Production On Mixed Farm At Waimate

Press, Volume C, Issue 29488, 14 April 1961, Page 18

Production On Mixed Farm At Waimate

In the year ended June hut year the 280-acre mixed cropping and fat lamb farm of Mr John Wilson at Studholme, three miles from Waimate, carried between three and four ewe equivalents to the acre and had 35 per cent, of its area in cash crops, Mr R. C. Stuart, superintendent of agricultural information, told farmers who visited the property during the farm conference at Waimate this week. With. 70 per cent, of the income coming from cash crops, it grossed £3O to the acre, netted £l6 or £l7, and after allowing wages of management at about £l2OO returned 12 per cent on capital.

That was a drought year when no small seeds had been saved but in the current year when income would be swelled by £2OOO or more from this source the return on capital was likely to be near 14 per cent. Mr Stuart said that Mr Wilson was cashing in on the fertility that had been built up on the property with the highest priced commodity, wheat. Although he had relatively high interest commitments the net profit off 30 acres of wheat handled this comfortably. The farm is on Waitohi silt loam and has a rainfall of 22 inches. Mr Wilson began leasing the property in 1955. Up to that period it had not carried more than 700 ewes with 20 to 30 acres of wheat and barley without any small seeds being saved. Mr Wilson increased the stock to 800 ewes and 250 ewe lambs, a level that was maintained through the drought years until last spring. Now the flock comprises 820 ewes. In his first year Mr Wilson grew 26 acres of wheat and 15 of barley and the area under grain crops has since been progessively increased until in the last season it totalled 106 acres including 63 acres of Arawa wheat and 28 acres of barley.

The ewes are put to the Southdown and Southdown Border rams. Lambing begins about mid-August and around 115 to 120 per cent, of lambs are tailed. To take advantage of small seeds the aim is to get as many lambs away as soon as possible fat off the mothers and by weaning at about Christmas time generally there are about half away. The balance are fattened on rape or grass but have sometimes been sold as stores.

Mr Wilson has a six-year rotation. In the first year he

sows four acres of the paddock to be broken up—the beat part of it—in three acres of mangolds with scwt of blood and bone and lewt of reverted super and one acre of fodder beet Mr J. L. Symons, instructor in agriculture in Waimate observed that off this small area he was getting enough winter feed for his 800 ewes with sometimes some to spare to sell. Illis was instead of the normal practice of growing 20 acres of chou moellier and swedes. The following winter the paddock is ploughed and sown part in rape, peas and in the most recent season linseed. With each of these a dressing of IJcwt of super is used.

With about 60 to 70 per cent, of the lambs drafted as fats, Mr Symons said, a relatively small area was needed for fattening. Peas and linseed were risky crops but peas could yield about 40 bushels and linseed could return up to £4O a ton when it could be harvested.

For two years the ground then goes into wheat with the second crop receiving 2cwt of super. Mr Symons said the first crop last year averaged 99 bushels and Mr Wilson said that the average for first crops was of the order of 80 bushels. Mr Symons said that second crops were susceptible to disease and he would prefer a break in the rotation with a forage crop or peas, but with an average yield of 70 or more over the last two years the second crop was netting around the £34 mark. Last harvest the second crop bettered 70 bushels.

The next step is into barley with 2cwt of super with yields of 70 to 80 bushels. Sowing down follows with

251 b of perennial ryegrass, 21b of white clover, and 11b each of crested dogstail, cocksfoot and timothy with 2cwt of super. Mr Symons said it was desirable that thia be sown by early March following early harvesting of the crop and burning of the straw. In this rotation the grass was rather thin at first but there was a build up of clover. In the first year grassseed is taken if possible and in the second white clover. A dressing of 1 to Ijcwt of DDT super is applied in the autumn after sowing.

This was a well-planned rotation returning Mr Wilson much more an acre than was possible from sheep, said Mr Symons.

Though last year there had been more than 100 acres in cash crops only 480 hours of tractor work had been necessary. This had been achieved by planning which made it possible for one crop to follow another with the minimum of preparation. .

, Mr Wilson made the point that in the rotation there were three crops with a set price which had been a help to him when he had been setting out on his own.

Alluding to the English system of intensive cropping, high use of nitrogen and short term grass, Mr W. R. Lobb, superintendent of the Winchmore Irrigation Research Station, said it would be desirable that on this country .(Studholme) clover should continue to be used to build up the nitrogen status with a high proportion of the country being in grass as opposed to crop. If everyone on such country with a cropping potential cropped on the English system there would soon be an exportable surplus of wheat in New Zealand.