HILL FARMING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 157, 4 June 1937, Page 6

HILL FARMING

IMPORTANCE OF SHEEP. RELATION TO LOWER LANDS. Hill country farming in a North Island district, its development ana management to-day, was the subject of an interesting review at the annual gathering of sheep farmers at Massey College, to-day, by Mr A. C. Morton, sheep farm manager at the college. Mr Morton gave his opinion that the sheep farmer on the hill country held a most important jiosition in the industry, because in audition to sheep k>r Ins own purposes lie "bad to produce breeding ewes tor the fat lamb raiser on the better and lower land. The problem L’ be laced in regard to hill country farming was to produce a ewe of a consistently high standard while still maintaining the fertility of the land. The speaker dealt with the lai-hape-Mangaweka area, saying it was nearly all hill country, with only two main areas in Hats or ploughable land A central ridge ran through it, the whole being generally known as papa country. The sowing over the area had been more or less the same, but on the higher and lighter levels there was now very little rye and . cocksfoot left, with dantliomadominant pastures. Though the climate was rigorous,.- there was a wellspread rainfall which in 24 years had averaged 45 inches a year. The area could be called, generally, first-class hill country soil, and on the whole the holdings ran from 750 to 1000 acres. The speaker paid a tribute to the pioneers of the district who had had great disadvantages' to meet. They had very little return for a number of years. The early settlers had no precedent to follow and had not the lessons we had before us now. Now we would sow different seeds and would stock the land in a very different manner. There had been a general impression that it was desirable to have a “clean burn,” but it had been shown that the best pastures had come from those burns which had been not so good. The bush there had, been very heavy, and that provided the reasons for the land now carrying such good pastures. Californian thistle had provided a big problem in some parts, but was now dying out, and bidibidi had found a hold in spots where the “take” of grass was not good. Better farming methods, with more eatle, were now meeting the bidibidi, and the parasite was doing effective if somewhat slow worn. In the main, sheep and cattle farming was carried on, and the district was very suitable indeed for Romney sheep, the speaker prophesying that some of the best Romnej wool it. New Zealand would come from there. DUTY OF FARMERS. The speaker said that a farmer had a duty co posterity and to the Stacu to leave the land he took over in at least as good a stale of productivity as when he took it over. Lambing percentages were from about 95 to 100 per cent., but too many of the lambs were not up to standard. Ilie problem now was how to raise the standard of the 50 per cent, which did not reach the best -requirements. It was obvious that the care of the ewe from infancy was most important. In regard to rearing ewe hoggets, he was quite sure that the best paddocks should be used and the pastures kept in order with dry cattle—not with cows. If possible, the country should be cleared of slicep for a month or six weeks, the pastures being controlled with dry cattle. The most successful farmers he knew tried to keep the seed stalk olf their pasture until the New Year. If the farmer had a lot of rough Octo-ber-Novcinber growth lie had a great deal of unpalatable grass to feed off in winter. The hoggets should ho built up before the winter and they would then last through it well and come out healthy to be sound sheep as two-tooth hoggets. The speaker next addressed himself to the value of good pasture in wintering ewes—it should be evenly grazed. That, as quick-growing grass, suffered less from frost than the dry, rough material. IMPROVEMENT METHODS. As to improving the type of pasture in that district, Mr Morton said reductions ill sheep and increases in cattle had brougnt about some improvement in some areas, but were not successful in all. Throughout practically all the district there was quite an appreciable amount of clover and topdressing had brought up a good stand. Consequently, where that had been carried oat and stock bought to control the feed, top-dressing had been found definitely profitable. The topdressing cost about £1 an acre. However, top-dressing meant extra stock, and for that there had to he extra water because, if it was not there, the stock would not do as well as they could, and in the dry period cattle could not be carried. Three and four-year-old steers were the best, but now they were more or less unprocurable, and it appeared that the price would be even higher. As a result, it appeared that young cattle would have to be used, with the breeding herds, and that was not as good as using older steers. For the future, it seemed that the hill county would be even more used for the production of older ewes for the breeding of fat lambs on tne better-class land, said file speaker. A good ewe had to be produced to go through two seasons, and the problem to-day was how to produce such ewes and keep the fertility of the land. The hill-country farmer was the backbone of the sheep industry. He would have to be able to farm at such a profit that he would be able to put a large propodtion of it back into the land. Previously that had not been done, but it would* have to be effected. At the conclusion of the address a number of questions were asked and answered, and the speaker was accorded a vote of thanks.