ON THE LAND.

Northern Advocate, 22 December 1919, Page 3

ON THE LAND.

TALL OAT GRASS

ITS VALUE IN RE-VEGETATING

Visitors to the experimer. xl farm at Ashburton last week on the occasion of the "field day" were shown a four-acre paddock of tall oat grass (says the "Weekly Press"), a pasture used to a considerable extent on the dry soils of Europe f and with which experiments are Ibeing made by the Agricultural Department to test its suitability in similar soils in New Zealand. A flock of sheep had just been removed from the paddock, and the feed Was well eaten down, which showed that it was palatable, this con. elusion being iborne out by the farm manager, who said that the sheep evinced a desre to get back to to it when removed. T.he general impres sion is that the grass is not favoured by stock, and the evidence secured by the experience at the Ashburton farm is therefore valuable. Tall oats are an early spring grower, and it is claimed that they will provide a "nibble" when ordinary feed is at its scarcest. At present the seed is expensive— about Is 6d a pound—and difficult to procure and the best way for farmers to obtain a supply is to sow a small area for seed. I

The Fields Division of the Depart ment commenced re-vegetating ex periments some years ago in Central Otago and the Mackenzie Country, small plots ibcing sown in dry areas alongside various other grasses. It is claimed that tall oats produced the best results, and were the most suied for the class of country, and it is suggested that, being deep-rooted, it ought to suit the dry areas of Can terbury plains where difficulty* is experienced in maintaining the permanent pastures. An inspection of these plots was made in April, 1919, by Mr A. Macpherson > Fields Supervisor of the Department, and the subjoined statement is an extract from his re port. The tall oats plot on that occasion was outstanding, the only question yet unsolved being whether it will stand permanent grazing. Evidence fiom European countries is that it will, but the matter has not yet been put to the test here by the Department. There is an area of several acres on the better land at the prison farm at Templeton, and it is looking extremely well at present. It had been fed down on two occasions by sheep, which showed no antipathy to it, and on this particular part of the farm there was good mixed pasture available. It was not as might be assumed from the general conception of the character of the soil on the farm, a matter of "Hobson's choice."

The following is the extract from the report referred to: —

This is one of the hardiest, most porductive, and drought-resistiing of cultivated grasses. It is only in recent years that its value has been fully realised. It is fond of all dcs criptions of soils, Ibut its hardy and drought resisting qualities render it specially valuable for those which are light and dry. The grass has a slightly bitter taste, but it is not the less liked on that account toy stock. It attains maturity very quickly after sowing and is very deep-rooted. It is well-suited for permanent pastures as well as for one or two year's lay. Tall oat grass takes the place of rye grass on all light European soils, and in Europe it ranks as the most important grass in all mixtures that are destined for permanent pastures. The stems grow to a height of about four feet. A well-prepared firm, seed- ! bed is most desirable. The seed is rather large > and deep-seeding is important—about one inch in moist soils and II inches in dry. It is difficult to understand why this grass has been so neglected in the Dominion. No doubt the erroneous statements published regarding its supposed unpalatability have deterred many from growing it, At Arlington Farm, Virginia, horses eat pure hay of tall oat grass readily, and most experimental stations have reported that animals eat it well. The Arlington mixture for upland soils consists of 101b cocksfoot, 20 lb tall oat grass, 41b alsike. This combination of grasses is recommended for a permanent meadow,. The prejudice existing against tall oat grass because of its supposed unpalatability have deterred many from growing it, but nevertheless it is apparently not founded on a real basis.

A few experienced with this grass in the Dominion confirm the_ foregoing. James Pettigrew and George Vogan, both dairy farmers at Duvauchelle -Bay < state that this grass has spread on 'to their farmes from the Summit road, and they observed for some years past that wherever tall oat grass has got a hold in their padclocks, stock seem to take to it more readily than to their other grass paddocks. Both assert that there can not be a snadow of doubt regarding stock relishing tall oat grass. At the Paparua Prison Farm, Templeton, near Christchurch, an area was gown with th.is grass to secure seed for sowing on the light lands on the Prison Farm. Last season a crop of seed was secured, and, after being threshed, the hay was offered to horses, dairy cattle, andssheetp t and eaten at once with relish. The bulk of the hay was chaffed and readily eaten, by all stock on the farm. Already this season it has been fed down twice by sheep, and they have eaten it most readily. In 1914, Mr Archibald. Gillies, dairy farmer, and a well-known breeder of Ayrshire cattle t Hampden, applied to the Department for a suitable mixture of grasses to sow as a test on his farm, as the ordinary mixtures used would not stand the dry spells which North Otago had been subjected to at that time for a considerable period. A mixture of tall oat grass, wanless brome grass, cocksfoot, and Phalaris bulbosa was sent, and sown in the centre of a paddock on the hill face. This area re mained green throughout the dry spell, and was in striking contrast to, the bμr.nt-up pasture on tfte rest of the field and was constantly grazed by his cattle. So impressed was

Mr Gillies with the result that he asked for, and obtained, some ten pounds of seed of tall oat grass to enable him to make a start to grow his own seed. He subsequently reported as follows:—

"I have now had experience of this grass for three years. It was sown in one corner of a paddock where a mixture of grasses and clovers was also sown. The first year it was grazed in common with the other part of the paddock, and I noticed that the tall oat grass was eaten down perfectly bare, while the other grass alongside was about a foot high. The second year I fenced off the portion on which tlie tall oat grass was sown, for seed purposes, which grew over four feet in height. In cutting for seed I left a stubble of about two feet in height_ and after securing the seed, removed' the fence. Immdiately this was done the cattle left other grasses and grazed the tall oat grass stubble as bare as the road, in striking contrast to the other grasses, which were left several inches in height. lam satisfied that this grass is a suitable one to grow for pasture for cattle, and is deserving of more attention than it has yet received."

This grass spreads rapidly through the seeds Ibeing carried by strong winds; it is therefore an ideal grass in this respect for re-vegetating country. Farmers are warned against the weed variety of this grass, commonly called onion couch (Arrhenatherum avenaceum var bulbosum). A distinguishing feature of this variety is its bulbous underground stems.