What “Sundowner” Hears

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 178, 13 July 1927, Page 9

What “Sundowner” Hears

Ensilage is superior to roots in that it is not susceptible to pests or diseases, can be used at any time, and if made from pasture grass requires no tillage.

High-producing cows do not come by accident, but are the result of careful breeding, judicious feeding, and intelligent handling.

Those who criticise silage are the people who have never fed it. The careful man who has used it would not think of trying to dairy without it.

The variety of crops sown must differ according to the kind of stock to be kept at the time of year at which it is to be fed. Where dairying. or intensive farming is practised, cape barley, emerald rye. oats or oats and vetches should be sown as soon a.s circumstances pei-mrf

A soil with good texture and good w'ater supply would still be responsive even if it possessed but little organic manner, but a soil which is too sticky, too light; or too dry is practically useless without humus. The improvement effect fey adding organic matter is very lasting, as the rate of decomposition is only slow.

Some wonderfully good results are being obtained in England from the use of Potassic Basie Slag. This is a mechanically made mixture of basic slag and potash salt with the original fineness of the slag maintained.

The value of a fertiliser does not depend, especially when applied in spring, in its total percentage of nitrogen, phosphate of lime and potash, but upon the percentage of these constituents that tho growing crop can utilise. This is a point that farmers should keep in view when considering the purchase of fertilisers.

The effect of phosphate on the plant is that of counteracting rankness of growth. Practically all cultivated soils are deficient in phospho-ic acid, so that fertilisers containing this ingredient are always require.].