw tick or mattress. A soft, even bed is 'appreciated by the cow as well as by yourself.

Wo may make the best of life, or we may make the worst, of it, and it depends very much upon ourselves whether we extract joy or misery from it.

The stable will look neater with utensils carefully hung up, time will eb saved by having a place for things and an ugly accident may possibly be avoided.

As a rule, it is a good plan to give horses nearly all their hay in the form of chaff, only feeding a, little long hay early in the morning, and again Into at night.