IMPROVING PASTURES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 131, 4 June 1923, Page 3

IMPROVING PASTURES.

The Agricultural Department lias | recently been carrying out interesting ] experiments at Pueera, nsar Whangarei, | ■where 60 acres of the poorest gum lands I have been operated upon. The object of the experiments, the Director-Gen-eral of Agriculture (Dr. C. J. Reakes), informed a "Dominion" reporter, has been to establish good, permanent pas-! ture. The results so far have been j very encouraging. The bulk of the pastures is looking extremely well, and | gives good promise of holding, though, j of course, some time must elapse before ■ this point can be definitely established, j In addition to the growing of crops , suitable for ploughing in, in order to j increase the organic quality of the soil, ■ another interesting point is the intro-, duction of kikuyu grass (indigenous to South Africa). This appears to be well established, and is giving better results each year, especially when combined , with clovers. Several settlers in the j district have received roots of this ■ grass, and so far have been well pleased j with the results, especially as it seems I to stand dry weather very well.