A simple aid to footrot control

Two bags of superphosphate - suitably placed to form a combined seat and sheep-holding cradle - have enabled a Bridgetown farmer to carry out extensive footrot control work with only a fraction of the physical stain which usually demands

Ropes, knots and splices

For hoisting and hauling, for lashing loads, restraining livestock and a hundred other farm tasks, good ropes are unexcelled. They are light to handle, take up little storage space and —if given fair usage and reasonable care—will last for years

Santa Gertrudis cattle

A GROWING number of Australian cattlemen, distributed throughout most of the States of the Commonwealth, are experimenting with Santa Gertrudis Cattle— an American breed evolved from an admixture of five-eighths Shorthorn and three eighths Zebu blood. Bulls of this new breed sell freely at four-figure prices and are in demand for grading-up ; pure-bred females are not sold, but remain a closely-guarded monopoly of the parent studs

Preparing and using rawhide

Untanned bullock or horse hide—usually known as rawhide or greenhide—has played an important role in agriculture in many countries for centuries. It needs little preparation and combines tremendous tensile strength with light weight and durability, so is an ideal material for many farm uses

Build your own low-cost library

Although I have managed to acquire a fairly extensive library of farming books, find that the most useful volumes on my bookshelves are not the products of the recognised publishing houses. For a number of years I have been making collections of the Department of Agriculture bulletins on various farming subjects. These, when bound and indexed for easy reference are far more informative than most of the standard publications

Famous sheep breeds. 3. The Leicester

THE Leicester sheep, often referred to in Australia as the English Leicester to distinguish it from its relative, the Border Leicester, is the oldest of the improved British breeds. Its development from the nondescript local sheep marked an advance in stockbreeding technique which did much to make Britain famous as the stud-farm of the world

The home tanning of hides and skins

Inquiries are frequently received from farmers concerning methods of home tanning, and while this subject is outside the scope of normal departmental advice, we are publishing a number of recipes from various sources which may be helpful

A stool-ladder for the orchard

A combination stool and step ladder - a utilitarian, heavy-duty model of a popular item of kitchen furniture - is proving a useful article of equipment in an Eastern Hills orchard

Farm fencing hints - gates and gadgets

Apart from the fact that they add immeasurably to the appearance of a property, good gates are permanent assets—sound investments which pay generous dividends over the years, both in peace of mind and in the saving of many man-hours of valuable time