Bringing In Light Land

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30739, 1 May 1965, Page 9

Bringing In Light Land

Last Saturday on these pages attention was drawn to the extent and speed of land development on the Lismore stony silt loam soil in the Te Pirita district north of the Rakaia river.

This week we deal in more detail with one of the first development enterprises in the district and also one of the largest—that of Mr W. J. Doyle, who took over two adjoining blocks of 5550 acres in 1948. Early in the 1950’s another neighbouring block of 570 acres was acquired for a family trust and it has been worked in conjunction with the other blocks—a total of slightly more than 6000 acres.

At the time that Mr Doyle freeholded the 5550 acres this country, which lies about six miles from Bankside and five miles from Te Pirita, was hard to sell at only a pound or two an acre and for 10 years previously Mr Doyle had leased 2450 acres of it at Is 9d per acre per year. In 1948 there were 3750 acres in tussock and virgin ground. The other 1800 acres was in run-out grass, twitch, sweet vernal and browntop. Six to seven hundred acres were heavily gorse infested and there was scattered gorse throughout the property. In this certainly very favourable autumn the property presents a striking contrast to what it must have been like only 16 or 17 years ago. There is an abundance of feed on all sides. Even at this time of the year 1500 ewes are raning on turnips and grass to try and keep it in check. There are excellent crops of swedes and chou moellier totalling more than 200 acres for the cattle—-this formerly light land property will be going into this winter with 800 to 900 head of catlle. And there are extensive areas of clover and grass looking a picture at this time.

Once the property was freeholded development soon began. It was found that a heavy plough was needed to smash the taproots of the heavy gorse and the gorse country was worked over with a single-furrow swamp plough and a double furrow swamp plough specially built for the purpose. The rest of the country has been worked with two four-furrow ploughs. The chisel plough has only been used on the property for light working of the ground in the autumn for oversowing. It has not been used to break in the tussock.

The practice has been to sow about 11 ounces of turnips and 41b of subterranean clover, 51b of white clover, 2 to 31b of red clover and 1J bushels of mixed grasses, including cocksfoot if available, with 1J cwt of superphosphate in December following a long -winter fallow, and then following the feeding off of the turnips by late August to follow up with two tons of lime, lewt of super, three to four ounces of molybdenum and 5 to 81b of white clover all broadcast on by transport trucks—the clover being spread on the top of each load.

Mr Doyle says that he has followed the advice of Mr R. L. Jolly, of the Department of Agriculture, to get two tons of lime and three to four ounces of molybdenum on this country, and as fertility builds up to get into lucerne, but he has not followed advice to use only the best seeds—he has generally used seconds as free as possible from serious weeds. No grass seed used has cost more than 8s per bushel, no white clover worth more than Is 6d lb and no

red clover worth more than 2s per lb. In following this policy Mr Doyle says that he has obviated the big loss involved in the event of a sowing failure due to drought conditions on this light country. An exception to this policy has, however, been the subterranean clover which has always been of high quality. While breaking in of the tussocks proceeded at all speed u was found after a while that it was necessary to return to work a second time some of the earlier sown areas because they were starting to run out, and this meant that development of the tussock areas had to ease off. Today there are still about 900 acres in the native. This winter, however, about 250 acres of a 400-acre tussock block is due to be ploughed. There is no doubt about the difference in production off the native and developed blocks, but Mr Doyle has found that the native blocks have performed a useful role carrying the ewes after weaning and also providing a useful bite in periods of drought. Drilling For the last three or four years about 1000 acres have been drilled a year including turnips and grass, swedes and chou moellier, lucerne and oversowing. The aim has been to have the drill in the shed by the first week in March. Last year in feeding the turnips and grass in the winter 14 electric fences were used.

