FORAGE CROPS

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 4 November 1933, Page 7

FORAGE CROPS

VALUABLE SUPPLEMENTS PERIOD OF SCANT GROWTH. ADDITIONAL PROYTSION. Remarking that ensilage and hay. by themselves, frequently do not make satisfactory provision for supplemeniiig the feed from pastures during the critical periods of scant grass growth, Mr R, P. Connell, of the Fields Division, writing in the Journal of Agriculture, commends attention to the merits of various forage crops. In dairying, ho says, the provision of ample highly' digestible feed in the latter part of the summer is a- particularly- important matter. The feed available from pastures often becomes inadequate or unsuitable at an earlier date than many realise; at times _it is failing shortly after Christmas as a ration for reasonably good dairy stock.

“It is relatively easy to supplement suitably the feed from the pastures during" the latter part of January and in February, but it is not so easy to remedy the weak feed position that occurs' a little earlier,” Mr Connell remarks. “Fresh, leafy- growth, such as the aftermath from an ensilage field and the second growth from a stand of lucerne, is likely- to be very valuable for this period., if there is not certainty of a sufficient supply of feed from these sources, it is usual inadvisable to sow in October an area of quieklv-maturing soft turnips, such as Red Paragon or Purple Top Mammoth for use early in the new year

QUESTION OF YIELD. “The vielcl from such crops may be relatively small, but this is offset by its being especially serviceable in maintaining the production of butterfat until a later-maturing variety, such as Imperial or Hardy Green Globe, becomes available. ’ ’ For the winter, crops such as mangels, carrots, swedes and kales —ineluding chon tnoellier, which, is also known as marrow-stemmed kale—were, as ,a rule, desirable in addition to silage and hay-. Chou moellier had at times been sown with good results in October, when it provided feed m the latter part of summer. Later sowings of kales might be made to provide feed in autumn and winter. A suitable sowing of chou moellier—which rightly had been increasing in popular favour, partly because <ff its marked resistance to clubroot—was l j-lb to 21b,0f seed an acre, sown broadcast, or to -fib. in drills 2f.t to 3ft apart. Full success with the crop was dependent upon high fertility; even on relatively good soils a dressing of 3cwt to 4cwt an acre of a mixture of equal parts of superphosphate and blood and bone, was considered profitable on the basis of considerable experience. VALUE OF FIELD CARROTS. On free soils greater success could advantageously be devoted to the field carrot, both for dairying and sheepfarming. In Taranaki, where the carrot is being exploited more fully than in other provinces, the most popular variety was probably- Matchless \Y hite, lvhile Barriball, Guerande and YVhite Belgian had ajll been grown freely with good results. The average manurial dressing was one of about 4Jc\vtan acre, consisting essentially of a mixture of superphosphate and bonedust. The seeding usually adopted was from lib to lfib an acre, in drills 14in apart, but really- good crops had resulted from sowing in cinuls 18m to 24in apart. Preparatory cultivation was most generalliy commenced between mid-August and mid-October. The Geurande carrot, which could be grown without thinning or digging, was very popular as a feed for sheep, since crops of over 50 tons an acre were not by any means rare. Ordinarily it should be sown at the rate of ill> to 1-Jlb of seed an acre, m rows 18in to 24in apart, and intercultivated as much as possible ; but it plight bo .grown without, .interoultiva'triou and sown at the rate of l-Jlb of seed aii acre in 14in rows. It was considered I good practice, especially for .sheep, to sfow it on Tow ridges obtained byrolling after the ordinary ridgeT.