HAYSTACK FIRES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 252, 23 October 1926, Page 11

HAYSTACK FIRES.

INCREASE OF LATE YEARS.

PROBABLE CAUSES INVESTIGATED.

USE OF SUPERPHOSPHATE

SUGGESTED.

"" The great increase in haystack fires due to spontaneous combustion during the last few year?, has come under the notice of the Department of Agriculture. Auckland. The insurance companies have supplied figures which indicate that, the probable risk of burning lias increased very much, especially during the last three or four years. It is rather remarkable, that the use of superphosphate a> a fertiliser for grass land, which is cut for hay, is suspected as being the cause of the trouble. There is a widely expressed opinion amongst farmers that such is the case.

When this matter was brought before the local Department of Agriculture. Mr. T. H. Patterson, instructor in charge of the fields division, pointed out that the suspicion laid on superphosphate did not seem to be well grounded. The cause was probabty to be found elsewhere. Members of the fields division have investigated the matter throughout the province, and their conclusions point clearly to causes other than the \ise of superphosphate. Tlio official statement indicates that the suspicion cast on the use of super sis a main contributing cause of fire in haystacks. does not bear very close inspoc- , tion. Mr. Patterson stated that with the increase in the use of superphosphate there would he an increase in the yield of grass cut for hay. From our trials covering the last five years in this province, increases, up to 100 per cent over and above the natural yield, have been brought about by the use of 3ewt of superphosphate in a single season. A great deal of this increased growth would be clovers, which are more difficult to dry out than grasses when making hay. Hence there would be the likelihood of farmers putting their hay in to the stock before it was properly made in the field. It would not be sufficiently dry to stack. Such cases are not uncommon.

Mr. (I. W. Wild, instructor in agriculture at Hamilton, has gone into this matter in the Waikato, and he point-; out that the speedier handling of crops with sweeps, patent stackers, etc., has brought into operation the practice of Harvesting straight from the swathe or heavy windrow to the stack. This would be likely to contribute to stacking before the stuff was dry and consequently to firing of the stack. Another development of Waikato and other parts of the province, is that of "group haymaking," where then: is often a time limit set for the harvesting of each man's crop. Mr, Wild points to one instance, which is rather illuminating: "A group of five farmers were co-operating in harvesting their hay crops. The programme was thoroughly worked out, and each man had to have his hay cut and ready by a certain day. The result was that the harvesting was rushed, and four out of the tive stacks tired. The fifth stack was built l>y' the owner himself, who decided that his crop was not ready on the day ap- ■ pointed, and harvested it at his leisure." It is pointed out that superphosphate is very largely used now for hay paddocks, and the very marked inrcease in its use is a development of the last few years. It is likely to increase even still more as a main constitutent in fertilising pasture intended for hay, because of the excellent results oil so many types of soil in this province. Further, the increase in the amount of hay. made where dairying is intensive, is also a very noticeable development during recent years. "The tendency to hurry the stuff in before it is ready is regrettable," stated Mr. Patterson, "and I think this is the* main cause of increase in the burning of stacks. 1 do not think that the suspicion placed on superphosphate need be regarded with any seriousness."