MARAKOPA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 437, 7 February 1912, Page 7

MARAKOPA.

Grass seeding is now the order of the day, the fine weather experienced during the last two Weeks having ripened the grass very nicely. This district will in time produce a considerable amount of cocksfoot seed. This grass appears to be coming into favour more every year, and certainly has taken well in this country, as instanced by a paddock sown down seven years ago with three pounds of cocksfoot to the acre, besides the usual mixture of other grasses. The portion of this paddock reserved for seed this year is estimated to produce cocksfoot seed at the rate of four bags to the acre, and this on land which was part of an old Maori clearing gone back into manuka, fern, etc., when taken over by the present, owner. It is almost to get any two farmers to agree as to what constitutes the best mixture of grasses to sow on bush land, and different conditions of climate, soil, etc., enter so largely into the question that no hard and fast rule can be laid down in this direction; and a new settlers in a district is wise to profit by the experience of his neighbours before introduicng any innovations in the grass seed line before becoming acquainted with the conditions prevailing in the district. For instance, an early settler sowed on his hill property, amongst other grasses, a nortion of tall fescue, which took very well and did no harm whilst it was kept down with stock. When, however, after a year or two, this grass had gone to seed and spread over the swamp of an adjoining settler, the undesirable nature of the plant became apparent. This grass spreads to an alarming extent in swampy ground and is exceedingly hard to eradicate when once established.