FIELD NOTES FOR MAY, 1925.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 2 May 1925, Page 6

FIELD NOTES FOR MAY, 1925.

(By J. W. Deem, Instructor in Agriculture, Dept, of Agriculture). This is a good month for sowing oats, especially those intended for chaffing later; sown now they provide considerable green feed during the late winter and early spring, and ripen about the New Year. This is very important, as they are then harvested before Californian thistle js ripening .its seed. In most spring-sown crops the thistle ripens about the same time as the oats. The Algerian oat is best for this purpose; sow about 24 bushels to the acre, .vith one to two cwt super, according to the nature of the land. Land that has grown feeding oft crops such as turnips, maize, millet or similar crops, should be sown either in pasture or in a green crop .for spring feeding, the exception being heavy, wet land which is better ploughed and let lay fallow during the winter to get . the sweeten; ing effect of frost and weather. Land left fallow should he thrown up rough so as to exnose as great a. surface as possible. Suitable catch crops for feeding off are skinless barley, Cape barley ov Algerian oats. If a heavy crop is desired for cutting and feeding out in the spring, Ruakura or Garten oats, black skinless barley or mixtures of one. of the oats and the barley sown ; ,t the rate of three bushels per acre with two cwt super will be found >»very satisfactory.

. PASTURES. Where lime is to be applied this work should be pushed along. Topdressing should also he considered at this period, and arrangements made for the necessary supplies. Most pastures greatly benent by judicious top-dress-uig, but if the pasture is. very deficient in clovers and containing a lot of weed growth it will be better to renew it before spending money on topdressing. As a general principle, it is better to start toil-dressing while the pasture is still in good condition, and thus preserve the good plants rather than let them get weak and then try to restore them by means of;manure. At the same time it must be recognised that even weak pastures are greatly benefited by top-dressing. At one time it was considered the correct thing to apply heavy dressings of artificial fertilisers and let the land stand for several years, but recent experience goes to show that hotter results are obtained from light er and more J refluent applications, the idea being to get the pasture in good heart and beep it in this condition by annual light dressings of fertilisers, if the practice is followed, two cwt per year is ample, but if no top-dressing has been done fo-r a few years, or it the pasture is very much down, from three to four cwt per acre should be applied the first year and followed by lighter annual dressings. The main requirements of our soils are phosphates, and on older lands potash. Generally speaking, we have plenty of nitrogen, and it is frequently a waste of money to apply nitrogen to pastures. Jn deciding what phosphatic manure to use, a little care is necessary.' As a general rule, slow acting manures such as Nauru and similar island phosphates are not profitable and. better results are obtained from super, basic super, basic slag or mixtures' of super and bone, half and half. Over most of Taranaki, basic slag gives excellent results, but on some of the coastal lands, where the rainfall is less and the land dried, better results areobtained from the use of basic super or lime and super, or super by itself, the reason being that these manures are more easily dissolved, and therefore more readily available. The main potash manures used for top-dressing are sulphate of potash and lcainit, the latter being the most suitable form to use. as in addition to potash, it contains a large portion ol .salt, which has a very sweetening effect on land. Most old pastures will benefit from an application of two to three cwt per acre of kainit. if tins is being applied in conjunction with phosphatic "manures it is best to mix just before applying. Slow acting phosphates like Nauru Or si m i la) island phosphates should be applied m May. Slag is best applied in June or July, and basic super or super in July or August. There are reports of stock being injured by feeding on land immediatly after it has been top-dressed, and for this reason it is better to keep them off a top-dressed field for a week or until there has been a good shower of rain. ROOT'S. Swede ofoos should he carefully watched for dry rot, and when this appears a start should be made to teed off before the crop hae gone too far.