PERMANENT PASTURES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 303, 22 December 1926, Page 22

PERMANENT PASTURES.

I . SEMI-IMPROVED PLOUGHABLE LAND. NEED FOR CONSOLIDATION. USE OF SECONDARY GRASSES. NO. 11. (By PLOUGHSHARE.) Throughout the Auckland province it is the aim of the pioneer settler to convert his land to permanent pasture as early as possible, so that it may be producing revenue and at the same time release his labour for further reclamation work. But while this desire is in everyway reasonable, it must not be overlooked that in many cases an intermediate period of cropping or temporary pasture is desirable so that the soil may be prepared for the more successful establishment of permanent pasture. In this category come extensive areas of ploughable fern and scrub country, the pumice and light -volcanic loams of South Auckland an At he clays of the northern gum fields. Til almost every case the surface-soil is thin and lacking in humus, while the sub-soil is raw and almost devoid of organic matter. The soil must be deepened and sweetened by cropping, fallowing, and manuring before it is worth while sowing an expensive grassmixture of a permanent type. We have, however ,the satisfaction of knowing that with proper treatment it is quite possible to establish pasture of good quality and i permanent nature. But the seedsmixture require very careful selection, lest in the course of time the better-class species : . fail us and leave us with the land in its original state. The Light Volcanic Soils. These soils can be readily prepared for permanent pasture by a few years in temporary pasture (with clover dominant) and possibly one or more crops of turnips. They respond readily to manuring, and, given reasonable liberality in this direction, it is not difficult to bring them up to the fertility required for good pasture. They .do require, however, a good deal of consolidation, entailing the use of the roller; while not the least benefit derived from consistent top-dressing is the compaction obtained by the extra number of stock carried. This applies very well to level or undulating areas. It is the steeper hillsides that present the greatest problems. These can be ploughed and worked, but are hard to consolidate subsequently, while the hoofs of the cattle tend to break through the young turf and so weaken it. Here, then, is a case where the niat-forming grasses must be used, not so much on account of low fertility as on account of the necessity for forming «a hoof-resistant turf. With top dressing a good proportion of the better grasses- and clovers will remain, and these will be helped by the presence of the mat-forming grasses among them. On the easier and more level portion, then, a permanent turf of cocksfoot, crested dogstail and clovers can be "aimed at, the proportion of ryegrass varying with the amount of top-dressing done and the degree of consolidation obtained. A suitable mixture for dairying would be: Perennial rye, 141b; cocksfoot, 141b; crested dogstail" 31b; timothy, 21b; cow31b; white clover, J Jib; subterranean clover, Alb; total, 381b per acre. It is quite a good plan to sow soft turnips with the grass in February or early March, so that when these are fed off in winter and early spring, the new | pasture will benefit by the tramping. I For Sheep Pasture. . For sheep pasture, a' good mixture would be:—Perennial rye, 141b; cocksfoot." 121b; crested dogstail, 41b; white clover, 2lb; cowgrass, 21b; English trefoil/ilb; lotus major, Jib; danthonia pilosa, 21b; total, 391b per acre. On the steeper areas, mat-forming or "twitch" grasses must be used. Red-top is useful in the early stages; danthonia will come in slowly, and be very valuable on the drier and steeper banks; brown-top is a good standby, and yarrow is. worthy of inclusion. Lotus angustissimus (or hispidus) is also useful, but it is seldom necessary to sow the seed where the more nutritious lotus major is used, as io is almost invariably found as an impurity. A suitable mixture would be:—Perennial ryegrass, 121b; cocksfoot, 81b; crested dogstail, 41b; danthonia pilosa, 31b; redtop, Jib; brown-top, ljlb; poa pratensis, Jib; cowgrass, 21b; white clover, lib; English trefoil, Jib; lotus major, Jib; yarrow, Jib; total, 33_lb. The heavier soils of this type will grow quite good paspalum, but it must be' remembered that paspalutn" seed requires a warm temperature for successful germination, and, as most of this land has a cold inland winter, autumn sowing may lead to.disappointment. It is quite a goad plan to sprinkle the new pasture with paspalum seed the summer after sowing, leaving it to the stock to tread the seed in. The Gnm Lands. Probably the best preparation for permanent grass on these soils is a winter crop of tares and oats cut for ensilage, and followed by a .summer fallow during the months of December, January, and February. This fallow will bring about considerable improvement in the texture and moisture-content of the soil, but care must be taken that the tilth is riot worked too- fine, otherwise it wiU cake in heavy-rains. It is not always easy to bring these clay soils quickly to the right sort of seed bed for grass, consequently a lengtny period must be allowed "for preparation. The old practice of sowing grass immediately after -a crop of oats is thoroughly bad ' andean only lead to disappointment. Composition of Seeds Mixture. The composition of the seeds mixture will "depend upon which species it is desired to have as dominant in the resulting "turf. A is suitable for intensive dairying, B for the establishment, of paspalum, U for sheep farming, where ' topdiessing is not carried out yearly. ABC

Ebs" per acre ."."".. 3T 40 36} As the gum lands are deficient in nitrogen, it is often - profitable to add a small amount of nitrogenous manure to the mixture used for sowing down. A good mixture would be, super 3cwt, sulphate of ammonia 3cwt per acre. Wherever possible the...soil, should be limed before being sown to permanent grass. . 4 _ _. . .__.,

Italian rye .3 5 2 Perennial rye - l-» .- u *- Cocksfoot 10 "T ■' f " Crested dogstaH 2 2 4 : Timothy . i. 2, 2 L Danthonia" pilosa •...-■ — — * Brown-top i i J» Cowgrass 2 " 3. It White clover .". 1 * - li 1' . Subterranean clover ....1. 1 §- Lotjus"Stoior . i, . i 5*- : Pas'paluni .»► 1. a ' -A.