FIREBLIGHT MENACE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10306, 15 January 1927, Page 3

FIREBLIGHT MENACE

TROUBLE IN HAWKE’S BAY

HAWTHORN TO BE CUTOUT. Fireblight threatens to become a serious menace to the fruit industry of Hawke’s Bay. It is now established in the district, hut every effort is being made to prevent its spread;and, if possible, to eradicate it. One means of assisting to prevent the dreaded disease’s spread is the destruction of hawthorn hedges, for it is in those hedges that the fireblight thrives.

The Hawke’s Bay A. and P. Society has given a lead to tlie owners ol hawthorn hedges when it decided to have grubbed out tho hawthorn hedge growing on part of the boundary of its showgrounds at Tomoana.

“Fireblight is a serious menace,” stated Mr. A. M. Robertson to members of the committee, “and application is being made for Hawke’s Bay to be placed under the third schedule of the Act, which makes it compulsory for hawthorn to he cut out. Fireblight was actually here for a season in the shelter oi a hawthorn hedge. The hedge acts like a runner and carries the disease from one orchard to another. It is going to make it very hard for the fruit-grow-ing industry if hawthorn is not cut out, and I think the society should lead the way and not wait until the Government demands tlie'cutting out of hawthorn.”

Mr. H. A. Russell: We are prepared to cut cut tlie hedge as scon as Hawke’s Bay is put On tlie third schedule. Air. W AY. Smart: It won't cost very much to grub it out. Mr. B. Chambers: The hedge is a menace and should he grubbed out straight away.

Mr. \\ . H. Tod: What length of hedge is there? Mr. Russell: Roughly about 350 vards.

The society decided to grub out its hawthorn hedge and re-plant with something else.

WAIROA SHOW. LARGE ENTRIES RECEIVED. 011 Wednesday the Wairoa Agricultural and Pastoral Society will hold its 23th annual Show. The fixture should prove one of tlfe most successful in the history of the district and, given line weather, will undoubtedly attract a large attendance from all parts. Entries compare favourably with other years and several additional classes have been included in the schedule.

A special feature-is being made th is year witli the section allotted to dogs and tho Society justly claim to have arranged a schedule, oil a par with ni.inv Shows in the larger cen-

tres. Several special prizes and trophies have been allotted in this section.

The fixture is being held on the Wednesday, the clay between the two days summer meeting of the Wairoa Racing Club. Visitors to Wairoa next week will he assured of a most interesting holiday.

DAIRY COW DEMONSTRATION. At the Nviliaka Show, Mr. Knight (Patutahi), who judged the dairy classes, gave a demonstration 011 the dairy cow and all greatly appreciated the lecture. Mr. Knight quickly ran over the main points of a good dairy cow which, he said, must have a head showing a good width between the eyes, a lively ear, a fine neck on shoulders which should show a straight line along the hack. There should be plenty of heart room and good rib expansion. The bigger the expansion, the greater the assimilative powers would he. The muzzle was a most essential part of tlie head and should he broad between tlie nostrils. The lips should he big and pendulous to take in tlie food. The hips should be long and stand out wide at the sides. The body should be big over the milk vessel which must lie well up in the crotch. The udder should hang straight down and be square in shape. The veins supplying the blood should be prominent. The tits should he well-placed and the udder well-filled under the quarters. A long tail with a fair-sized switch was always looked upon as an essential point by judges. The appearance of the face should be brisk and lively. The most energetic-look-ing cow generally gave the most milk for it was always lively and on the lookout for feed. The winning cow was rather a good type, hut should he flatter in the thighs. The best milkers never had full round thighs. The flanks should he loose and hang well down to prevent the udder droj>ping and also to protect that vessel. The feet must he fairly well apart; otherwise, they showed want ot strength of character. The skin should he clean under the chin and lie mellow, hut not too fine. This was an essential point; otherwise, the animal would be too sensitive to climatic changes. Breeders were breeding animals too fine rind delicate nowadays and simply for show purposes, but these animals were usually very sensitive to the cold.— “Star.”

That violet rays enable cows to give an increased milk supply is revealed in the annual report of the Development Commissioners. Experiments carried cut at Aberdeen University „on cows showed that irradiation decreased the loss of calcium and. phosphorus from the body during lactation, increased the period of maximum yield of milk and safeguarded the health of animals. These results showed the importance of exposing milk cows as much as possible to direct sunlight. They also indicated that" irradiation of cows with artificially-produced violet rays during tlie winter months might become a practical and profitable procedure. The addition of a mixture of inorganic salts to a' ration commonly fed to dairy cows produced favorable results. In the first lactation there was little’ difference in the milk yield, but in the second lactation those cows receiving the mineral mixture yielded on an average 100 gallons more milk than those fed on the ordinary ration, and in the third lactation the- results were in the same direction. Expei’inxents in ploughing by means of electricity showed that the work could he done more easily With voltages 'very much lower than those previously used. Electrical discharges had been found to increase the grain yield in growing ci’ops. Electrified flowers had fewer sterile flowers, so that more grain was produced.