EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. A SATISFACTORY STATEMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 08, 10 January 1908, Page 4

EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. A SATISFACTORY STATEMENT.

Mr. C. E. Clifton, Chief Inspector of Stock and 'director of the State experinientcil farms, who has just returned from a visit to the experimental farms in the Auckland district, informed a Post representative that the principal crops on the farms are very satisfactory for the time of the year, especially the oat crop at AVaerenga. The crop on this farm is specially inteicsting on account of the evil repute of the soil and the quality of the land generally. The experiments have been, such that 1' is fully recognised that -with reaboiiable andf caretul treatment useful crops of cereals, such as oats, "can be profitably obtained from the land, The Wa,orenga, crop has been .harvested successfully though the invasion by -the caterpillar of a. small portion, tlhat had ibeen bpecially set apait fur experimental purposes, had, owing to the with which the pest Bad fastened on to the crop, been destroyed and the value of the test lost, but tho test would be repeated in future. Satisfactory evidence had, however, been obtained showing t.hali the aplication of small quantities of ni'rogonous manure was decidedly useful in incrjasing the value of the field, though the c..act value could not "be definitely stated on account of the havoc created by the caterpillar pest. The experiments yx fruit growing had proved of value ancT showed distinct promise from £hp*, point pf \iew of the proposed small tfvuit\growing areas, ur.ci the outlook in this direction «,n dibtincely encouraging. The yield of grapes was particularly-good, and vciy considerably over the -average. On the jßuakuia farm tho haymaking and harvesting wero progicssing very lapidly, the weather conditions since Christmas having been distinctly favourable. The pastures on the farm, as in the rest of the Wmkato, wero far above tho averages of • most veare, the weather conditions generally having been extremely favourable both for crop's and stock. Referring to draining that had been carried out, Mr. Clifton said that very useful results had now been shown from the draining that had been carried out during the past few years, both by tilo and mould drains. Lands which had hitherto been mainly covered with inferior grasses, such as bedgo and rushes, were now under useful pasturage. Mr. Clilton said that seme of the additional dairy inspectors -nho had recently beon 'appointed .had taken up the work and the levnamder would be .ili located to the different .districts fib-fixt^.