STRATFORD FARMERS' SCHOOL

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 21 May 1923, Page 3

STRATFORD FARMERS' SCHOOL

LECTURE NO. VII

ROOT CROPS

(By J. W. Deem).

Opening his subject, Mr Deem said that the dairy cow must be in first-class condition, and that it was of no use using a purebred bull unless cows are fed to their fullest capacity. Many a farme, r was guilty of overstocking, and it was quite possible he could make more by carrying twenty cows and good ones than by running some extra ones, these extra cows only spoiling the farm. He should stock only what he can do and do well, arid the extra capital taken ui> by more cows could be put into the' farm" to kelp him do the lesser number better. The questions he had to consider were selection, testing and feeding. The production of feed to carry ins stock ever the periods when there was a shortage of grass until the fresh grass comes is his great problem. He must have something extra to carry through, the autumn, and this demanded more care, for it was essential to have this surplus to build up the cows after a heavy season's work. Something would be required for a machine, ariti similarly a cow required this extra so as to enable her to turn grass and fodder into butter-fat. Soft Turnips. This was an important supplementary crop in 'i'aranaki. and as long as tho flavour could he overcome would always be used, although some parts had cut it right out. Taranaki would use it as long as it could be grown, and the actual results varied a great deal. Last year in sixty-one crops grown and entered for competition, the average per acre was 38 tons. Gieen Glo-be a-nd Purple Top Mammoth were two thai: ! did remarkably well. Other good varie- | ties px-oved were lied Paragon, Lincohi- ! shire Bed Globe and Huiidy ar,d imperial Green Globe also gave great results. These should be fed out in rotation. At the Demonstration Farm good results had been given over three or four years' working. Tho better keeping varieties of turnip came later. Ten to fourteen ounces of seed with, three cwt. of manure, slag and super or ephos and super, were found to be satisfactory. Over these figures' was more or less waste. If sowing on rough land, a little more reed could be used, but these wer.3 found enough for winning crops last yea-r. A quick acting manure is required lor soft turnips. and in many cases super would da. Two of super with one of slag, superphosphates, Nauru or bone were found good mixtmes. At Mangatoki in the fie,ld competitions better results were got from direct phosphatic manures. At Stratford, when the soft turnips had been fed off, the'land had'been ploughed and oats put in. These were put in at the end of February, and in a. few months there was a growth of four feet. If these were to be used for hay Algerian were best. On some farms the soft turnips were going out, and other fodders, such as maize, oats and tares, were being used. These would come in in February or March. Oats and tares will provide earliest feeding and then maize.

Millet. This was becoming quite a good cow fodder in South Taranaki. It was sown in the first week in December and fed off in breaks. Lambs were feeding on millet at Moumahaki and doing well, putting on ei^ht pounds each in twelve days. At this farm also lucerne was being fed out in conjunction with soft turnips.

Other Supplementary Fodders. Buda kale was being used, and was being used extensively, oats and tares or peas being fed with them. Maize was not suitable round Stratford except in the best positions. The beest time to sow was in the beginning ol: December from one coulter, two bushels to the acre. It needed to be so^vn thickly for fodder. The best manure was half super, with blood and bone, two or three cwts, for the more the manure used the better the crop. It could be cut out green in eight weeks, and feeding could continue until finished. It was quite a good feed, but not the best for milk production. If the cows were fed on turnips they kept inmuch better condition for the winter. Where maize was grown for feed it should be cut in Ma>rch. or April, so as to buck in) the stock and send them

into winter in grocd heart. Oats and tares, in the proportion of two to one, gave good feeding for early

spring. _ If to be sown later use Algerian. For manure use phosphate, two cwt, half super and half Nauru. Oats and peas came in far green feed after Christmas, and later hay and ensilage. It -was not good to sow quick-grow-ing crops as millet in autumn. It was best sown after the third week in November. It came rapidly and kept the ground clean. Sixteen to twenty pounds per acre, through an ordinary drill, with 3 to- 4c\vt super and blood, was the best fornmla. A start could be made to feed oil when eight inches high, and it made nice succulent feed. It must be used Lief ore it came into flower or no second cut would be got. It filled a period when as a rule no regular grass was available. Swedes. The swede crop should provide feed from early winter until spring, but

there, were great problems to meet in the club root and the dry rot- season. White fleshed suedes were being grown free from any dry rot, and unless something like this could be got it would be difficult to control the pests. A very serious problem was ahead in getting a variety thcit would lvsist the rot. The results of the field competitions | proved that from eight to twelve ounces gave the best results, but a great deal depended on the cultivation. If the ground was rough more seed was required. Out of 158 crops, the average yield was 38 tons 3cwts. The average at the farm worked out similarly. The use of manure had in all cases very lai'gely increased the- crops. With, two cwt. a return had been secured of 39 tons, with 3cwt o() tons. Half super and half slag returned" the best results, but Nauru, bone orephos in place of slag gave quite good results. Jri the preparation stages, cultivation and perfect working, paid-well. ; Carrots. I The carrot crop, said Mr Deem, is the most important and most valuable in Taranaki. Many types were grown, according to the soil of the particular district. It had no pests, and would grow in the same ground yea.r after

