SEASONAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 106, 29 January 1938, Page 6 (Supplement)

SEASONAL NOTES

Valuable Rains CARE OF STOCK Tis week’s heavy rains, widespread over the Dominion, are most welcome to all sheep-farmers and dairymen. To fruitgrowers and croppers they will, in many cases, be far from welcome. Fortunately, however, most crops were safely harvested before the rains came. To all dependent upon grass or fodder crops, the rains are more than welcome. The drought was upon many areas, and a threat to many more. January is a strange month, oue we consider dry, yet usually it has a good rainfall. I once saw the rainfall re; cords for Tangimoaua, at the Rangitehi River mouth, and to my surprise found January rainfalls averaging slightly above the average month of the years. The sun’s heat is, however, then at a maximum, and often the month is rather windy. It is not lack of rain, so much as high evaporation, that causes dry conditions. New Zealand is a fortunate land, seldom do we go overlong without rains. That is the great strength of our pastoral industries. Clean-up the Pastures. Forgive me for two quotations upon the subject of pastures; they appealed very greatly to me when first I heard them, and have endured, in a memory that does not always remember as it should. "The sun bakes the grass as the oven bakes the loaf.”—Mr. C. J. Hawken, Hawera. "Given short, sweet teed, sheep eat little, and so do not badly dung the pastures, although thickly carried.”—Mr. David Jones, Canterbury. During the wild uprush of lute springearly summer growth, it often becomes impossible to hold the pastures in good order. They get away and then when the usual dry spell comes, the paddock is studded with dry. stalky material, it not more than studded. That stuff has very little feeding value, and it not cleared off, becomes definitely harmful to future pasture growth. Now is the time to get rid of it, so that it will not oe in the way of the autumn growth. Under New Zealand pasture conditions that autumn growth is as precious as the s-pring growth, and as deserving ot toster"'ijepending upon conditions applying on the individual farm, various means may be used to clear this dry roughage. _ Mowing it off is one, harrowing it out is another, and finally it may be grazed off, by cattle. Grazing it is rather punishing work totally unsuitable for milking stock or fattening cattle, so stores or dry stock must be used for the purpose. Mowing the growth is helpful, although this is impracticable on many farms. It is too early yet for harrowing, but that should

be arranged for, to coincide with the first movement of autumn growth. Burning appeals to some farmers, but continuous burning is a soil impoVerisher and not to be recommended as a habit, although permissible, at long intervals, as an emergency measure. The growth that will come from this week’s rains will greatly aid chewing-out programmes. .Stock will get some fresh green fodder to go with the dry stalky stuff. Within seven to eight weeks the real autumn growth is normally to be expected; so far as possible it is highly desirable to have pastures cleared of roughage. Current Works. Those planning to sow pastures, temporary or permanent, this autumn are advised to prepare the land for the sowing to take place at the end of February or early in March. Early sowings are invaluable for providing a wealth of winter feed. An early sown paddock will provide double the grazing of a later sown one, and the gain made carries on for a full 12 months, although the later sowing is gradually catching up, to eventually be. even. Th»> dry, hot spell experienced these weeks past did good in diminishing the plague of worms that affect stock. Indeed, not only worms, but all diseases w’ould be well cheeked by the sun’s hygienic effects. In any cases where worms are suspected, dosing is to be well recommended. It Ls usual for lambs, but pigs and calves can also be greatly benefited by it. Pigs doing badly are often worm infected and dosing will see them come away surprisingly. About three weeks after this rain a watch will be needed on all stock, to see if worms have "got going” again. So, too, with foot-rot. by which is meant scald, which is the usual infection. True foot-rot is fortunately not common. Should damp conditions ensue for some time, sheep grazing among stalky grass may suffer from scald and their feet will require treatment. Autumn is a bad season for thips trouble; the warmth and dampness combined appear to favour it. Fodder Crops. The rains will bring on growth of mangolds at a great rate, and of weeds, also. From this date to late May, mangolds put on weight of crop; they best do so if not battling against weeds for those four months. The crop has been brought on thus far: keep it,going weed-free, and a splendid yield may be anticipated. However heavy the crop may be, the roots will he useful when winter comes. The manager of a produce firm which does a large trade over several districts from the middle of the North Island downward, gave me his impressions of sowings of fodder crop for this season : Swedes and turnips, good sowings; white butterfly apparently not feared. Mangolds, a substantially decreased area; labour of weeding, especially, influenced this. Maize, likewise decreased; feeding-out labour feared. Millet, a considerable increase. (,’hou moiillier, an enormous increase. Spring sowings of pastures, about usual. Fertilisers, as last year.