Quality of Produce

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7061, 21 January 1933, Page 4

Quality of Produce

INFLUENCE OF PASTURES

CRITICISM OF RYEGRASS

A criticism of Now Zealand pastures from the point of view of their suitability for dairy production is made by "Practical Farmer," who writes to an Auckland exchange in reference to the complaints about tho deterioration in the quality of Now Zealand choese. "J am an. English farmer,” ho says “and have been bore for eleven; years. Eor eleven years I have condemned tlio Now Zealand pastures. "In England I farmed.under my father and we had nino different dairies under our charge. We found that wc could not make first-class dairy goods from perennial rye-grass. When I came out and heard tho Government propaganda I gave rye-grass another try, and mot with tho same results. I found that at one timo of tho year I was unable to drink tho milk from the cow. I have seen cows and horses ill from eating it, and a man I know lost a number of chickens which ato tho seeds. “Twolve months ago I took a tour right Tound tho North Island. Tho Manawatu was the only district that had a body of any decent pa'sture. From Opotoki to Auckland I saw many decent patches of pasture, but there was not enough of it. For under tho co-operat-ive method one lot of bad milk or cream will spoil a whole body of good milk or cream; but one lot of good milk or cream will not make a whole lot of bad milk or cream good. “I have a home paper before me dated October 28, 1932, and in it is an article on pastures written by the beettender firm of seedsmen in the South of England, with an experience of 120 years behind them. They say:' 'The flower culm of such grasses as crested dogstail, and, to a lesser extent, perennial rye-grass, which are passed over by stock must be, prevented from seeding by mowing, since the very fact of animals permitting them to seed while neighbouring species are bitten down closely is conclusive evidence of their unfitness for pasture.’ Thi's is what I have been telling farmers for cloven years. Two years ago I had 35 station two-year hoifers on my place to eat five acres of maize stalks (not maize cobs). Every day they wero turned out (July), to have water in a 10-acro perennial rye-grass. A Government Agricultural Instructor, later saw my ewes and lambs feeding on it and remarked: ‘Thoy are feeding on it all right.’ ‘Ye's/ I said they have either to cat it or starve. If you will come across to my neighbour’s I will show you sheep eating good grass hay. They have either to cat that or starve.’’