THE ACTUAL SOWING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 142, 12 March 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

THE ACTUAL SOWING

Need For Consolidation Of Ground

Which is best, drilling or handsowing? From my own observations, band-sowing is much to be preferred. I find many supporters of this view. Hand-sowing is cheaper, but more important still, it provides for better distribution of seed. Seed drilled in rows seven inches apart takes considerable time to make complete coverage. Ten years ago I had many sowings made by hand, done by contract at 1/9 an acre, and by a good sower. One fast job will be long remembered. At 7 a.m. one morning 1 took my man to .a 34-aere paddock. He set straight m, and worked late that evening, restarted early next morning, and finished the whole job by 2 p.m. His actual sowing time, was reckoned at 17J hours, equalling almost 2 acres an hour. That paddock was well sown, and the sower was Mr. Joe Lester, now hill sheep-farming at Arapeti, Shannon. In the Waikato I saw a “renewed” pasture sown a year ago. It had been an Italian rye paddock, run out to white clover, fog, and some Italian rye. This was double double-disced, given two tine harrowings on the dkvonal and one chain harrowing. It was sown with seed mixed with two hundredweight an acre of fertiliser, through a topdresser, with a half chain-harrow drawn behind. The seed mixture was one of 131 b. of Hawke’s Bay, 71b. of Sandon rye, 811 b. of cocksfoot, 21b. of dogstail, and IJlb. of white clover—32lb. an acre, as much as possible being certified seed. A really good pasture was the result. When sowing grass seed on ploughed and/or worked ground, it is most necessary to consolidate this to the utmost possible decree. Otherwise much seed is lost though being buried too deeply. And of that germinating, there is heavy further mortality, caused by frost-lifting of soil, plants being pulled out in early grazings, and plants being injured by soilsettling. “Surface sowing,” that is seed on a consolidated surface, has a better chance. Worked soil should he allowed to settle down if at all possible, before it is sown on. Otherwise it should be well rolled. This rolling may settle the actual surface somewhat tno much. In that case a light harrowing will be a remedy. A tight, “skin-forming” surface is to he avoided. From mid-February to the end of this month is the ideal grass-sowing season Sowings can be made with varying degrees of success in almost every month of the whole year, but autumn is the natural time, and generally gives easily the best results. At. this season a good motto is: Ine earlier the better.” April sowings can be "Ood. but do they not provide the wealth of valued winter grass that can be got by sowing earlier.