Farm & Station

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10312, 22 January 1927, Page 3

Farm & Station

By “SETTLER.”

SELECTING A RAM. POINTS IN CHARACTER AND CONSTITUTION. At the recent demonstration held at Makarewa Freezing works, Mr. D. Marshall explained carefully the various points of importance in a good sire of carcase sheep. Taking the Romney as his subject, Mr. Marshall pointed out what to look for as indicating constitution and character. He said look first at the mouth and see that it is right; if it is right, carry on and look over the sheep, but if the mouth is not right, do not go any further'with your examination, but -turn that sheep down right away. The first sign of deterioration in any breed is shown in the mouth, so weak or badly-formed mouths are to be a-voided. The ear is also important in that it denotes tho character of the wool carried. One never finds a kempy fleece and a nice soft ear go together. If the ear is soft and downy, ns it should be, the wool is probably pretty good, but if the ear is harsh to the touch; then look out for keinp in the wool. The head of the Romney should be flat between the ears and the muscles of the neck should go away strong from behind the ears, and mould evenly into the shoulders. Avoid a ram with open shoulderblades. Have the blades meeting nicely across the top and let the lot be nicely covered, as an open-should-ered sheep is not pretty to look at in the carcase, especially, after it has been frozen. Such a carcase opens up with a blue tinge when it comes opt of the frost. "Well-sprung ribs, a tail set fairly high, and good buttocks arc further matters of importance in a sire of good carcase sheep.

MOWER WITH DULL SICKLE. PULL 30 PER CENT. HARDEE. A dull sickle alone may increase the draft of a mowing machine almost 30 per cent., and yet this fault is only one of four things that may make mowers pull excessively hard. Poor lubrication, non-alignment of the cut-ter-bar, and poor adjustment of the cutter-bar parts also cause excessive draft in mowing machines. Thorough lubrication of the mower is even more important in reducing friction and wear than it is in most farm machines, because of the fast moving parts of the mower. A good quality oil should be used, and unless there are special oil reservoirs which feed the oil to the bearings gradually, a small amount of oil should be applied at frequent intervals rather than a large amount once or twice a day. If the mower has been in use for several ■ years, it is a good plan to see if there is enough wear in the hinge joint between the yoke and the cutter-bar to throw the cutterbar out of lino with the pitman. The way to test for alignment is to stretch a string from the crank end of the pitman to the outer end of the cutter-bar, keeping the string ever the centre line of the pitman. For a sft. cutter-bar, the outer end should be about lin. ahead of the inner end so that the cutter-bar will be exactly in line wheat the mower is cutting. Some mowers have special means of adjusting the alignment, while in others non-alignment may be partially remedied by putting new pins in the hinge joint between the yoke and the cutter-bar.

NOTES AND NEWS. The new clip of wool in South Africa gave uncommonly high quality, but prices were above what Europe could entertain. The Continent is a spirited buyer of South African wool if the price be at all tempting. England is less keen on these types, though London is the best selling place and centre port, distributing to the chief European users. Holland is very faithful to its old Afrikander connection and especially appreciates the “snow whites” of Cape and 'Free States farms. The new clip in South America was satisfactory in quality. With systematic, and drastic legislation against large sheep runs, pedigree rams are being purchased, flocks reduced, and wool more studied. New Zealand may lose a competitor with her crossbreds and Australia, find one with her merinos and comebacks. Complete wool returns for the agricultural rear, which ends August 31, are published at Rome, and show the world exports of 14,841,000 cwt, against 12,195,000' cwt only in the previous season. Countries presumably well, stocked with wool are Great Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, while the U.S.A., Boland, Japan and. Denmark arc understocked. But, as the Turin Conference has voted, returns of stock are much needed, seeing that in their absence the actual use and vogue ot wool, as compared with other fabrics, cannot he measured. Great Britain and Ulster imported 7,158,300 cwt, or a full half of the world importation for the trade in 12 months.

Eape should be pastured before it becomes coarse and unpalatable. A fine, moist seed hod is essential for swedes. First calvers should always be milked as long as possible. It is a good plan to allow lambs a run off on grass when feeding on rape. Sheep usually take better to swedes after having been fed on soft turnips first. Foods rich in protein are necessary for the building up of muscle, tissue and hone. A message from Middle Musquodoboit. Nova Scotia, states that the world’s Ayrshire record for butter-fat has been beaten, and again by a Can-adian-owned and bred, cow of the breed. 1 Betsv Wylie, bred and owned by Samuel C. Crockett, a leading Ayrshire breeder of Middle Musquodohoit, has iu.sjt completed a .365 d:\ys’ test in the Canadian Record of Performance with 11031 bof butte'r-fat from 21,8051 b of milk, with an average test of 5.06 per cent. fat. She thus heats the world’s record in but-ter-fat, held since last June by Nellie Osborn, of Eliii Shade, owned'by W. .0. Wylie, of Hawick, Quebec, witli 10031 b of fat from 23,23331 b of milk. The last-named cow., however, still holds the record for milk production in the duration of the official test.

If you have a good breeding sow she should be kept for several years, hf is always preferable to have a matured sow.

A hay crop is a valuable asset, and the provision of good 'stack bottoms and care in roofing will make it doubly so.

There has been a considerable decrease in the area sown in roots in later years. In 1916-17 the area under roots was 844,642 acres. In 192526 the area was 577,525 acres, a decrease of 167,117 acres.

In recent years the Dutch have built up a large pig industry. This is mainly due to the maintenance oi an even standard of quality and a regular supply.

In Denmark a sum of between £4,000,000 and £5,000,000 a year is produced from bacon and pork. This exceeds the value of the dairy industry in that country.

A bull should always be handled firmly from the time that it is a youngster, and should never be trusted too far. Carelessness in this direction has led to many a severe accident.

The observed at the Addington fat j lamb market cannot help thinking, | as he secs half-fattened lambs of 3311) or 341 b -weight bringing as much money as prime 38 by 4.o’s, that the recent craze for the lightweight lamb is certain to have a detrimental effect on the quality, and eventually therefore, on the reputation of the New Zealand prdduct (says “Iyorari” in the “Weekly Press”). It is only a proportion of “prime” milk lambs that can be’ got away off the mother at under 3-61 b weight, and, on the other hand, the great bulk of rape or grass-fattened lambs can be little better than stores if they have to come under that limitation. This will mean that to meet the peculiar Home demand, the efforts of the f attends will be directed towards producing a half-finished article. This is the sure wav to bring about the loss of the reputation that this country has established over so many years of effort. If the average New' Zealander were asked which he would prefer—ft chop off a 301 b or 401 b lamb—there is little doubt what his verdict would be. There' seems some scope for schooling the British customer to a similar appreciatin of the relative merits

There is no good purpose served hy bemoaning the fate of the horse as a •result of the introduction of the motor into transport. But it must he very clearly borne in mind wliat position the horse occupies as a result of the development of motor transport. J't has been part of the writers duties for some time to be occupied in the business of the heavy horse trade. One of the keenest buyers and best judges of horseflesh in Great Britain is always readv for good-class anials. There i.s a steady and fairly crood demand for them. But the tale is different when it comes to the third-class article. Buyers will not even take the trouble to look at them in ma li v cases, and their a alue seems to be gradually declining. We have undoubtedly' arrived at the stage when there will he a more cleariy acfined and sharply-cut difference between the good horse and the horse that is not a good one. 'I he tendency ay ill he for the former ton ami am and possibly increase its value while the latter 'vill gradually decline m value as a market:! hie. product.