TOPICS OF THE WEEK

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28050, 18 August 1956, Page 9

TOPICS OF THE WEEK

MONTHLY WEATHER STATISTICS

During July the weather in most parts of Canterbury was reasonably good for mid-winter, and, in general, cannot be regarded as severe for this time of the year. The monthly crop report supplied by the Department of Agriculture indicates that the rainfall was fairly high in districts of MidCanterbury and North Canterbury, with some fairly heavy frosts in these parts of the province. In South Canterbury conditions have been fairly dry. with a good many frosts, and mainly fine weather. Snow on the main ranges has been down to a low level for most of the month. Growth in most crops has been good, and in some of the more sheltered areas of North Canterbury the grazing of wheat crops has been possible. Pasture growth had been well maintained during July, and prospects, in general, for early spring feed appear bright. Rainfall statistics supplied by the department are as follows:—Waimate, 98 points on 10 days, with 22 frosts (heaviest 12.4 degrees); Timaru, 1.51 in in 11 days, with some heavy frosts during the month; Ashburton, 3.51 in. on 14 days, with 22 frosts (heaviest 11.4 degrees); Christchurch, 3.11 in, on 18 days (which is .54 above average for July). The heaviest of 22 frosts recorded was 8.9 degrees; Rangiora, 3.04 in, on 16 days, with one or two very hard frosts (heaviest was 15 degrees); Blenheim. 2.03 in, on 15 days, with 17 frosts (heaviest 11.8 degrees); Nelson, 1.24 in, with 21 frosts (heaviest 13.6 degrees); Westport, 8.33 in, on 15 days, with 8 frosts (heaviest 5 degrees) .

IMPRESSIVE FIGURES New Zealand’s grassland covers about 31.000,000 acres and feeds about 38,000.000 sheep and 5.750.000 cattle. These in turn convert the produce of this grassland into about 225.000 tons of butterfat, 195.000 tons of wool, and . 600,000 tons of meat each year. The] grassland covers a very wide range • of climatic and soil conditions and ranges from lowland swamp pastures to cold and dry hill pastures of some of the mountainous regions. During the time that New Zealand has been farmed vast changes have been made in its vegetative cover, mainly so that livestock may be properly fed. These two opening paragraphs of the latest edition of “Pasture Production in New Zealand,” bulletin No. 250 of the Department of Agriculture, introduce a comprehensive and detailed discussion of the most important factor in New Zealand’s economy, pasture production. Mr S. H. Saxby, agrostologist, Department of Agriculture, the author of the bulletin, has divided it into sections on grasses, clovers and allied plants and pasture management. The section on pasture management is very comprehensive and describes types of pasture, influence of management, grazing on dairy farms, topdressing, establishment, harrowing and topping and production of hay and silage. Other important subjects are drainage, irrigation, seed production and certification, and control of grassgrub and grass caterpillar. The bulletin’s value is enhanced by many illustrations. The publication is obtainable from main offices of the Department of Agriculture at 2s 6d a copy.