RURAL RIDES

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21986, 9 January 1937, Page 9

RURAL RIDES

A DEPRESSING SEASON THE LOBURN DISTRICT [By H.A.M.I The wpek has brought little change for the better in the harvest prospects—as a matter of fact, rather the reverse. 1 A few days of warm muggy weather have developed the extension of rust and mildew, and wheat crops in some districts are showing a dark colour as a result of one or other pest trouble. Others again are developing a whitish colour, possibly as a result of the almost continuous rains and cold soil conditions which have prevailed for the last two months. These unsatisfactory conditions apply mostly to crops on heavy land. One farmer from the Tai Tapu district and another from Ellesmere mentioned to the writer on Wednesday the incidence of smut and rust. A welcome check to the further development of these troubles took place on Thursday, when a good strong nor’-wester prevailed over a good deal of this part of the province. Mildew had commenced .to show itself in the Sefton and contiguous districts in North Canterbury, but the wind in this part on Thursday was strong enough to do a good deal of good. Rain again followed on Thursday night, but it should rather assist in removing pests, as the temperature was cold. The cutting of oats has been in progress in th* Waimakariri-Ashley belt for the last fortnight, but in the broken weather it has been interrupted a good deal. The yields appear as if they will be heavy.

Some fields are tangled and down in places, but most of the wheat appears to be standing up fairly well, though there are some badly tangled crops in the Cust district. Generally there is a complaint from farmers whom the writer saw on Thursday 'during a trip in the wheat belt mentioned that yields will be down in comparison with those of last year. One grower estimated that his return would be down by 15 bushels to the acre and others by • round about 10 bushels. There were occasional cases in which yields almost as good'as those of last season were mentioned, but it has to be confessed that these were much in the minority. Where they are likely to be more numerous is in the lighter land districts bn loamy subsoils, which seem to have escaped the souring process caused .in some districts by the excess moisture. Useful Demonstration ; This aspect of the sourness of the fcoil and its aggravation by the frequent rains brings under consideration the value of a greater use of lime. In the Loburn district, which appears singularly suited to the action of lime, there have been one or two striking evidences in the last year or two. On the farm, of Mr T. F. Gibson there are some outstanding fields, dominantly red and white clover, which are almost entirely due to the liming policy which has been followed by Mr Colin How, Mr Gibson’s manager.

In one case of Montgomery red clover,, a photograph of which appears on this page, a ton of carbonate of lime was surface sown in December three years ago, and not worked in. The seed mixture was one bushel of ryegrass and 31b of Montgomery red, sown broadcast with a' sack of super. In June of last year there was an application of a bag of super. The density of the crop is remarkable and, as the illustration shows, it produced an exceptionally heavy hay crop. In another case a bushel of perennial ryegrass was sown with 41b of common red clover, and another sown with uncertified No. 1 white clover. Liberally limed when sown these are now showing a rich growth. Marked success also attended an area of No. 1 certified white clover on the same principle —a ton of lime and a sack of super an acre at the sowing. Increased Carrying Capacity A four-year pasture, field of 18 acres, sown With the same initial liming and fertilising help, and carrying the seed mixture mentioned in the other cases, received no further top-dressing until 1936, when a sack of super and scwt of lime were broadcast. For the four months since September 1 this field carried four ewes and lambs to the acre, and at the rate of two and a half ewes to the acre from June to September without any additional feed. A field of eight acres of red clover, limed with a ton and given super at the rate of a sack to the acre, cut a big stack of hay last season and threshed lOf sacks of seed. And so the story goes on. The writer has a fair recollection of a big area of the ridgy country in Southland before liming in that part became general. In the meantime it has been transformed by

lime into high-class pastoral country. The downs in the Lobum country appear to be very similar to the southern country referred to. and the success quoted suggests very strongly that there is scope for a wider application of the policy in the Loburn district. A Lucerne Stand The interest of visitors to the sale on Thursday was attracted by a three-acre stand of lucerne near the homestead. The stand has been down for five . years, was sown broadcast, with a ton of carbonate of, lime to the acre, worked into, the soil two months before sowing the seed at the rate of 121 b to the acre, the seed, of course, being inoculated. With the seed a further two sacks of lime and one sack of super were sown. Next year a half ton of lime was added, and a sack of super annually until and including 1935. Last year four cuts were taken for hay, and this season the stand was grazed up to a fortnight ago, and it should be ready for a cut in a week. Loburn is one of the districts in Canterbury of which it was said some years ago that lucerne would not grow, but like many of these other districts it has been demonstrated that with proper treatment it will grow on average Loburn country with maximum suc'cess. The stand assisted to remove from the minis of visitors any lingering doubts on this point, and it' also showed what lime can do on soils which need.it.