Farm Under New Control

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31659, 20 April 1968, Page 9

Farm Under New Control

The Templeton farm, which up until last year was administered by the Health Department, is now being conducted as a commercial unit by the farm advisory division of the Department of Agriculture pending the property being taken over by the research division of the department for a research station or farm. The fields superintendent of the department in Christchurch, Mr A. R. Dingwall, said this week that the operation of the farm was being supervised by a committee of which Mr D. Cameron, supervisor of farms and demonstration areas for the division, was chairman, and other members included Mr P. R. Barrer, a senior farm advisory officer, Mr R. C. Stephen, a field research officer, and Mr H. Tocker, a farm management officer. The property of 669 acres is being run as a mixed farm. At the beginning of July last year it was carrying 2493 sheep, including 1815 ewes, of which 495 were two-tooths, and 20 rising two-year-old incalf Friesian heifers and 23 yearling Aberdeen Angus steers.. The flock is a fine Romney one and in the most recent season there was a 106 per cent lambing at tailing and at the end of March this year 26,7961 b of lamb meat had been sold, with lambs averaging 31.61 b each, and at that stage 470 lambs were still on hand. At the same time there w.ere 42 rising two-year-old steers on the place. The wool clip last season totalled 30,1791 b. This season 1874 ewes are being mated, including 526 two-tooths, and there are also 588 ewe hoggets on the property. On the cropping side there have been 50 acres in wheat, 14 acres in barley and 35 acres in potatoes in the most recent season. The ' wheat yielded 75 bushels to the acre and the barley 70. The potatoes have been grown for the Health Department. In the 1968-69 year, on economic grounds, the acreage in wheat is being increased to 107 and there will be 16 acres

in barley and 35 acres in potatoes again. Two silos have been built to help cope with the increased wheat crop. It is also hoped to save 22 acres of white clover and 28 acres of grass seed. In the last season, unfavourable weather at harvest interfered with savings of small seeds. There will be 85 acres of lucerne for hay this year and last season under favourable conditions for growth a considerable amount of hay was sold. The programme for the current season includes use of about 30 tons of superphosphate in the topdressing programme and spraying of some 250 acres of pasture for porina control. Last season a considerable amount of overdrilling was done successfully in the spring to make good damage caused by porina. Two miles of fencing is also on the programme and a mile of water pipe is to be put in with troughs to reticulate another four paddocks. Some 40 to 60 acres are irrigated by wild-flooding and it is expected that this area will be enlarged. Meantime only a limited amount of research is being undertaken and Mr Dingwall said it was of such a nature that it would not interfere with the operation of the unit as a commercial proposition.