FARM SCHOOL

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 June 1924, Page 3

FARM SCHOOL

LECTURE ON GRASSES. BY MR. E. BRUCE LEVY. On Tuesday Mr. E. Bruce Levy gave an address at the Stratford Farm School on the grasses of the country. Nature, he said, had evolved different grasses which were admirably suited to different kinds of soil and climate. The light soil of Taranaki was suited for cocksfoot. The flats round T'e AVera. if properly worked were capable of carrying the best high-production grass. In studying the hill country it was found that as the fertility decreased danthonia and brown top became the dominant crop. P'aspalum was grown largely in North Auckland. In Taranaki it could .not be grown so well. A farm o| 150 acres in North Auckland, with paspalum, gave a return of £I6OO for a year from dairying alone. The scale of grasses could lie set out as follows:—Meadow foxtail at the top, rye grass, cocksfoot, brown top, danthonia, chewing fescue. Each group must have a certain percentage of fertility and moisture content. If thd fertility is kept up good grasses will - not be replaced by poorer grasses. Taranaki was good cocksfoot country. In some places in Taranaki where stock had been put on the land without consideration for the land the good grasses had been driven out. The fertility of the ground was exhausted, and the poorer grasses began to predominate. If fertility fell too low weed invasion set in. On Tara, naki hill country it may be that the falling fertility positively could not be stayed. In that case this low-class grasses should be planted to stop weed invasion. If better grasses were planted they would not thrive, and the way would be opened for weed invasion. The farmer should keep a close and com tinuous sward, even if it was of the lowest grasses. Biddi grew in open pasture, as also did manuka. On a Te Kuiti

farm lie had seen a patch of danthonia which was surrounded by' dense biddi. When the danthonia grew there was practically no biddi. On the hills the farmer’s task was to induce stock to go among the second-growth. Lotus major was important for hill country, because it grew through the second growth. If there was lotus major in fern there was no necessity for a burn. The lotus major would grow in the fern, the cattle would be induced to go into the fern, and their treacling of the fern would get rid of it. For hill country a grass which would be content with a small amount of soil fertility was needed. For winter feed subterranean clover was excellent. With the first rains of autumn it came through and it was at its best in August and September. Even though fertility fell to the danthonia or brown top standard, the better grasses did not die. They were stunted and of no use, but there was life in them, and when the fertility was raised the better grasses would come away and push out the poorer grassse. The better grasses were surface rooting, and when the fertility was reduced they felt the change sooner than the poorer grasses, which were deeper rooted. Soil fertility could be increased by artificial manure, by inbrought stock foods, and by spelling pasture. If Taranaki land was kept up as regards fertility it would carry the best grasses, because the rainfall was assured. If rtjhe good gjrassjes were properly fed by keeping up the soil fertility they could always keep ahead of the inferior grasses and weeds. Inbrought stock would food meant feeding food grown on one paddock on another padock. The bulk of this food was passed out in droppings, and it then fertilised the paddock in the best possible manner —on the surface. There ■was no use in having fertility three inches under the surface.. Fertility was engendered also by the tramping of cattle. 'Swedes should be carted out and fed on a grass paddock, by Avhich means the grass paddock was manured. Pigs were grazed for two years on a. cocksfoot sward at Wereroa and in that time they fertilised the ground' up to the ryegrass, standard. Surface fertility must be maintained. In the East country he had seen a spot which was a cattle camp, and which by reason of its increased fertility carried a beautiful sward of the best grasses. If more stock were kept on pastures in the winter, by means of’ inbrought foods, the better grasses would come through. The holding yards at the

.Ngahauranga works at Wellington were exceedingly steep, but owing to the inbrought stock food the chief grass in it is ryegrass. The question wa s often asked if it was any use to sow more seed on a pasture which was opening out. His opinion was that there would be no success unless the later sowing was of. the same or lower standard than the existing grass. If the later sowing ■'vas desired to be of a higher standard, the fertility of the soil would have to be raised. In hill country fertility could be raised by spelling, in places where it was difficult to put artificial manure and difficult even to use inbrought food. The best grasses appreciated a spell. Danthonia and brown top preferred to be closely and continuously grazed. In good gras s pastures weed invasion followed on close and continuous grazing. Akaroa was pure cocksfoot country;' but that was only because the land was spelled in order that the seed might be saved. If that same land were continually grazed it would go back to danthonia. If grass was inclined to get away that should not be held as a fault in the grass, but as fault in the farm management. In North Auckland farmers formerly thought the land was ruined when paspalum came through; but now thev knew how to use paspalum and were making a great success of it. If paspalum got away it became harsh and was unpalatable to cattle. It was impossible to always keep pasture fed down, and it might become necessary to use the mower on it, or turn store cattle or sheep on it. Sortie farmers got over the rough herbage difficulty by burning. There were things to be said m favour of burning, but many more against it. To his mind burning of pasture was a sad waste of good plant food. Pasture renovation could be ensured by ploughing in narrow fur-

rows, m the rase of rough pastures. The hoof working was one of the most important of means of renovation. Hore especially on hill country the cattle beast was one of the best.' cultivators, bv means of lioof work and inbrought food. In the Past country last veer about SO acres of land, with various kinds of second growth, were sown with various mixtures, and in the coming season the results of that sowing should be verv interesting presuming that the seed had not washed away in the recent.- floods.. "With the magnificent rainfall in Taranaki it should be possible to have the very best of pastures. AH that was necessary was jo keep up the lertility. bv the means indicated. In reply to a question. Mr. Levy said, rat-tail needed a warm climate, and would not spread much hi a cMd climate, subject to frosts. ().ue way to get rid of it was to burn il. m the winter, so that the frosts could get to if.