IRRIGATION UNITS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 71, Issue 37, 23 November 1950, Page 4

IRRIGATION UNITS

FARM AT WINCHMORE “SATISFACTORY PROGRESS” According to a report prepared by the Irrigation and Research Officer (Mr G. K. McPherson), very satisfactory progress is being made in each of the three units on the Winchmore irriga- ■ tion farm. Lambing returns are good, the special irrigation trials are well forward, and the butterfat production has increased substantially compared with last season. ■ ■ “Wintered on grass and green feed barley, supplemented with lucerne hay, the ewes came through the winter months very well and quite a good lambing was obtained,” said Mr McPherson. “The practice in this unit is to breed our own ewe replacements soi that half the flock was mated to Romney rams and the balance to Southdown rams for fat lambs.” In addition to the flock of about 800 ewes, 35 acres of wheat have been sown on border dyked land and have already been irrigated, said Mr McPherson. “The lucerne stand, which yielded 135 bales of hay an acre last year, looks very promising and should yield well again this season.” Land is also being prepared for turnips, rape, and spring grown grass. “Calving commenced early in August, and at present 66 cows are being milked,” added Mr McPherson, commenting on the dairy section of the farm. “It is intended to milk 71 cows this season. Production was maintained during August and September by using an area of • ‘winter saved’ grass and an area of green oats. From late September onwards there has been an abundance of feed, and already more than 50 acres have been closed for hay.

“An interesting addition to the herd this season is 20 two-year-old Jersey heifers which were reared o(n the farm,” continued Mr McPherson. “Two years ago these heifers arrived by air from Ruakura when they were only a few weeks old. From artificially inseminated stock, the majority of these heifers are showing great promise and should assist to raise the herd average materially. “About six acres of swedes and two acres of mangolds under irrigation have already been sown for next year’s winter feed.” In the research unit of the farm new trials have been commenced this season. The fat lamb management trial, in which ‘‘set” stocking is being compared with rotational grazing _ under .irrigation, is one of the most important of them. “Since September 22 both areas have been stocked i at the rate of eight ewes, and their lambs, an acre. Crop trials include one with wheat, in which the yields of Cross 7, Hilgeridorf, and W.R.I. Yielder, that has received two or three applications of water, are being compared with the same varieties without water. Another trial is the comparison of yields of some imported varieties of sugar beets and fodder beets with mangolds. “An interesting trial has commenced on 50 light land without irrigation,” said Mr McPherson. “The area has been divided into two farms of 25 acres each, and it is proposed to compare two systems of farming, one in which special purpose pastures will largely be used, and the other which will involve the use of standard grass' mixtures with cereal cropping.” The prospects of producing white clover and red clover seed under irrigation are also being investigated. One area of white clover seed production was closed about the beginning of October, and another area will be grazed until the end of November before being shut off for seed. The red clover seed area will be grazed until some time in December, when it will be closed for seed production.