BETTER PASTURES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 283, 13 November 1936, Page 11

BETTER PASTURES

Report on Competition at Norsewood

PLACINGS TO DATE,

Pasture competitions, although well established in Taranaki, are an entirely new phase of competition for Hawke’s Bay. So great has been the interest taken in this class of competition on the West Co,ast that entries increased from 15, in the first season it was started seven years ago, to 300 this season.

Reporting, upon the competition held in the’Norsewood and Otawhao districts, the judge , Mr J. W. Palmer, Instructor in Agriculture, stated as under:— “This competition may seem of no interest to many and they may questoin what good it does. However, the exchanging of questions allow one to gain information for his particular locality. It would certainly be advantageous to see more accompany the judge as there is no doubt that a big variation is seen, and one can gain considerable knowledge by such visits. . _ “To prove the value of strains of grasses and clovers for the bringing about of ideal pastures, the department has laid down experimental plots where field days have recently been carried out. The pastures judged were of a very high standard and they were certainly a credit to the districts. Although one looks at the best pastures, they clearly show what can be produced on this particular soil type and under their own climatic conditions. With these high-class pastures in view, the future development of the country is very hopeful. “In all thirty-one pastures were judged, and these have been judged in two classes: —1, cOw pastures; 2, sheep pastures. The minimum areas to be entered were three acres and six acres respectively, with a minimum age of two years. Judging was based on:— Good ' grasses, 30 points; clovers, 25 points; freedom from inferior grasses, 5 points; freedom from weeds, 10 points; density, 15 points; evenness; 10 points; total, 100 points. SECOND JUDGING. “The judging, as far as it has gone, is not final because the areas will have to be judged again in the autumn and the combined total points will be the final result. Therefore a slight change in placing may result. It is- intended that this second judging will take place in March. “Pastures should be well controlled and should have sufficient growth—say, two to three inches —-to allow species to be easily identified. The area 'should have undergone suitable management, harrowing, distribution of dropping, etc. “Th e good work of Messrs A. W. Montgomerie, G. Veale, and W. G. Hunt in bringing about this competition, particularly the large number of entries, is to be commended. “The leading, pasture, which was on the property of Mr A. .W. Montgomerie, was a particularly fine one, having good grasses and clovers with good density, evenness, etc. The pasture of Mr R. Tait is worthy of mention. This pasture is on country of a clay nature and one might say on very hard country. He certainly has produced something which should set a good example as to what can be done under such soil and climatic conditions. Messrs Parker, Kells and Tiffen are also to be complimented on their efforts. SHEEP ON HILLS. “It is very interesting to find pastures from hill country confined to sheep. Here, I make reference to Mr H. Stratford who has brought back his country chiefly with 'the manure bag and stocking management, and the pastures compare favourably with the best found under more apt conditions. The following are the results to date:

SHEEP PASTURES. Pts. A. W. Montgomerie, No. 2 .... 92 M. Tiffen 02 A. W. Montgomerie, No. 1 .... 88 W. Davies ss A. G. Bayliss S7| H. Stratford, No 3 .......... 86 H. Stratford, No. 284 J H. Russell 831 H, Stratford, No. 1 80J S. Thompson 77 C. Ellison 68 G. Davies 63 COW PASTURES. Pts. R. Tait •’ 91 A. G. Parker 89J G. Kells 88 R. Ellison ' 87 W. Jenkins .’ 87 R. Anderson ....- 86J G. lllsby 86 S. Weston .' 86 G. Veale, No. 1 85 W. Veale 83 H. Mercer 81 G. E. Smith 80 W. G.’Hunt 79J A. G. Somervell 79| A. Mullinder .........1 79 G. Veale, No. 2 79 E. Smith 78 H. Olsen .' 78 C. iiilgour 72