FARM EXTENSION SERVICE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 February 1932, Page 2

FARM EXTENSION SERVICE.

Seasonal Work Reviewed.

Care of the Pastures.

Danger of Economy Degenerating to

Parsimony

Strange as it may seem at first sight, in view °f the straitened condition of the financial position generally, the keynote of this statement is “Spend money!” ft is held that the basic -present need of farming is wise outlay on matters which generally are being skimped. In order to decide whether the recommendation to spend money ; g justified, it is necessary to look ahead and to plan for the future.

As the first stop to tho making of plans f° r f u t uro work, many farmers Gvill find very useful at this season to review their position in respect to feed. Generally the position will give rise to anxiety rather than to satisfaction. Because of tho unfavourable season stocks of bay and ensilage arc much lower than they would have been had the season been a normal one. ’This is reflected in the fact that hay is already being sought at prices cxceptioniallv high relative to the current prices of farm produce. In addition, the unfavourable season also leaves tho supplementary fodder crop ■ position unsatisfactory than it usually is. It will probablv prove advisable to consume in late summer reserves of feed, including sila-m which would serve for tho winter period. Linked with this unfavourable food position is generally a weakened standing, which naturally makes farmers anxious to spend every penny of outlay to the best advantage. It may bo said with certainty that some, in their eagerness to exercise economy fully, are so drastically reducing expenditure as to be really prac;tisin" harmful parsimony or false economy, which at times may prove very far-reaching and enduring in its undesirable influence. It is not always advisable to meet a period of low prices by indiscriminately drawing tight the purse strings. Indeed, expenditure, provided it is judicious, is, at times, the essential accompaniment of efficiency. Phosphatic top-dressing, a matter of seasonable and vital importance, aptly illustrates this.

in Attention

Of the several measures which maybe employed to assist in relieving fanners generally from the difficulties which face them, top-dressing with phosphates such as superphosphate and, in suitable districts, basic slag well deserves pride of place.

The Role of Autumn Top-dressing with Phosphates

Two main facts relative to phosphatic top-dressing are sufficient to indicate what course should be taken. In the first place, over wide areas the profit from phosphatic top-dressing was so great on the old scale of prices for farm produce that there is still an attractive profit in the returns at the present prices. Indeed, at times it is only by taking advantage of the profits available by means of phosphating that farming, can be made to pay at all. In the second place, not only have recent years been marked by a swing in popular favour to the practice of autumn application of phosphates in contradistinction to spring application, but critical examination of the position has shown that this swing in popular favour is essentially sound. Direct financial considerations may lead some to incline to spring top-dressing; spring application may mean escaping from the payment of about four months’ interest on the cost of the manure; it ■may mean that no payments for fertiliser have to be made until well on in the producing season in which the great-' ■est amount of benefit from the manure is obtained. These considerations may seem sufficient to justify spring topdressing until they are weighed against the advantages which usually are attached to autumn top-dressing with phosphates.

Top-dressing to Increase Autumn and

Winter Feed

Quite an important advantage of February to April top-dressing is that prior to the dormant winter period appropriate top-dressing brings about an appreciable increase in valuable growth. If the top-dressing is done at an early enough date, some of this increase may be particularly useful this year in maintaining dairy production towards the end of the season. Certainly, in view of the prospective winter scarcity of feed, any additional growth of the pastures in April and May this year will be especially welcome as a means of keeping the stock in good condition to face the severe late winter spell that usually occurs.

Top-dressing to Facilitate Good

Utilisation

Another important advantage of. autumn top-dressing lies in the fact that while it stimulates growth in early spring practically to the same extent as would a similar amount of spring' top-dressing, it is declining in the intensity of its influence by the time summer arrives, and does not bring about such a rush of summer growth as does spring top-dressing. This rush of growth at times is so difficult to con-

(Contributed by Fields Division and Plant Research Station, Department of Agriculture).

trol effectively as to become an impediment to economical grass farming, and ho its avoidance is on this account a

gain. Autumn top-dressing with phosphates may be summed up as the most important measure available for obviating the winter and early spring shortage of feed which at the time of writing threatens so many, and which if not removed to a satisfactory extent will be<ret serious consequences in the next producing season.

Classes of Pastures Warranting Priority

In cases in which it proves impossible completely to top-dress farms in the autumn, two classes of pastures should be singled out’ for priority in attention. Firstly, the better class pastures, such as those containing a relatively large amount of ryegrass, should be dressed prior to inferior ones. The former as a rule have capacity for greatox absolute response to top-dressing. This is suggested by the fact that a 20 per cent increase of growth of a good pasture has greater value than a 20 per cent, increase of a relatively poor pasture. Secondly, young pastures should as a rule be given priority in a restricted top-dressing programme to older and possibly worn ones. This view is based on the belief that it is more economical to take proper care of the young pastures and thereby to maintain them at the best possible standard than later to have to face the difficult and costly task of repairing or renewing them.

Emergency Catch Cropping While top-dressing is the major matter in regard to which one should be careful not to allow false economy to replace true economy, it may well be kept in mind, during current circumstances especially, that the work of growing special forage crops is one in respect to which the avoidance of expenditure may be unwise. Fortunately there is available a range of suitable forage crops which, sown in the late summer or early- autumn, become available when, during this year’and frequently- in other years also, they may be critically needed. Land haying grown such crops as oats, wheat, maize, millet, soft turnips or rape may be ploughed immediately these crops are ; removed, and then sown without delayin temporary pasture, oats or barley. If the land to be sown in such crops is so hard as to make satisfactory- skim ploughing impracticable, then cultivation with discs set with plenty of cut will frequently serve as a satisfactoryalternative to the skim ploughing. Such crops, and particularly the temporary- pasture, should be sown with as little delay as possible. In preparing the land for such crops is it not necossary'to reduce the surface layer of soil to a fine condition. Indeed, the presence of small clods at times proves a distinct advantage. The clods prevent the caking of the surface which at times takes place in a fine surface layer of soil under beating rains, and eventually they are broken up by natural weathering. To stimulate rapid, vigorous growth the crops mentioned above should be sown with liberal dressings of fertilisers, in which superphosphate should be prominent.

At times one sees maize and millet grown as green feed crops kept too late. Frequently, rather than, take the risk of having them become too woody or of having them cut down by frost, it is advisable to utilise them earlier and to employ the land thereby rendered vacant by growing one of the forage crops mentioned above. Any portion of such crops that cannot suitably be used as green feed should be conserved as silage unless the amount available is so small as to make this course not worth while because of the high proportion of wastage accompanying a small lot of silage. When the amount available does not justify ensilage, then it may be made into hay, and in doing this it is well to remember that it is usually difficult to dry to a safe condition the comparatively coarse stalks of these crops.