Since 1956-57, following investigations on the property by Mr J. M. Kelsey, of the Entomology Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mr Doyle has been following his advice that DDT should be used at least every third year on pastures and preferably every second year. In the topdressing programme the aim is now to treat about 2000 acres a year with lewt of sulphur super and lewt of DDT super. Mr Doyle believes that the policy of using DDT although expensive has been absolutely sound.

It is interesting to note that over the years more than 8000 tons of lime and more than 1200 tons of superphosphate have been used on this property. In its initial state this country was carrying about half a dry sheep to the acre and Merino wethers were run on the tussocks before the rabbits were brought under control. A total of 15,000 rabbits were either trapped or poisoned on it. Subsequently annual draft Corriedale ewes were brought in from the Hakataramea station in South Canterbury and these have formed the basis of the present flock and since about 1958 replacements have been wholly bred on the place. Mr Doyle has his own Corriedale Jtud but not enough rams have been bred on the place to cover all requirements. From 2850 sheep of all sorts and 84 cattle at the end of July, 1950, stock numbers increased to 6300 sheep and 287 cattle in July, 1958, but the trend has been to move more into cattle than sheep and at the end of July last year there were 3800 ewes and 1000 replacement hoggets and 800 head of cattle on the place, including 140 breeding cows. The breeding herd is of Aberdeen Angus eows, and polled Hereford bulls are bred on the place.

The emphasis on the cattle has been due tn Mr Doyle having a weekly order with the trade for two trucks of cattle and about 21 to 25 cattle go to the abattoir weekly and from 1100 to 1200 cattle go off the property for this purpose annually. This procedure is now in its fifth season. To meet these requirements cattle have to be brought in from the calf stage upwards so that a continuous supply is available.

The cattle are run separately from the sheep and on 1000 acres where the cattle run there has not been a sheep for seven or eight years. This is one of the reasons why much of this country is looking So well now. Mr Doyle says that in this way the bottom is not eaten out of a pasture and recovery is much quicker in a season like this.

Cattle on this property come from many sources and now among them are some 140 from the last Molesworth consignment and also some from the last Bluff station offering. As they go out cattle are assessed for weight and this is checked against the actual dressed weight and in this way the best doing lines of cattle are indicated. When sheep numbers were earlier at higher levels the wool clip got up to 190 bales. This last season it has been down to 100 bales. Since March of last year 1550 acres have been sold off the property and this year 3000 ewes have gone to the ram and there are 750 hoggets and another 200 sheep, as well as 800 or 900 cattle going into the winter.

When the property was taken over fences were sparse and poor and there were few buildings and appointments. Some 30 to 40 miles of fencing have been done. In this process second hand wire was purchased to make expenditure on fencing go further and railway sleepers split in half have been used for posts. All fencing has been done by contract as has also been windrowing of what hay is cut on the place, but the bulk of the work on the place is done by two married men and two youths with occasional casual help. Blocks of Selwyn Plantation Board trees are located on the property and provide useful shelter and, Mr Doyle thinks, raise the average rainfall a little by actually attracting rain. Mr Doyle has also done quite a lot of planting on the place—about two miles of north-west shelter with Catchment Board assistance and about three miles of south-west shelter. Buildings There was an old house on the property when it was taken over and an old wool shed and sheep yards in a poor state of repair. A new brick house has been built and also a new three-stand wool shed and a swim dip, taking advantage of a natural dip in the ground to save undue excavation.

Most of the hay used on the property is bought in. In the best year 8000 bales have been made off the place and this season only 800 bales. Shed space has been provided at various points over the property for accommodation of about 16,000 bales. There are now about 390 acres in lucerne and also 60 acres in a lucerne and grass mixture. About 250 acres of country has not been sowed to subterranean clover in preparation for more lucerne. With sheep only Mr Doyle believes that he could comfortably carry two and a half ewes to the acre together with replacements, but he does not think that the potential capacity of the country has yet been near reached and that this country could be taken further with more lime and superphosphate, and ultimately with irrigation to which it would presumably lend itself being quite flat