year. It was fed out with advantage ■ to every class of stock, and had a. bet-. ' ter feed value than any - other root: crop. Owing, perhaps, to the field competitions, farmers in South Tara- ( naki had realised this, and everyone; grew at least four or live acres. The best crops were secured from lib to 1-J----lb of seed, which was ample, and the' winning crops were sown in 14in. drills, i but only in small area^ In the competitions the tisual drill was 28in, and, 62 tons were secured at Manaia. The' weight was just as good in the wide' drills, and the horse cultivator could he used after the thinning had been 1 done. It would keep the weeds in I check. At Mo-umnhaki the cultivator • was kept going with great <°.dv;inta£-2, and when the dry season came the

crop was quite clean*. Any manure almost could be used, as the carrot was a wonderful feeder. At the DeinonstFo tion Farm the Matchless White a*a«3 oat on its own, but was inclined to go to seed. Sinclair's Champion and Magnum Bonmn were both excellent varieties. The average of sixty-two crops two years ago was 31 tons llcwt. I^3

year it ran out at 39 tons 19cwt. 1 , Mangolds. • j 3 This was a very important and valu--3 able crop. It was reliable and was Hot j subject to diseases. It should be grown ! after turnips and swedes. It required i a lpt of work, but this helped it in j the late spring. A succession would ; i be—soft turnips January to April, j . swedes thence to August, carrots Sep- j r t-ember, when the cows have come in, I I mangolds thence onwards. Mangolds j x want to be pulled 1 month before using, j 3 so as to allo-iv them to ripen. They should ; j be .pulled early in June, and kept in a. convenient'place, a central position, for r carting out. They were subject to frosts when pulled, and therefore there ' was some danger for a few days after i puking. Some discretion was therefore k necessary, so as to avoid this danger, j > They should be covered with fern or j \ straw. At Stratford Farm a hundred i tons had been taken off two acres. In , palling, it was advisable to take roots , on the outside of the crop and to work ' ' back again. Last year the average; ■ over 144 crops was 49 tons, while the y best crop totalled 91 tons. In regard to varieties, Mr Deem said that the Prise-winner had done best all round, but nearer the coast the Jersey Queen turned out best. The White Sugar bad ■ given the biggest crop. It came away i quickly, and soon got into its second j ; k'af. it came quicker and softened j , mor.s easily. Care hud to be used in j , stacking. The 2Sin. drill was the best , method, and would win every time. , Tnis mangold wanted vigorous and deep cultivation. In fact it liked to be i knocked half out of th© ground. Clean ground was essential tor success, and this ensured clean sowing for the nextcrip. in the management of mangolds it was necessary to give a liberal allowance of manure if a good crop was expected, 4cwt. to scwt. per acre. Ifi one put in a heavy application the man. ! golds would come thickly and quickly ; and smother weeds. Two parts of j super, two of Nauru or ephos, and one ] of bone meal was a good mixture, or, if | lafce, three parts of super. He would not recommend nitrogen, but if growing the second year in succession a half-hundred weight of sulphate of pot- ! ash could bo used. He advocated salt. ! for the manjrold loved it, as its original home was alono; the shores of" the : Mediterranean Sea where it would getample. Three to four hundredweight"of ■ salt could He used, put in broadcast • just before harrowing and harrowed in. \ The best crops were rrown on areas ' where cultivation was intense through- j out. .At the Stratford Farm it was j found that a liberal nse of salt in- '• creased the yield by ten tons to the j acre, and this was endorsed by the re- ! suits in the competitions. / Referring again to carrots, Mr. Deem sakl that manure for this crop Avas about the same as for mangolds. Carrots had lately come much to the ■ fore for ph^ep feeding. In sowing every i second drill shoxild be used, and the ! carrots grpwn thickly and not thinned j p-ut too much. They have filled a very j

important place in sheep feednig.

QUESTIONS. In reply to questions, Mr. Deem said that salt had no direct benefit for carrots. Quick growing was essential, and in some cases a mixture of radishes or lettuces was worth trying. The white sugar mangold was slightly superior to other varieties, but not a great deal.

The Prize Winner had perhaps slightly less feed .value, but the Long Red softened up quickly and was generally fed first. The use of potash was not borne out by test for resisting pests. Burnt lime on swedes, 2cwt. to the acre along the-drills, did a lot in preventing club root. Soft turnips had been condemned by factory managers, unless used judiciously. Pull and feed after milking was a good motto. If they were used with oare, pulled one day and used the next after milking, they were not the bogey they were often represented, to be. In regard to mangolds he always advocated taking the tops off, for the special reason that they had no feed value. The tops should "be returned to the ground as manure. They coifld be cut or screwed off.

Feeding green tops had more tendency to flavour the milk than the bulbs had.

Two of the best varieties of maize | were the Ninety Days and Red Hogan. j He was not heen on Chou Mollier ex_ ' cept as 21 temporary feed, and it entailed j too much work clearing out the roots afterwards. If a- root crop were fed at once after pulling, the stock were liable to red : water. It was better to cart out of the ' paddock where grown. Carrots on the average did best if sown on November 1. or perhaps a j week earlier. Early sowing had been proved to be of no advantage. The seed lay in the cold ground and did no j good. Lnter, when the ground was warm and clean tho plants would come j more quickly. If sown late in November extra tillage was required and cultL vat'on must be continued. It had been found that sorphum did not do well in Taranaki.