THE BELFAST EXPERIMENTS.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14475, 2 October 1912, Page 6

THE BELFAST EXPERIMENTS.

SOME FURTHER DETAILS.

Hie series of experiments in fodder crops earned out at tho Canterbury frozen Meat Company's works at Belj fast in conjunction with tho Agriculj tural Department have already pro-' j vided some interesting information re- ! garding new fodder crops, and the latest report adds further details. , Probably tho silver beet, or Swiss , chard, has provided the most instructive demonstration. The plant was introduced by tho Department, arid was I made the subject of investigation in ! order to discover.if it would prove an J effective substitute for roots and rape j in the feeding of sheep. Tho first year's j experience at Belfast confirms previous j experiments, which went to show that I while immune,: to the diseases which , make turnips and rape precarious crops, [ it provides a crop which, eaten off at j intervals, will last from season to sea- ; son. In tho beginning of September ' tho quarter-acre plot or silver-beet was ! being eaten off by twenty quarter-bred ! sheep. i'he first fecding-otf was in j April, and a second feeding was ready ; in June, but owing to tbe wet weather I tho land could not be stocked. The : '.delay in feeding proved that, the plant j does not deteriorate with keeping! The ' ; Belfast experience goos to show that « the beet could probably be fed off five • times in the season, given favourable j weather, and then probably would not • be exhaust-ed. Tho first stripping of the j silver-beet (to test the weight ot forage produced) gave a yield of i>l.7 tons per acre before stocking. At the first feeding 244 sheep per acre were maintained for fourteen days. The sheep, strong stores, rapidly improved in condition on the feed, and did not show any sign ot scouring. Tho crop was ■ in , no • way affected, with the ordinary blights which have given great trouble on turnip and rapo crops in tho district. Buda kale is another forage plant— introduced by tho Agricultural Department last season—which has given I most promising results at Belfast. Tho \ first stripping gave 27 tons to the acre, or 54 tons to the two strippings. The crop of the quarter-acre plot has been fed off twice. It carried 216 sheej per aero for fourteen days on the first occasion, and 214 on the second feeding. It is now ready to feed off for, the third time, and tho development of the plants indicates that it will probabl- provide the same feeding material for tho third time. Under the same treatment Rα Buda kale, rape was fed off twice, and then was quite done. It is probable a fourth feeding will be secured from the Buda kale plot. If this proves to be the case it will mean that the | plant will provide the farmer with v continuous green crop from season to season Altogether 663 sheep have L*en wintered on the produce from four acres j of experimental, plots, and the feed is by no means yet exhausted. . On the same plots mangels produced 81 tons to the acre, swedes 71 tons, Chou Moellier 85 tons, and kohlrabi 62 tons. It should be emphasised that the land on which these experiments were! conducted was specially- prepared for the purpose. Twelve months ago it was subject to flooding and was covered with weeds. By drainage and thorough cultivation it was made into- a fine seedbod. After-cultivation was well maintained, weeds being thus effectively suppressed and the soil being kept free and open. This thorough treatment has conclusively demonstrated its efficacy in the exhibition crops which have been

produced. Following is the analysis of the manure used on the Belfast plots, also the amount of each constituent applied per acre:— Per acre. • 1 !»-_ Insolnble nitrogen ... 1.8 p.c G. 05 Soluhle phosphoric anhydride ... ... 4.1 p.c. 13.7* Insoluble ... ... 8.9 p.e. 29.5*/ Dipotassie oxide -.. 3.0p.c. 10.08