FIELD NOTES FOR SEPTEMBER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 September 1924, Page 7

FIELD NOTES FOR SEPTEMBER.

(From Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture.) GRAIN CROPS.

September finds all classes of farmers very busy. The sowing of grain crops should be pushed forward, except where the land is exceptionally wet. Where this is the case, it is better to wait until the (and is reasonably dry, for where grain is sown on wet land there is very little growth, and a great deal of the seed rots before the land is warm enough to germinate it. What does germinate turns yellow and makes poor growth. Algerian oats give the best results in most parts of the North Island. For spring sowing they should be put in at the rate of three bushels per acre; if the areas are small and the birds bad 3£ bushels is not too much. In localities where birds are troublesome care should be taken to see that no grain is spilt about the headlands, and that those drilled in in the field are well covered, as it is the oats lying about on the surface of the ground that attracts birds to a newlyr sown field. Rolling after the drill firms the seed bed and prevents a great deal of pulling when the grain comes through the ground. Grain crops sown at this time of the year, except in very rich land, will benefit from lewt. to 2cwt. per acre of superphosphate or a good grain manure. The fertiliser, besides bringing the crop away quickly, helps to stiffen the straw and causes better and more! even ripening. Barley may be sown towards the end of the month or the beginnign of October. Generally speaking, it may be sown later than most crops, as it grows faster and comes to maturity in a shorter period. Cape or Black Skinless are the best varieties for North Island conditions. the weather in most parts of the north not being suitable for malting varieties. The final feeding of autumn sown crops should be done this month. After the last feeding give the land one or more strokes of the tine harrows. If this harrowing leaves the land rough, follow in a week with the roller. PEAS'AND TARES. Where these are to be grown for a> seed crop they should be got in towards the end of the month. If sowing peas for sheep feeding, about the second week in October will be early enough. Tares should be sown at the rate of 2£- and peas 3. bushels per acre. Both crops are very fond of lime, and where possible land intended for peas should get a dressing of from 3cwt. to scwt. per acre. Basic super or similar mixtures, 2ewt. to 3cwt. per acre, are suitable manures. Among the ordinary varieties Early Minto and Grey Partridge continue to give good results. SPECIAL CROPS FOR HAY OR ENSILAGE. This is a good month to sow special crops for the above purposes. - Algerian oats in conjunction with tares or peas is about the best for sowing at this time of the year. Two bushels of oats and one of tares or one and a half of peas per acre gives a suitable mixture. Either variety of tares will do, but golden are the best for spring sowing, Grey Partridge and Early Minto being the most suitable varieties of peas. This type of crop may be used for hay, ensilage, or for feeding out green. Super, basic super, or similar mixtures, 2cwt. to 3cwt. per acre, are suitable fertilisers. ; .

Fields intended for hay or 1 ensilage should be thoroughly cleaned up, well harrowed to ensure a clean bottom for mower, and shut up about the end of this month. If not already done, they should be top-dressed with super or basic super, 2cwt. .to 3cwt. per acre. By shutting up early the farmer is enabled to get the hay crop out early, which allows a good growth of aftermarth before the dry hot weather sets in, and this is important if gbod summer and autumn feeding is desired.

ROOT CROPS. Ploughing and cultivation of land for these crops should be pushed on, so as to germinate as many weeds as possible and ensure a good supply of moisture from the subsoil later when the crops are sown.

LUCERNE. The land is now warming up and rapid growth may be expected towards the end of the month. This is the time to carry out spring cultivation where necessary. It should he clearly understood, however, that lucerne should never be cultivated in wet weather or when the land is wet. If these conditions are not suitable it is much better to delay the cultivation until after the first summer cut has been removed. The. object of spring cultivation is to break the surface of the land, which has become hard by grazing or by constant rain, and allow the air to get in, also to shake up weeds and grasses that have become established. The field to be treated should he grazed off quickly, or cut and the material raked off before cultivation is attempted. If the land has been well cultivated during the past season and is fairly free from grass, cultivation is simple and can be carried out by any of the ordinary cultivator’s fitted with lucerne points, and in some cases the tine harrows weighted with a few sacks of earth will do all that is necessary. If. on the other hand, the cultivation was neglected during the past season and the land lias become badly infested with grass, the cultivation must he more drastic. If the cultivator is used first in the latter class of crop, large lumps of grass are dug up and great difficulty is expedienced in break-

ing these up sufficiently to get the land in decent order for the mowing machine. In oases of this sort it is found that the best results are obtained by giving the land one or more strokes of the disc to cut the grass into small lumps, after which the cultivator or harrows may be used to shake it up. In using the discs care should be taken to run them as straight as possible, but it will be found that in some cases a little cut is necessary to bring about the desired results. It. must be recognised that spring cultivation, in the North Island, anyway, is not going to kill many weeds, but if done at the right time the subsequent growth of lucerne will be heavy enough to smother most of the undesirable growths.

Where it is necessary to top-dress it should be done simultaneously with this cultivation, using superphosphate at from' 2cwt. to 3cwt. per acre, it being understood that the ground has been well limed previously. The preparation of land for lucerne should be contipued. ' If a crop is being grown for green . manure it should be turned under at once. If left later if will not have time to rot thoroughly before the seed is sown. Unless it can be turned under this month it is best to feed it off with stock and turn under the dropnings. Lea land should

he ploughed fairly deep and th« surface kept worked to destroy weeds. The same applies t-n land that, has iust grown a cron. This should be ploughed and the first few inches kent continuously stirred up till time of sowing to

germinate and destroy weeds. If carbonate of lime is being used this should be applied as soon after the ploughing as possible. TJse at from lOcwt. to 20cwt. per acre.