POINTS IN PASTURE MAKING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 66, 19 March 1930, Page 23

POINTS IN PASTURE MAKING.

GRASSES SHOULD PREDOMINATE OVER CLOVERS. Does a pasture that is green with wild white clover represent the height of production capacity? Mr. John Kirkwood, of the West of Scotland Agricultural College, maintains that it does not. One can, he says, have too much of a good thing, and one can have too much wild white clover in a pasture. The pastures with the greatest capacity to produce mild beef and mutton are those where there is a nice admixture of grasses and clovers, but with grasses preponderating over the clovers. In recent years there has been a ten-, dency to adopt what are sometimes called simple mixtures —perennial ryegrass, cocksfoot, timothy, red and white clover. Meadow and tall fascue are, he claimed, worthy of more consideration than is given them at present. Eor good loams and the heavier types of soil, meadow fescues could, with advantage, be included in mixtures to stand for four or five years. Cocksfoot, on the other hand, has perhaps a popularity at present beyond its real value; Summarising his recommendations for establishing and maintaining a sward with a good admixture of grasses and clovers in the '"'Journal of Scottish Department," the author stressed the importance of the following:—1. Correct the lime requirement by applying lime before sowing the grass seed.

2. Build up a reserve of fertility before sowing the grass seed by liberal applications of manures, particularly of slow acting phosphates, such as slag, mineral phosphate or steamed bone flour.

3. If available, give farmyard manure to the young seed. This ensures a continuous supply in the earlier years of slow acting nitrogen. This especially benefits the big productive grasses. 4. Mowing is preferable to grazing the first year.