IMPROVING PASTURES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 10684, 30 December 1925, Page 5

IMPROVING PASTURES

VALUE OF TOP-DRESSING. EXPERIMENT IN AUSTRALIA. In the Yass district of New South’ Wales, Mr Hugh Stewart, of Fifield, has a demonstration of the value of top-dressing of pastures on his property that is of particular interest to graziers, says the “Sydney Daily Telegraph.” Hie difference resulting in growth on the treated area is most marked, and, as Mr Stewart remarked the other day, the longer the dry spell has extended the more pronounced ha» become the value of tho treatment given. Having been induced to test topdressing with superphosphate, Mr Stewart decided to first try it out on a small home paddock close to tho homestead, part of which had been an old lucerne paddock that petered out, and where, before being top-dressed, thistles and other weeds first took hold at this time of the year, and always gave much trouble to keep down. In July last as much of this paddock as it was possible to top-dress was treated with 1121 b of ordinary superphosphate per acre, with the result that to-day Mr Stewart has a dense mass of succulent herbage crowding out the rubbish —thistle and other weeds—clovers, including subterranean, here and there, with The best of trefoil and grasses brought prominently to light; while where the pasture had not been treated much of such grasses aro barely discernible. Where the subterranean clover wa» not treated the growth is not only stunted, but fast drying, off, while where treated it is exceedingly, donee, as well as fresh and green, with no sign yet of seeding. Thus not only density of growth assured and the reestablishment of natural grasses and clovers brought about, but the growing season is extended, as the present dry spell, following a very long and cold wet winter, has this year proved. Another settler, Mr W. T. Nixon, points out that where graziers were late in top-dressing, just prior to the cold, wet winter setting in, or thos* who did so early this spring, there may be some doubt as to the benefits. The season, however, has been abnormal, and with the first spring rain all should be well, and the benefits lasting. At any rate, he contends, there should be an appreciable difference for the next two or three years, even though the season should be unfavonrable. All that is necessary is a shower or two to give the fertiliser a start in its work. . The effect generally is the renovation of pastures, by bringing out prominentlv jnuch grass and herbage that has for some time been gradually dying out. All this not only means more succulent feed assured, but stock: always in better health. And at what cost ? Mr Nixon figures it out that, if treated, say, every three years, the cost is not more than 2s per acre. The autumn —March and April—he regards as undoubtedly the best season for top-dressing. * This assures an early spring growth, with good winter picking, which is most valuable for lambing ewes.