LUCERNE AND ENSILAGE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 131, 27 February 1937, Page 15

LUCERNE AND ENSILAGE

Hawke’s Bay Farmer’s Enterprise

HIGHLY EFFICIENT METHODS

A farming enterprise that has attracted considerable notice in Hawke's Bay, and also farther afield, is that of Mr. F. de Stacpoole, at Takapau. Here, lucerne-growing and ensilage-making are undertaken on a large scale and the methods employed are highly efficient.

Mr. Stacpoole is farming 1500 acres, being part of the original Orowharo station, established in Hawke’s Bay, near Takapau, by the Johnston family. Indeed, it is said that Takapau originated as the village of the station’s employees. This district is in the area that suffers from drought whenever Hawke's Bay is so visited. Portions of the farm are. of very light ground. The writer had heard a good deal about Mr. Stacpoole’s farming. _ Frankly. some remarks heard were critical, it being contended that his methods were “over-progressive.” After having had the pleasure of visiting the farm and being shown about by Mr. Stacpoole, the writer has been impressed with the practical common sense guiding operations there. As a pioneer in this method of fanning, he is tolerant of criticism, for those who “break new ground” always cause comment, and to criticise his neighbour’s operations is the privilege of every true-born farmer. , As my host observed, he did not want to have to sacrifice all his cattle in an inevitable drought. He knows his district and is building up reserves of fodder against both drought summers and hard winters. Lucerne Growing. There are now 110 acres of lucerne on the property. Just in front of the homestead we walked over one of the earliest sowings, a 28-acre paddock of very light soil. This formerly carried pasture of practically no value whatever. When seen, the stand, five years old, was being grazed with the rams. It. is expected to last another two years, then the paddock will be resown to lucerne. The stand was dressed with “super” when laid down, but has not had an ounce since.

Earlier in the season, cuts had been obtained for ensilage, and now splendid grazing was being obtained. The paddock is now yielding at least five times as much feeding as it would in pasture. As well as yielding ensilage and grazing, the lucerne provides large quantities of high-quality hay. At the farm, some 2000 bales of hay is stored. As remarked in these columns last Saturday, the writer was surprised at seeing so little lucerne in Hawke’s Bay; it is such ideal country for this truly wonderful fodder plant. Efficient Ensilage Making. The making of .the great quantities of ensilage on this farm is efficiently conducted. When ready for cutting, a tractor drawn mower rapidly cuts the lucerne, which is left in the swathe. A loading machine, drawn by the carting-in lorries, automatically

lifts the crop, ex swathe on to the lorry deck. One man drives, another distributes the greenstuff on the lorry. Loading is accomplished in about 10 minutes for a two-ton load. This is carted to the silos and there pushed off the lorry deck on to a chopping machine. This is electrically driven, with a 10 h.p. motor. The greenstuff is chopped and blown into the silos. The whole operation is expeditious and carried out with a maximum labour saving. Very little “hard graft” is involved in the job. To-day, hundreds of tons of lucerne ensilage is stored on this farm. By the homestead are two big 80-ton silos and several others of 40 to 50-ton capacity. Some are of wood, but those favoured are of the demountable concrete block type. These are constructed of 901 b. concrete blocks, and the whole is girthed with steel rods, also detachable.

When constructed, as on costs in 1934, the silos ran out at about 15/- per ton of capacity; hay storage then cost 23/a ton capacity. Having heard from some farmers of a difficulty in getting sheep to take ensilage, I asked Mr. Stacpoole how he had managed. He advised that he now had little trouble as he always had sheep on hand that were used to it. Originally, he had found that he had to “starve” them on to it. About 400500 ewes were put into a two or threeacre paddock with ample, good water. Ensilage was put out in small quantities and increased as they took to it. An ample supply for ewes that are •habited to ensilage is three-quarters of a ton per day per 1000 ewes. That provides each sheep 1 2-31 b. per day. Feed just sufficient, so that all put out is eaten up as it is put out. The sheep get one good fill a day and that is all they want; they will not again eat it that day. Condition is well maintained on lucerne ensilage. Good Returns. Some 3000 ewes arc run, plus cattle. The wool from the ewes and lambs (■lipped 100 bales. The fleece wool was worth ISd. a pound over all. The fouryear ewes sold at 38/- and the ewe lambs at 30/-, with a 20 per cent, “tail,” making 26/-. These excellent returns are a tribute to the farming of this property.

The writer was much impressed with Mr. Stacpoole’s farming goals and his means of achieving them. The cultivation of lucerne there seen, provides a splendid example of what can bo done to greatly build up the production of much Hawke’s Bay territory.