IDEAL GRAZING

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 72, 17 December 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

IDEAL GRAZING

One Fanner's Viewpoint

CONTROLLED ROUGHAGE

Going over a farm on the Saitdun country last week 1 was given some points on ideal grazing, as seen by one farmer engaged in dairying, lie also fattens several hundreds of cull lanilv each autumn, and Ihis point is being borne in mind today.

The policy worked upon may be described as a compromise to avoid wasteful, harmful roughage ami yet to avoid the continuously close grazed system which pertains even with much of our rotational grazing. A modified form of rotational grazing is followed. The grazing policy may be indeed described as one of “controlled roughage.” The soil is given to drying hard in summer, both because of its own formation and also local climatic influences.

The means used to hold pastures right is to keep them hard down to the end of October, then to allow them to throw a certain amount of seed stalks ami so let up grazing as to build all the farm pastures up to a full and fairly even 4 inches depth by early December. When seen the pastures had a dense bottom, well composed of clovers in a flourishing state of growth and had thrown a fair amount of seed. This latter was valued both as a means of reseeding and for the moderate amount of rough age provided. And of course all acquainted with pasture growth will realize how these will continue growing in hot, dry weather when bared pastures fade off. The drought liability of really short grazing is its wyrst weakness, a very serious- one indeed.

Woman Presidents. The British Friesian Cattle Society has had two consecutive woman presidents. Lady Macßobert retired this year, to be followed by a Mrs. Strutt. So far I have yet to hear of a member of the fair sex becoming president of a New Zea. land breed society. We have, however, a number of women distinguishing themselves with their stud stock, and so, in course of time, one should achieve the distinction of president. New Zealand has been strangely remiss in according authority to women, compared with several progressive overseas countries, both within and without the Empire.