FALLOW CROPS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 258, 6 November 1897, Page 3 (Supplement)

FALLOW CROPS.

t continue this subject of fallow or tli crops as promised last week. fane oarley and winter oats can be led in the same way as rye, but L cannot be fed off so early in the jL. However, they can be well Lumed in time for Swedes, which • ibis part of New Zealand are selL sown before the end of December or even the beginning of January. The variety known as dun ats may De sown with advantage Jong with trifolium (crimson clover). The latter is a splendid forage crop B „d admirably suited to our mild and pebble climate, and, like all the doer family, is an excellent renovator c f exhausted land. None of the f alj off catch crops entail less cost of cultivation, as all that is necessary is to harrow in the trifolium seed upon Oe wheat stubble. It delights in Joam y, warm, and gravelly soils, and |t does well also on even heavier land of fairly good quality, but cold, poor soils are not adapted for this crop. It can be sown in this country from the beginning to the end of March, according to latitude; the earlier frosts may be expected the earlier the seed should be sown. It will always do | better in a sheltered situation than in one much exposed to cold, cutting rinds. The stubble land having been harfowed and cross-harrowed with heavy Narrows, or well stirred with a cultivator, sow 201bs of seed broadcast per £ere, well harrow in, and.roil with a Cambridge or heavy iron roller. A firm seed bed with shallow surface cultivation is found to suit this crop,jrlich the harrowing of the stubble and after heavy rolling secuies._ The feed germinates quickly, and if not faten by slugs the plants will soon be strong enough to stand the Avinter Hell. With the first warm spring Feather it will begin to make rapid growth, and by the end of October Srill be fit to put the sheep on, or it tan be cut for housed stock, the resulting manure being used upon the land. In the old country it is most profitably fed off by close-folding srit_ sheep. Trifolium makes a very heavy growth under favourable conditions, find is said to be improved as a forage fcrop by sowing with 161bs of the clojrer, half a bushel of winter vetches, and half a bushel of winter oats to the £ere. It can. \>© got ofi the ground in

I jn'me for a crop of Swedes, and the I land will be clean, for it is what is I known as a smothering crop. There | js no more beautiful sight on a farm I Ihan a paddock of crimson clover all I in bloom. I Vetches is one of the very best of I forage crops, hut it does not come in leo early as the crops hereinbefore I Snentioned, and cannot be considered I las useful as a 'catch crop,' occupying 1 She ground too long to come under 1 ftbis category. Vetches can be grown i Srith advantage for a succession of

i green forage throughout the summer The first sowing of winter vetches can be made in March, and subsequent Bowings in April and May, and again is July and August,after which spring fetches can be sown up to beginning X November. In spring vetches should b rolled. 'Pew crops,' says Professor * mrightson, 'respond more quickly, by ■ amproved colour and rapid growth, to I Bus simple act of tillage.' Ordinary I dung seems the only fertilizer that I produces an appreciable effect upon I retches. They make but little growth Itot^ warm weather comes on, the | earliest sowings being fit to use as }? Mder during November. This crop J day be grown inconjunction with oats It M Cape barley for ensilage. But to [i improve the land the vetches grown !| Upon it should be in some way re- | rorned to the soil, either by folding I. ce P upon the crop or feeding the § tut vetches or ensilage and returning I foe resulting manure to the land. I j^ c quantity of seed per acre should f » about 21 bushels, and the cultiva--8 S° U necessaa 7 is to plough the stub- _ S Harrow, drill, and harrow again, I m{™g the crop in the spring. 1 *n i ■ mustard is a true catch crop, 1 r, a ™g very rapid growth. It will | Produce a fodder crop fit for consumpI KPd-y Sheep in about six weeks after peaißg. As a green manure to be 4-1 v d Under ' mustard has proved fl most valuao]e on land of a certain character. I knew a case in the ,§§ naucato where upon light land which |§«ie year before had failed to grow i "ats aore than six inches high, white t mustard was sown at the end of the sn?S er' which was ploughed under, m2r * wheat sowu- The result was a I factory crop of wheat, the only I r or Patches in the field being where mm birds had eaten the mustard seed jj Bh t Tri!t Was s°wn so that no mustard **$£ 11 ~,ere- Since tbat other farmers ilfiV rict tried the same Plan in | leffe^tT 011 f°r wheat with very good MMaavrn -p -^n&land, when mustard is Him tim Vn &reen manuring, it is somempioSSluarly in \ he spring upon wT'fcm ta"ows, and as scon as in 1 1 l®*? condition the roller is passed j-| j B l™& crop, which is then ploughed ij . ls Process is repeated for three ™? ngs in all, when the ground being j h e and dean it is sown with wheat. Jr to decide is whether it is °re profitable to plough under the «jeen mustard crop or'to eat it off it' f sheep. There is no doubt as to of t j; nf lcial effects upon the fertility ag J e 3an<3- It may be sown as soon it ii s^l'bbles are ready to receive *vi s ! i- shoill<i be consumed or otherto t., posed °* before June. Twenty p ro VentJ'-five pounds of seed is the ft, he \ "^ntity for an acre. It may j row T" easted llPon a shallow fur'lsnJ™ harrowed in, and if 2cwt of I'it t? sphate Per acre is sown with I p ro^ prop will be immensely im--1 taar'V 11 value both for feeding and ' P Hrmß" purposes. U'.£ ls suPPOsed that to sow mustard flal"!^ infested with wire worm is •'■Jabw remedy for this pest. It makes P^Hand fJOOd feert ior store sheep or ewes *" Who Sortleti:mes comes in very usefully (;-' ea other feed isshort.