THE WEEK

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25180, 10 May 1947, Page 5

THE WEEK

HIGH RETURNS The recent history of a 30-acre paddock on the black soil of the Waikari flats indicates in striking fashion why the area sown to wheat has been small in recent seasons. The paddock was sown down in 1944 with pedigree ryegrass and pedigree white clover, and has received 2J tons of lime and 2cwt of superphosphate to the acre altogether. In 1945 it produced 21 sacks of white clover seed and 300 bushels of ryegrass, in 1946 it produced 11 sacks of clover and 486 bushels of ryegrass, and this year it gave 10 bags of clover and 920 bushels of ryegrass. The three years therefore produced 1706 bushels of machine dressed ryegress, as well as 32 sacks of machine dressed white clover. This year 10 bags of clover have not yet been dressed, but the total could be conservatively put at 40 sacks for the three years. Valuing the ryegrass, again conservatively, at £1 a bushel and the clover at 3s 6d per lb, the production from the 30 acres was £l4OO for clover and £l7OO for ryegrass, a total of £3lOO for. the 30 acres for three years. This works out at better than £34 an acre a year from seeds, beside a great deal of grazing.

FALLOW BEFORE GRASS

A paddock of 20 acres of pedigree ryegrass, near Culverderi, half of which had been sown after wheat, and half after a fallow, .was the subject of a note on this page in October The writer estimated then that the grass on the fallow was giving about five times as much feed as that after the wheat The paddock carried on well, and has now been harvested for seed. The fallow part went 44 bushels to t ie acre, and the part after wheat approximately 20 bushels. The fallowed part continues to show a decided superiority in growth and general thrift. Fallowing is practically standard practice in the Culverden district, where a large area of land is at present being exceptionally well farmed.

BREN GUN CARRIERS

Offers were recently invited by the War Assets Realisation Board for a number of surplus Bren gun carriers, and a number of farmers are reported to be interested in the machines. The Australian authorities last year did a good deal of work to discover whether the carriers had any real use in agriculture, and the evidence so far produced gives little definite indication either for or against. “Power Farming in Australia” records that the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, and the Army Inventions Directorate. began an investigation by making machines available to a number oi farmers to see what they could make of them, and by asking engineers to suggest modifications Field trials were carried out, and after several months of detailed research and experiment, the authorities con-, eluded that the machines appeared to be suitable, with slight modifications, for general farm work, but that their operating life was probably 1000 hours, and that fuel consumption was heavy compared with normal tractors. The final conclusion was that carriers could be operated efficiently only by persons who had at least a moderate degree of mechanical knowledge and were prepared to spend a certain amount of time on the maintenance of the engine, brakes, and track mechanism generally. “It' will be seen from w b at has been said,’’ the report of the trials concludes. * “that the machine-gun carrier has a very limited use in Australian agriculture.’’ Since the publication of the first report. the Victorian Government has ordered 150 of the machines for conversion into tractors. on a specification worked out bv a Mr J. Strickland, of Melbourne. The machines are priced at £5O each by the Disposals Commission, and to convert them, brings the cost up to about £2OO. There are some hopes that the carriers will prove suitable to farm work, as there are about 8000 of them in Australia for disposal, as well as a huge stock of spare parts. Even if their life is limited, they might very usefully fill a gap until ordinary tractors again become plentiful. A considerable stock of tiiese vehicles must also exist in New Zealand. There are 192 of them at Burnham alone. ' If they could be bought and converted easily, they might help to tide over the present shortage of tractors.

DOG TRIAL DATES

Dog trials will be held in Canterbury this season as follows: — Mayfield—May 12, 13, and 14. Banks Peninsula—May 15, 16, and 17. Ellesmere —May 19, 20, and 21. Loburn—May 22, 23, and 24. Oxford—May 26, 27, and 28. Morven —May 29, 30, and 31. Glenroy—June 2,3, and 4. Methven—June 5,6, and 7. Amuri—June 9, 10, and 11. Waiau—June 12, 13,* and 14. Canterbury Championships—Morven. June 16, 17, and 18. South Island Championships—Josepnville, Lumsden, June 23, 24, and 25. The New Zealand championships will be held at Umaturoa, Dannevirke, on June 2,3, 4,5, 6. and 7. EXPORT MEAT PRICES The following schedules for stock came into operation on May 5, and all schedules issued up till that time have been Lambs Class. Weights. d. Prime 20/§6 10? 37/42 108 # 43/50 10i 51/56 98 2nds 20/36 92 37/42 92 43/50 9$ Wethers Class. Weights. d. Prime U/48 7A 49/64 62 65/90 as for 641 b at 6gd equal to 36s 8d 2nds U/64 6g 65/72 as tor 641 b at 6gd equal to 34s Ewes Class. Weights. d. * U/48 48 49/64 48 65/90 as for 641 b at 4gd equal to 24s 8d The prices quoted above are at the nearest Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago, • and/or Southland freezing works. Graded deductions are made for shorn lambs.

OXFORD SHOW AWARDS

Following were the winners of the various special prizes at the Oxford A. ano P. Association’s recent show:— Parish Challenge Cup, G. A. Bitmead; Oxford Jockey Club Challenge Cup, Mrs B. G. Rutherford; Misty Morn Challenge Cup, Miss K. Bunn; John Cross Memorial Cup, Estate J J. Stevenson; W. T. Gilchrist Challenge Cup, Miss Isobel Wells; Mrs J. R. Gorton Cup, N. W. Skurr; Feary Challenge Cup, Judson Bros.; Burnt Hill Challenge Cup, M. H. Johnston; O’Halloran Challenge Cup, G. R. Macdonald; SouthdoWn Group Cup, J. T. Croy; John Ingram Challenge Cup, Estate J J. Stevenson; New Zealand Friesian Association Gold Medal; R. E Gillman and Son; Silverstream Challenge t up. R. E. Gillman and Son; F. H. Lovell Challenge Cup, Robin Mears; Wright. Stephenson and Company. Ltd., Cup L. T. Wright;. “Wairurri” Cup, H. G Cross; Dr Minty Challenge Cup. Mrs J. H. Doak; Mrs G. Masterton Cup. Mrs W J Woods. Miss C. R. Dixon Cup, Rev. J. Mann: Wilfred L. Watson Memorial Cup, Mrs W. M. Dailey.