THE SCIENCE OF FARMING

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 111, 6 November 1935, Page 21

THE SCIENCE OF FARMING

MASSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

It is now eight years since the Government purchased the property of the late .I. Batchelar, at Fitzherbert, Palmerston North, and handed it over to develop for the purposes of Massey College. A year later the City of Palmerslon North purchased the adjoining property for £10.000, and presented a portion of it (25 acres) as a site for the main.college building. The remarkable growth of the institution in the few years since its establishment is at once evident to anyone visiting the college today. During the eight years of its existence it has made marked progress both as regards teaching and research. On the teaching side it is interesting to note that over 1000 students have already passed through or are in the process of passing through the various courses.

The college farm is 920 acres in extent and is divided into three main sections—poultry farm, dairy farm, and the sheep farm.

The poultry department, which is situated nearly a mile inside the farm entrance, is surrounded by natural bush and is a model poultry plant, including an eg;;-laying contest capacity for 200 pullets. Practical instruction is given to poultry students, and experimental week is undertaken. Both intensive and free range shedding is provided and modern equipment displayed. Several breeds are stocked, including' Whits Leghorns, Australorps, Rhode Island Iteds, Sussex, and Khaki Campbell ducks. All told about 1000 birds are maintained annually, and those interested in poultry keeping will be w<:ll rewarded by a visit.

The dairy farm extends to approximately 300 acres, 250 acres being college property and the balance leasehold. The soil is typical of river deposit and varies from good quality river loam to poor sandy shingle country of very recent origin. The latter is river accretion deposited by changes in the flow of the Manawatu River probably within the past forty or fifty years. When the property was taken

over by the college ihis latter area was in an undeveloped state, carrying principally a cover of lupin and gorse. Since 1928 its appearance has been considerably altered and it is now either in permanent pasture or in the process of being laid down to permanent pasture. It will be obvious that the wide variety of soils provides a splendid means of demonstrating the handling of different types of country, and this offers splendid facilities for adopting crops and pastures to soil types. Prior to occupation by the college the property had been run as a commercial sheep farm and the first I work to be tackled was the subdivi- j sion into paddocks of sizes sufficient to permit of rotational grazing. Then followed the roading, laying on of water supplies, and the erection of the necessary dairy farm buildings com-1 prising two cottages, milking shed, and piggeries. The farm is now subdivided into 43 paddocks varying in size from 5 to 3 acres. I GRASSLAND FARMING. Water is laid on to all paddocks, and within the past few years' good progress has been made with the planting of shelter so that in a few years the farm should present a picture of good protection to both stock and pasture. Grassland farming predominates, but some arable crops are grown partly as supplementary feed for the dairy animals and partly to provide instruction ! for students in methods of growing!

these crops. All of the light land has been resown with permanent pasture, and gradually the better class of land is being seeded with the best strains of grasses and clovers developed and tested by the Plant Research Station. The' whole of the pastures are topdressed annually, 3cwt of superphosphates to the acre being applied for the rr.ost part in February and March. Paddocks intended for hay are topdressed in the spring.

For a period of three years every alternate paddock was limed to study, the influence of lime on the composition of the pasture and its effect on the milk production therefrom for cheesemaking. The arable crops consist mainly of root crops, namely, mangolds, carrots, turnips, and sw"edes. In addition a small area of peas is generally grown for pigs. An area of approximately 8 acres is given over to lucerne, A splendid stand of lucerne is growing on very light shingle which previously had little carrying capacity, and this paddock provides a good demonstration of the extent.to which production from this type of soil can be materially increased by growing lucerne. In favourable seasons four and even five cuts have been obtained from this area. The use of temporary grass is an important feature in the

management of the farm. An area is sown down annually in Italian ryegrass and red clover for the purpose of providing winter grazing pasture for animals then in milk. It has been found that this procedure suits especially the lighter class of land and fits in very well with the management of the farm for the production of winter milk. These temporary pastures are generally grazed in the winter and early spring and after having been cut for hay and ensilage provide good aftermath in the autumn.. They may be reseeded after a year's growth; alternatively they are carried on for a second season before being sown down [to permanent pasture. PUREBRED STOCK. The dairy herd comprises purebred and grade animals of the Jersey, Friesian, and Ayrshire breeds. Amongst the Friesians and Ayrshires purebreds predominate, while among the Jerseys, grades are present in the greater number. The herd was established mainly along lines of commercial herds. At the present time the total dairy herd is upwards of 200 animals, of' which approximately 120 are in milk. A considerable number of young stock is reared and thoso surplus to replacement requirements are sold. In the breeding of the herd milk production and constitution are given principal consideration. Thus since its establishment all animals have been tested (annually. The college is a member

of the Manawatu Group Herd Testing Federation, and all records are produced under ordinary farming conditions, the animals relying only • on pasture, silage, and root crops. PIG FARMING. The college owns a very good herd of purebred Tamworth pigs; approximately eleven breeding sows are kept and pigs bred from these animals are sold to the best advantage. . During the past year some sows from the herd were submitted to test under C.O.P. conditions, and to date three of the breeding sows have been awarded certificates. These certificates are'granted only on the conditions that the sow rears a minimum of eight piglets to breeding age, that the piglets reach a minimum weaning weight, and that two pigs, representative of the litter, when carried to bacon weight within a specified time come up to a high standard of quality for production of bacon. It will be seen, therefore, that the college is making every effort to produce a type of pig that will conform to the requirements of the export market. UP-TO-DATE SHEEP FARM. The sheep farm comprises .two properties approximately 250 and 350 acres in area respectively. The soil is heavy alluvium overlying clay, there being three gullies running through each property. Originally the land was wet with heavy rushes and with poor pasture, the gullies being in browntop. The whole has been mole-drained and a large proportion swamp ploughed (at eight to nine inches with subsequent ploughing not deeper than six inches. The cultivated areas aw; now free from rushes and the pasture is dominant ryegrass, 3cwt of super to the acre, except those areas used for experimental purposes. The cropping is a four : year rotation, swedes, chou moellier, oats, and temporary or permanent pasture as the occasion demands. The sheep wintered now total 1900, with 60 head of stud Aberdeen Angus cattle. The sheep flock comprises studs of Romneys, Ryelands, and Southdowns, together with a crossbred Romney flock of 200 sheep kept for experimental purposes. Thanks to the effect of draining and annual top-dress-ing pastures are improving each year and are carrying increasing numbers

!of stock. Artesian water is laid on to every paddock, being supplied by the one bore and reticulated through iron pipes into concrete troughs. A I number of shelter belts running west I to east have been planted. This work j was commenced soon after the incep- : | tion of the college and is still being ' carried on. The sheep farm build- : ings comprise a wool shed and yards 11 and a stable and implement shed with i concrete foundations and floor which ! is now being erected by the students under the supervision of a foreman carpenter. The wool shed is designed i to give the maximum convenience at jthe minimum of cost, a feature being the incorporation of a footrot bath of novel design. The chief aim of the i grassland management on the sheep .'farm is the establishment of first-class ■ I fields, growing dominant ryegrass. white clover pastures. ■ ■ Throughout the summer months | students are employed on the farm doing general work, and in addition are given topical demonstrations, fea- ■ tures of which are those on the veterinary side. Post-mortem is made of all animals that die on the property, and by this means students obtain 'a better knowledge of the causes of stock mortality than could otherwise be obtained. Special features of the practical instruction given to students are the making of concrete posts and troughs, concrete building foundations, and also the erection of farm build- , ings.