Farm and Station IMPROVED PASTURES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 236, 18 September 1934, Page 3

Farm and Station

IMPROVED PASTURES

Building Better Grassland INCREASE IN MANURING To the improvement in wool and meat prices must be attributed, to a. great extent, the improvement that has taken p ce in pastures on sheep-farming properties in the Hawke’s Hay province. Since 'the welcome rise in wool realisations last season, sheep-farmers have been able to spend more money on seeds and fertilisers, with the result that a decided improvement is to be seen on many pastoral areas. Ou the flat land farms pastures had deteriorated Io a less degree than ou hill country farms, and it is on these latter properties that a grading-up of pastures is to be noted in a number ot' eases. Pasture renovation is a most inter esting part of farming and is one hi wliien the individual farmer has to rely to a great extent on past experiences of himself and his neighbours ou similar land in determining just how improvement can be brought about. Admittedly where high quality English grasses and clovers can be grown, then this ideal pasture association should bo aimed at, but where the land is not so sufficiently productive and of high enough quality to grow these grasses satisfactorily, then the farmer has to use those grasses which are bed suited to his soil. RUN OUT PATCHES. Careful grazing, the utilisation ol stock droppings to the greatest pos sible extent, cultivation by harrowing ut regular intervals, the application ot suitable manures, and surface sowing of seed on run-out patches of ground are the means utilised by the farmer on the flats who wishes to steadily improve his pastures without going to the expense ut ploughing up the old sward and sowing afresh with the belter quality grasses. Such a system, carried out methodically, has given most gratifying results on the properties of several farms of the writer’s acquaintance. Admittedly the results obtained from surface sowing can never be guaranteed, but the cost is relatively light. For the best results there is uo doubt that ploughing and resowing cannot be surpassed, and where a large area of pasture has deteriorated it would undoubtedly be much wiser to put the land down again to grass from ploughing. Drainage is an aspect of grassland improvement which is inclined to be overlooked by the many farmers whoso pastures are inclined to become scraggy and heavy in the wetter months of the year. Not only does a damp soil make for pugging of the pasture, but it also tends to harm the roots of the gruss plants, and where moisture is present to excess the roots will rot and be unable to function properly. A damp soil will always lead to a deterioration in pasture quality and encourage the growth of less productive plants ami weeds. PASTURES AND DROUGHT. Although it is not realised by some farmers, proper drainage tends to make a pasture more drought resistant, as it enables the roots to penetrate to a greater depth and thereby draw upon a larger area of soil for food requirements. In a badly drained soil the plant roots remain near the surface in the better aerated soil, and consequently, when the dry months of summer arrive the plants dry up and the pasture becomes barely productive. The hill-country farmers’ task is g more difficult one in the renovation and improvement of pastures. Because of the hilly nature of the country and the natural barriers of hills, creeks and other obstacles, it is not possible to divide the paddocks up to the same extent as on the flat and rolling country and it is in consequence more difficult to keep the grass under control and manage the grazing as carefully as eould be desired. As indicated above, because of the improved prices that he is receiving for his primary products, the hillcountry sheep-farmer is now enabled 'lo expend money on fertilisers where he was previously unable to do so, and although the area which he can afford to top-dress is still of necessity restrictive, manuring of the earlier and less rugged pastures to enable more feed to be produced in a shorter time would appear to bo sound practice. USE OF CATTLE. On the hill-country farm the grazier has of necessity to utilise cattlo as his mowing machines to keep the feed short and palatable for his sheep stock and it is in this manner that pastures can be improved to some extent. Consistent crushing of the feed as it becomes too long for the sheep, and keeping the sheep as much as possible on those paddocks which have been eaten down by the store stock, will help towards a better association of pasture grasses and keep the growth flourishing. In this connection the writer was interested to read recently a suggestion put forward' bv Mr M. A. Black, Instructor in Agriculture for the Poverty Bay district, who, in the course of an address to a gathering of farmers at Nuhaka, said that it might be possible for farmers on hill-country properties to shut up one different paddock each year for a whole year. Tin) padflock could then be left shut up until the grass had gone to seed head and ' was ready tn drop. The farmer could then tun in a mob of cattle to eat and crush tie feed down and during this operntb '- paddock would he rei seeded. argument seems very sound and has probably already comI mended itself to some hill-country farI mors in the province.