FARM PROGRESS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 182, 2 July 1938, Page 10

FARM PROGRESS.

FERTILE SOILS AND PASTURES,

A general survey of. the Woodville County from a farming point of view, together with a summary of progress during the past ten years, is indicated bv the agricultural and pastoral statistics. The occupied area is some 84,000 acres. The county lies within the high rainfall belt, having a good average monthly rainfall, with no extremes of drought or severe cold. The farm, lands have been developed generally front heavy rain forests. Hie soils range front fertile silts bordering the main rivers and streams, including the Manawatu, and extending over a considerable portion of t.ie flats in the vicinity of 'Woodville, to staffer, more clayey soils, comprising much of the extensive areas of nets and lower rolling country, on to sandstone and mudstone formations of the higher rolling to steeper hill country. The silts are fertile soils, capable of growing excellent root and fodder crops and good high producing permanent pastures of perennial ryegrass, cocksfoot and white clover. The stiffer day soils of the flats and lower country when drained and ploughed are also capable of maintaining good pastures. The hill country, because of the rainfall, tends to revert to browntop as tho dominant species, but is also capable, as illustrated on many farms, of relatively good carrying capacity. Officially, two interesting and important features oi the farm lands ill the county have been observed. These ore, first, the extensive areas ■of nloughable country capable of considerable and economic improvement (y better drainage—renewal of pastures bv ploughing and the establishment of"better species, including perennial strains of ryegrass and white clover, and the maintenance ofj these better pastures by topdressing a relatively high carrying capacity. The good response to phosphate fertilisers where the plough has been used to establish better species is well demonstrated throughout the county on plough able land. Second, the natural deterioration of much of the bill country to dominant browntop and in places danthonia is being countered successfully by many farmers by closer subdivision, topdressing and tho introduction of subterranean clover, which is playing an important part m getting paying returns from topdressing. Though comparatively closely subdivided into holdings as compared with adjoining counties, the Woodville County is capable of still clpser subdivision. The number of holdings in 1936-37 was 340 with an average area of 247 acres, as compared with Kketahuna with 363 holdings, and no average area per holding c-f 502 acres. Extracts from statistics for the county for 1926-27 compared with the position ten years later iu 193 are as follow:

In 1926-27 the total area occupied was 82,113 acres, of which 77,961 acres were cultivated (73,702 acres :>u pasture arid 4259 ii'i crops of various kinds). Ir. 1936-37 the total area occupied was 83,944 acres, of which 78,929 acres were cultivated (J 7,143 acres in pasture and only 1786 in

crops). This illustrates the trend to more reliance on permanent pastures. This is further shown by the areas cut for hay and silage in 1926-27, 16-57 acres; in 1937-38, 3098 acres. The stock returns are :- — Total hairy 1 Horses. Carrie Cattle. 1 3326-2’ 1.060 17,571 3,736 1936-37 1,002 21,551 11,672 j Shaep ' Kiieep T-anibs an* Si) l 'i'r Tailed Pigs ’ 1926-59 ... 39.76!' 47,656 39,331 2.920 193637 ... 92,"02 to.&to 100,23-5 4,bb3 In tlie above statistics some de- -- ' i.-.j*will to uoW, as i.iio figuccs d( ,y..’us,i,ri,U imokiv.ss, pariiouiarly in ’.tie chan a-., iron: dry etcck In iv:■ i. .vr r.rvislijig Block. Tn« iieirvaitage ii.’-ms-s a.iv. luf/ie ilivistratiisv tV.au the actual i iK-reasn i.n r.-ruiitons. F« instance, the iiKO'casc „f 4186 :.c cattle is due Ti.aS.T.Uv to an inerwSßo of 2954 in 'hairy cattle. 11)e increase of. sheep .she,in of 12,034. if. reflected in an in-erf/.v-e in i a ir. So tailed of 16,170, n.-cnstrating that the proportion or eivtt: to dry sheep has been very definitely' imrea:c«i. This can ouiy be due to improved pastures. Again, the increase ir. pigs" demonstrates the better use of dairy by-products.