GRASSES AND CLOVERS.

THE RIGHT TREATMENT,

Instruction of an expert nature was given in the course of an address at the Northern Wairoa Farm School by llr E. Bruce Levy. He advised the increase of soil fertility, particularly that on the surface, which is more important to grasses and clovers than that thrc\> inches deep. By judicious increase of fertility Mr Perry, of Wairarapa, had succeeded in bringing land from the danthonia type back to the rye and clover type without sowipg seed. This was done by carbonate of lime top-dressing, showing that it was the fertility on the surface that counted. Farmers should endeavour to keep a continuous sward, as this was more likely to keep cool and moist. Inferior grasses of the paspalum, danthonia or browntop type rooted deeper than the higher classes such as rye, cocksfoot and white clover. These latter, having shallow roots, were the first to feel depletion of soil fertility. A paddock should be divided in half, and one portion treated with 3cwt of basic slag. This side would come on until there was a beautiful sward of rye and clover. The, other side, which was not manured, remained in hair grass and sweet vernal, the better grasses being only vestigial.

Fertility could be maintained by growing crops in one paddock and feeding out on the pasture land. Hayracks were not good from a fertility point of view, it being much better to scatter the hay around the paddock. There might be a little waste of hay, but this was trodden into the ground and formed humus. Mangolds and swedes increased soil fertility when fed out, being more or less wasted from a manuring point of view when fed off where grown, this f.oil being ploughed and the surface fertility lost.

At Weraroa pigs were turned into I a paddock containing pure cocksfoot ' and within two years, without sowing, I changed thia to a pure rape pasture. | This was due to the in-brought foods ' and the hoop cultivation of the pigs. I Again, a hill had run to the poorest type of pasture, which was over-run with bracken, yet the top where the sheep camped showed a luxuriant growth of rye due to the constant manuring of the camping ground by the sheep. Some farmers allowed a certain amount of pasture to go to seed each year for the purpose of re-seeding. This was only good if the standard of fertility was up to the class, of grass allowed to seed. Another method adopted was the spoiling of pastures. Cocksfoot should be kept on the hillsides, thereby keeping danthonia in the background. The former was a shade endurer and the latter a non-endurer, so that close feeding was good for danthonia and injurious to cocksfoot. Spelling by accumulation of humus stimulated rye and cocksfoot and retarded danthonia. Spelling of paspalum was bad, causing over development to the detriment of the bottom grasses. Close and continuous grazing was one of the worst features of farm management, as it tended to open up the pas- j tures and allow the" encroachment of j weeds, which would not get into close pastures. It also decreased fertility. ! Each grass had a peak of production and the utilisation of this was a vital necessity. If it could not be grazed down the mower must be brought into play, but the less of this the better. Pastures needed a certain amount of cultivation, and renovation by ploughing would be found excellent for many farms, amongst which the chief were paspalum, brown-top and chewiiigs fescue. Other important methods of pasture cultivation were tripod ' harrows and hoof cultivation by animals. Either tended to make the pasture strong and vigorous. For steep hillsides hoof cultivation by cattle was the best method known.