Farming issues of the day were covered in a 1938 "Rural Topics of Interest" digest in the Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune.
Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day. In this week’s Pastures Past, she’s found a newspaper digest from 1938, covering the rural issues of the day.
In 1938, the Hawke’s Bay Herald-Tribune reported on the rural topics of interest of the day.
From keeping lambs safe from tetanus whilst docking, to breeding horses for the army, many issues were covered.
The highs and lows of farming were also evident.
Facial eczema was reported on - a battle farmers still face today - but a good flush of spring growth in the Waimarama flats painted “a splendid picture”.
A prolific new oat from the South Island was celebrated, and the case for trying to make grass more prolific was suggested.
Meanwhile, the virility of one Merino ram was so legendary that one resident of the Tapanui district still commented on it 60 years later.
“Some months later a crop of 105 lambs appeared all within 24 hours.”
Read the Hawke’s Bay Herald-Tribune rural digest from 1938 below.
Hawke’s Bay Herald-Tribune, October 5, 1938
Docking of lambs / Risk of Tetanus
Sheep breeders have a busy time ahead with the docking of lambs.
All instruments should be sterilised.
Tetanus is always a risk in old yards and sheds.
If the work could be done in grassed yards the risk of the entry of tetanus and other germs is reduced considerably.
On large holdings it is always advisable, when practicable, to do the work in the breeding paddock, where temporary dust-free yards can be erected.
Docking should be done in early morning or late afternoon, and the sheep should be released as soon after as possible, to avoid any risk from germ-laden dust.
The correct age for docking is from two to four weeks.
Care should be taken to sever the tail at the joint.
An antiseptic dressing should be applied.
Stock Better Protected.
“There seems to be greater protection for animals than there is for us,” commented Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Palmerston North, when a company was charged with a breach of the Stock Remedies Act through not securing the approval of the Registration Board for an advertisement inserted concerning a stock remedy.
Merino Virility.
Merino sheep are a strong and virile breed most suitable for high country and other undeveloped grazing lands.
An old resident of the Tapanui district recently referred to the wonderful fertility of a Merino ram owned by Captain McKenzie about 60 years ago.
This ram during the night broke into a field of 3000 Merino ewes and was not discovered until 9 o’clock next morning.
Some months later a crop of 105 lambs appeared all within 24 hours.
It is believed that this number is a record in progeny from one Merino ram.
Some of the breeds used in modern production for the fat lamb trade are known to be most prolific, and it is common for half of a Romney cross flock to produce twin lambs.
On the other hand, a Merino ewe rarely has more than one lamb.
Horses In War.
The Russians have been busy buying horses from East Prussia, France, and Ireland during the last three years, and, according to Dr. G. Rau, of Berlin, efforts are being made to bring the number of horses in that country up to pre-war figures, 17,000,000.
From the Field Artillery Journal it is learnt that, as the result of lessons gathered on the Spanish battle fields, the horse has won back his place in the German military sphere, and the army of that nation is partially demechanising its artillery; it is stated that Germany has now 100,000 horses used in artillery and cavalry.
The foregoing will serve to indicate the value of the horse in various ways, and as far as concerns the saddle horse in Australia, the policies of both Russia and Germany should indicate the danger of allowing the present drift in the breeding of riding horses to continue.
The New Zealand Government has recently decided to put into effect the Remounts Encouragement Act, passed some years ago, with a view to encouraging the breeding of horses suitable for the needs of her army.
Facial Eczema Problem.
At Ruakura State Farm, where much experimental work is being carried out into the facial eczema problem, a considerable number of losses have occurred of sheep which went through the autumn outbreak.
Two groups of ewes were under supervision to see whether any cure could be effected by the feeding of concentrates (bran, linseed, and crushed oats).
However, in both the group fed concentrates and the group run on grass, losses occurred, so it appears that concentrates will not prove a ' remedial measure in treating affected sheep.
In the past years when facial eczema has ocurred in the autumn months there have always been cases of sheep dying in the following spring from the complaint, and the reason why the trouble seems more serious this spring is that the outbreak in the autumn this year was much more severe than in the past.
“The sheep that are dying now,” says the Department of Agriculture, “definitely contracted infection in the earlier part of the year.”
Farming the Waimarama Flats.
With a good flush of spring growth now in evidence the Waimarama flats make a splendid picture.
Docking operations are in full swing in this part of the district, and percentages are proving an improvement on last year.
Shearing has also been started on a few farms, and one man has advanced the opinion that the wool is in fine order with a promise of a record clip.
Care of Grassland.
If the peoples of the world, and to a man, are indeed to be adequately fed with fresh food of the highest quality, and balanced in every respect, then the enormous acreage of the world that stands in grassland of every character, and of no character at all, must be brought to play its full part.
It is not only grass itself that is so essential a food, but it is the whole acreage under grass that must be made to yield more intensive treatment.
To an ever-increasing extent this acreage must be made to produce better and better grass, and also other necessary crops.—Professor Stapleton, Director of Welsh Plant Breeding Station.
Prolific New Oat.
Plant breeding ls one of the most fascinating forms of research work in agriculture.
Farmers of to-day often accept results from high-yielding types of plants with little thought to the years of painstaking study and work undertaken to produce them.
At Lincoln College a great deal of research work has been carried out on grasses, clovers, wheat and oats.
One of the outstanding results of the work has been the perfecting of the comparatively new strain of wheat now commercially known as Cross 7.
This wheat is strong in the straw, yields well and is of particularly good milling quality.
In other parts of the world many keen brains are continually working with the object of providing plants more prolific in yield and with higher nutritive quantities.
The ever-increasing population of the world demands that this type of work be carried on with unabating vigour.
An example of the value of research workers’ investigations occurred in Southland last year.
On Mr W. E. Hunt’s Te Tepua estate, South Island, a new variety of oats was grown last season, known as Garton’s Onwards.
It proved a prolific cropper.
Four sacks of seed oats were sown and the crop when threshed yielded 134 sacks.
This variety of oats appears to be most suitable for Southland, and there is a keen inquiry for the limited amount of seed available.
Source: Papers Past