15 Dec, 1919.] t^arm Notes for November. 76S 



FARM NOTES FOR i\0VEMJ3ER. 1919. 



EXPERIMENT FARM, RUTHERGLEN. 



(P. B. O'Keefe, Manager.) 

 TheTaiufall for the month was only 53 points, but as it fell in th»' 

 early part of the month, it materially helped in filling the heads of 

 those crops which were at a standstill. The total rainfall from 1st 

 January to end of this mouth was 12.23 points, being approximately 

 S inches less than the average for the same period. t 



Fodder Supply. ^ 



Rape crops were grazed early iu the month, and those fields from 

 which hay has been carted provided a fresh bite for stock. A very thin 

 crop of millet in No. 12 field will be fed off, and land prepared for 

 next seaison's wheat crop. This millet and hay crop stubble will provide 

 sufficient feed to carry on until grain stubble is available. If a 

 shortage should occur, we will fall back on our silage and chaffed stravi- 

 with ]nolasses to tide over the lean period. 



Crops. — Hay cutting has been completed, and stacking and harvest- 

 ing of grain crops is being pushed on with. Almost 200 acres have been 

 cut for hay, the yields varying from 10 to 40 cwt. per acre. The be-st 

 yields so far obtained are 40 cwt. per acre from Algerian oats in ISTo. 

 10 field, 35 cwt. hay from Warden wheat in N'o. 8 field, 18 bushels 

 barley from Xo. Sa field, and 4G liushels from early-sown Federation 

 wheat in the Experimental field. These yields may be regarded as 

 remarkably good in such a dry season. As the crops varied so much, 

 it is hard to accurately estimate the amount which will be gathered; so 

 far as we have gone, it appears that we will have a total of over 200 tons 

 of hay. Barley on stubble land is yielding five bags per acre, and the 

 yield from the wheat and oat crops will be better than was expected. 

 Thirty acres of peas were raked, but the violent storms experienced since 

 have done much damage. 



LivK Stock. 



Horses. — Teams at grass commenced to lose condition, therefore, 

 they have been brought in, and are being fed once daily, so as to keep 

 them in condition for next season's work; this will be commenced as 

 soon as harvesting is completed. 



Dairy Herd. — All cattle are in good condition, but yield of milk, 

 on account of scarcity of water and green feed, is shrinking. The 

 average yield of cows for month was 68 gallons per head, with an 

 average t&st of 3.8. The best yielder was cow " Magpie," on her second 

 calf; she gave 90 gallons with a 3.9 test. There are at present in milk 

 two first-calf heifers by Ayrshire bull now on the place; this bull was 

 purchased on his dam's butter-fat return. One of these heifers, " Cream 

 Horn " ex late " Cornu," after milking for thirteen months, \s yielding 

 10 lbs. milk per day with a 4.5 test, and is proving difficult to dry off. 

 She calved at fifteen months old, at end of October, 1918, and up to 

 1st November, 1919, had yielded 455 gallons of milk with a 4 per cent. 

 test; this represents 182 lbs. butter fat, or, roughly, 210 lbs. commercial 

 butter. As milk produced is sold at Is. per gallon, the cash returns 

 from this heifer amounts to £22 10s., or, taking butter at Is. per lb., 

 the return would be £10 10s. with the addition of by-products. 



