The Farm

Cromwell Argus, Volume LXIV, Issue 3342, 26 November 1934, Page 5

The Farm

(Journal of Agriculture). The Supplementary Crop Position. At this season more and better work should be carried out in respect to such important supplementary crops as mangles, swedes, turnips, lucerne, chou moellier, and carrots. Top-dres-sing, ensilage, systematic grazing, all ore of great known value, but foiv maximum success it is frequently necessary to reinforce them by judicious forage cropping. It is often asked to what extent should the plough be used on farms on which grass is the dominant crop. Relative to this matter detailed guidance capable of general application cannot be given with any measure of safety, but as a rule arable cropping should be given a place when two commonly occurring circumstances are present. In the first place, generally, it will prove advisable when some ol the pastures on a farm could be improved economically by ploughing, growing intermediate crops, and eventually resowing to pasture. In the second place, it is generally advisable to grow arable crops such as mangles, chou moellier, etc., when this can bo: done without necessitating a substantial direct outlay in equipment or labour. And this will apply as a rule even to farms the pastures of which, are not badly in need of improvement By means of renewal. In short, if the work involved can be done without detrimentally affecting the routine farm work and without necessitating the employment of additional labour, then almost certainly cropping should be carried out. Many farmers err not by omitting supplementary cropping altogether, but by not doing enough to meet properly the feed requirements of the stock during periods of shortage of feed from pastures.