Page 17 Advertisements Column 1

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21391, 6 February 1935, Page 17

which have been achieved on the Seafield pastures with irrigation and manuring:—On a two-acre block, manured with lime and superphosphate, and irrieated. the grazing was: Date on. Grazing. Date off. rj ec I—lo6 ewes and lambs Dec. 4 rj ec 12—106 ewes and lambs Dec. 15 Dec. 18—268 lambs Dec. 19 Dec. 24—13 killers Jan. 3 Jan. 17—35 ewes Jan. 21 Jan. 21—75 ewes Jan. 24 Feb 2—75 ewes Feb. 4 On an area of two acres and a half, irrigated, but without manure, the grazing was:— Date Date on Grazing. off. Dec. 4 106 ewes and lambs Dec. 6 Dec 15 106 ewes and lambs Dec. 17 Dec 21 106 ewes and 40 lambs Dec. 22 Jan. 24 74 fat ewes Jan. 30 The water applied to these pastures from October to January totalled 20in. Nine applications were made. To the lucerne and red clover, six applications were made, the total being 12in for the same period. Irrigation Costs Mr James described various methods of irrigating and gave details of costs. He said that the system used for the experiments on the Seafield area already under irrigation cost £lO an acre to prepare. An average border dyke system would cost from £5 to £6 a modified system from £1 to £3, and the border ditch system from 5s to 15s an acre. Mr M. B. Cooke, who manages the farm, gave details of the hay yields. Three cuts were taken from the irrigated lucerne last season, aggregating 3 tons an acre for the first year The non-watered area also gave three cuts, but the yield averaged only one ton and a half an acre. This sea. son two cuts had already been taken ofT the irrigated lucerne. The first cut, at the end of November, yielded two tons an acre. Early in January the second cut was taken and yielded one ton and a half to the acre. The nonwatered area of lucerne gave a first cut of two tons to the acre, but there had been nothing on that area for a second cut. The irrigated lucerne after yielding three tons and a half was almost ready for another cut. Mr Cooke gave details or red clover yields and hay yields which were just as encouraging. Work on New Block The work being done on the new 100-acre block was explained by Mr C G S Ellis, of the Lands Department The department is financing the the Unemployment Board. Mr Ellis •-•aid that 50 acres of the new block was being developed under the modified border dyke system along lines which would suit the average farmer. The cost of irrigating the area was approximately £1 an acre. The carrying capacity 'of the land before development was not quite one sheep to the acre. When irrigated it would be three to four sheep to the acre on the permanent irrigated pasture. After Mr T. G. Beck, officer in charge of the irrigation survey work being undertaken by the Public Works Department in Canterbury, had explained on broad lines the work he is doing, the visitors gathered in one of the paddocks and asked many questions "about the experiments they had seen. Before they left the farm, the speakers