WAIMATE WEST DEMONSTRATION FARM.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 August 1924, Page 3

WAIMATE WEST DEMONSTRATION FARM.

INTERESTING FIELD DAY. For some considerable time past the committee administering the stffairs of the demonstration farm near Manaia have felt that more should ho known of the work at the farm. Acting, however, on the advice of Air. Deem, they put off any public field day until they felt they hud matters so in train that farmers would be interested to come and able to learn something from a visit. The decision at the annual meeting to make an experiment- in sowing a ploughed paddock directly down in grass, without delaying to take off it a crop of some kind, as is usually done by a farmer, provided a feature of special interest. They took advantage of the opportunity of testing a new idea in ploughing. It is an attachment of a skeith which will enable a furrow to be turned over, which, when rolled. will present practically an unbroken surface, effectually covering up six inches deep all the coutsch and weeds. It may be stated that the farm was years ago. before the committee acquired it, cropped year after year continuously for about sixteen years, and then no attempt was made to lay down any good permanent pasture. The consequence is that it nas always been infested with almost every weed known, and therefore it has been specially useful for demonstration purposes, and the fact that it has clone so well and secured good dairy returns, besides raising good root crops and lucerne, is a tribute to the good direction of the committee and the thorough carrying out of their ideas by the manager. The experiment will he followed with very keen interest by farmers of the district. If successful, and there appears no reason why this should not be the ease, it will he a valuable object lesson for farmers.

There were about sixty farmers and others interested present at the farm on Wednesday afternoon, and after seeing the plough used, with various adjustments of the skeith, and critically. examining the work done and the result secured, all were satisfied that the result was good and will be a great- help to farmers. The paddock will be laid down in grasses of mixtures varying in proportion of cocksfoot- and rye, and in one patch will be sown prairie grass. The latter would be sown first and then the others later.

The party then walked over the paddocks and were keenly interested in the experiments made in top-dressing -A series of experiments are being made to determine the value of various pbosphatic manures, and also the value of top-dressing every year or every second year. Field 2 is divided into four strips—l four, 2 two, 3 three and 4 three acres —and these have been top-dressed in 1921, 1923 and 1921 as follows: (1) —3cwt, 2cwt, lewt basic super; (2)—3, 2 and lewt of Nauru; (3)—3, 2 and lewt of blood blood and bone; (4) —3,2 and lewt of super and blood and bone. These are all per acre.

Field 3 is divided into six strips of two acres each, all top-dressed in 1921, 1923 and 1924, with various phosphatic manures, and across the centre is a strip on which kainit alone lias been used. It- will be interesting to follow the action of these various applications.

Field b, twelve acres, i.s divided into t"’o—B and 4 acres, tlie former being top-idressed with I.lewt of super per acre, while the latter is at present down in green oats.

Field -I, same area, has all been topdressed with, super, lewt per acre. f ield 6 is also in strips, with applications during six years with various manures jand one strip with no treatment.

Field 1 is the lucerne paddock, and there can be seen the useful winter fodder grown in drills of 21 in., Min., and also -broadcast. The. Tin. drills are considered most- satisfactory and as giving best returns.

The milking shed was also inspected, and was considered by all as excellent and as nearly as possible a model. Mr. Deem, in welcoming farmers, said lie hoped many more would come on visits of in spec-ton and at anv time He hoped very confidently that the larm would prove of great value to the I aimers, and that they would make use n! it-, and that it would prove to he the asset to the district which all hoped. He said that the land years ago had been let go and had aceumuut a terrible crop of weeds, and therefore if the experiments now beiim made were successful they would prove ol so mueh the greater value. A t L!l(1 conclusion of the visit afternoon tea was very kindly supplied by Mrs J aterson. and this attention wa« much appreciated by all. It was a happy ending to a verv useful afternoon.