SUBTERRANEAN CLOVER

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22240, 3 November 1937, Page 17

SUBTERRANEAN CLOVER

AN INSPECTION PARTY

IMPROVED CARRYING CAPACITY

Between CO and 70 farmers and others interested in the growth of subterranean clover took part on Monday in an inspection of a number ot areas in the Malvern and adjoining counties. Several car loads of visitors attended from as far south as Timaru and North Otago. The party was piloted by Professor Hudson, director of Lincoln College, and the Department of Agriculture was represented by Mi; W. Leitch. The party assembled at Dunsandcl at 1 o'clock, and visited the farm of Mr O. J. Gardiner, who has been growing subterranean clover for about four years. The stand on his property has been described in previous articles, but Monday's inspection showed that it was maintaining, and improving, the feeding capacity. As time goes on the good effects of topdressing become more pronounced. The undressed patches become barer, particularly in dry weather, such as has been experienced this last month. The importance of top-dressing prompted Professor Hudson, in a brief description of the plant and the methods of growing it, to observe that if it was intended by anybody not to top-dress, they should not bother with subterranean. The stand of 46 acres, on which 155 ewes, with 196 lambs, were running, and looking in good order, was wilting somewhat under the long spell of rainless weather. Except for a scurry of 15 points a week ago. there has been no rain for six weeks. Prior to putting the ewes on the subterranean, they had been on oats, and Mr Gardiner had lost 15 of them. He had only one loss since shifting them to clover. There is a point here that might attract attention as showing the benefit of the drying clover in arresting ewe troubles. The stand had been well grazed, and there was still a lot of feed on it, but it was obvious that a further lack of rain would affect it. A feature of the subterranean stands this year, on Mr Gardiner's as well as others inspected, was the early flowering, indicating a heavy setting of seed. The causes of this have been variously ascribed, but it is only in the natural order of things that in dry weather a plant hastens its reseeding functions. There is as much flower to be seen this year at the beginning of November as at the beginning of December as a rule. Last season a number of growers had a disappointing germination when subterranean was sown with oats. Professor Hudson said the cause was the oats wore sown too deep for the clover; in such a cover crop it should be seen that the clover seed was not sown too deep. The advantage of drilling instead of sowing broadcast was that the concentration of the fertiliser around the root gave it a good send-off. A Top-Dressing Trial

Top-dressiryj trials of subterranean clover have been in progress on the Main South road past Burnham on the farm of Mr W. Hamilton. The stand will be down four years shortly, and all but a control patch up till last season-*had been treated with light liiping arid super, This year, however, 2cwt of super was applied. The control, though showing plenty of flower, had little •growth. Sweet vernal was a main part of its covering. However, on; the treated part the clover growth was prolific. The trial is a striking evidence of the value of super on the plant.

On Sandy Kiver Flat

The party saw the plant growing in what appeared from its vigour to be the most hospitable surroundings, but which comprised for the most part river sand and which could not be ploughed unless at the risk of the disturbed soil blowing away. This was on Mr J. D. Henderson's farm at Halkett. Mr Henderson has about 100 acres of the plant in. The various stands have, been grazed to a more or less extent most. of the winter and spring, and all the paddocks are carrying an abundance of vigorous growth. There is no wilting here as a result of dry weather. In sowing the crop with oats, Mr Henderson adopted a different practice. Instead of sowing the two with the drill at the same time, he sowed the oats first and drilled the subterranean across afterwards. He made a practice of top-dressing after the seed had germinated. The results had been entirely successful. Mr Henderson said that m the tupping season he generally ran for the six weeks about eight ewes to the acre on the clover, and his percentage of lambs had been very satisfactory. The party saw a bunch of ewes which he had bought at 12s lOd at Addington last autumn, to help keep the feed down. The writer saw them at the time, and theyvwere a drab lot of gummies. They have been on subterranean clover ever since, are looking in excellent condition, and have 100 per cent, of lambs, which should practically all go to the works off their m it h was in 1932 that Mr Henderson sowed his first subterranean clover. He then carried 420 ewes and 130 dry sheep. Each year there has been a nrogressive carrying increase, in accordance with the increase in the clover area, and the carrying this year is 700 ewes and 350 dry sheep. In addition, he has .sheared an extra wpicht of wool—his Cornedale hogJS? last season clipped I2lb-*nd his lambs are much more forward. All this represents considerably, more than double the capacity in the five years.

AMBERLEY SHOW

POINTS PRIZES

The It. J. Parsons Memorial Cup competed for at the Amberley Show on Friday for the exhibitor securing most points in the Southdown section wm won by Mr Jas. Petrie,a recount disclosing that this exhibitor had scored the highest number. Other additional awards are as fol°V "~J. Rhodes Cup, most points in sheep section: Jas. Petrie. Presidents Cup most points in horses, cattle, sheep sections: Jas. Petrie. Children's cookery: Miss Theo Turnbull. Open cookery: Mrs W. B. Moody Children's needlework: Miss N. Wheeler.

THE LAMBING

Although there is no North Island approach to the lambing record established at Dunsandel this season, when a ewe gave birth to seven lambs, there has been a degree of "mass production" in the north. On the sheep station of Mr L. T. Danlell, in the Masterton district, three sets of quadruplets have been born. The whole 12 lambs were reported to be surprisingly big. with no peculiarities. Mr Daniell has a flock of between 200 and 250, which was served by five stud Romney Marsh rams. The three mothers are a five-year, a six-tooth, and a two-tooth respectively. A feature is that the six-tooth had a lamb as a hogget in 1934, twins in 1935, and

again in 1936, and quadruplets this year. , . , Triplets have been fairly common this year in some parts of the North Island, but the general average on the East Coast is down rather markedly.