CHEMICAL PLOUGHING

Press, Volume C, Issue 29638, 7 October 1961, Page 7

CHEMICAL PLOUGHING

The use of “chemical” ploughing for pasture establishment has little value on Banks Peninsula, except on special areas such as tight turfy swards, says Mr P. R. Barren. a farm advisory officer of the Department of Agriculture, reviewing the results of six trials conducted on the peninsula over a three-year period on cover varying from spear grass, danthonia. to chewings fescue to browntop dominant pastures in rainfalls of from 25 to 60 inches a year. It was impossible io establish sown grasses with or without the use of chemicals, he says. In five of the six trials establishment of clovers was as good or better on the untreated areas. In one trial, however, in a straight-out tight turf of chewings fescue the dalaponamitrol treatment was of value in clover establishment.

“Experience oft Banks Peninsula with these, and other trials in the past, has been that oversowing ordinary pastures in the normal way with clovers only, and with fertilisers, has been very successful.” states Mr Barren

New Trade Link.— ln these days when fears of contracting markets for New Zealand produce in the United Kingdom are in - many minds possibilities of new markets, particularly in the United States, are of great interest. The 492 ft, 12.000-ton Lake Ontario, of the Atlantrafik Express Service. TFelleborg, Sweden, is reported to be the first ship to offer direct service between Great Lakes ports of North America and Australia. The vessel, with space for 350.000 cu. ft. of perishable commodities in its -refrigeration unit, is exipected to take machinery from the American end to Australia and New 'Zealand, returning with meats and foodstuffs.