THE FARM.

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1923, Page 7

THE FARM.

SEASONAL NOTES. (Fields Division, Dept. of Agriculture) ROOT CROPS. Mangolds and carrots will be making good growth in December, and every endeavour should be made to get them thinned as early as possible, so as to check weeds and let the young plants bccome well established before the hot weather sets in. Carrots should be thinned out to about 5 in. apart, and mangolds to 1 ft. Wider thinning is frequently recommended, but many results go to show that the spacings mentioned give the heaviest crops and the best-quality roots. The land between the drills should have frequent cultivation, so as to encourage root-development and control weeds. For the horse-hoe the Lshaped tines with flat blades are best while the plants are young. In cultivating mangolds care should be taken not to bank the soil around the plants; 011 the contrary, it should be pulled away from them. If the plants are pale and showing poor leaf-growth a top-dressing with I cwt. of nitrate of soda after thinning will help to push them along, but if doing well they are better without the nitrate.

Further sowings of soft turnips for cow-feeding and lamb-fattening may be made early in December, :ind when grotyn for late autumn (incl winter feeding they should be put in towards the end of the month. Good varieties for this purpose are Green Globe and Green-top Aberdeen, or "Green-top Scotch" as they are frequently called. Green-top varieties are hardier and better keepers than purple-tops, but mature more slowly. All the Aberdeens are apt to bury themselves, and are more suitable for ridging than for sowing on the flat.

Swedes. —In districts where swedes arc still a staple crop the later part of December is the best time to sow, unless early sowings have been proved by experience to be satisfactory. For example, near the coast in north-west Wellington and Taranaki it is necessary to get them in during the first half of the month, but in higher situations any time between, say, the 20th and the end of the month will be found to be suitable. The Later the crop is sown, the less likely it is to be destroyed by dry-rot; on the other hand, if left too late there is the danger of dry weather and a poor strike. Superlative, Masterpiece, Magnum Bonum, Grandmaster, and Up-to-date arc among the best varieties. They are all liable to attacks of dry-rot, particularly the first mentioned, Grandmaster and Up-to-date

being the most resistant. A fine, firm, moist seed-bed is essential, in order that the crop may make a good start and so stand a good chance against the "fly." From 30 o/.. to 14 oz. of seed should be sown through every second coulter of the drill; the better the land and the seed-bed, the less seed required. New seed of reliable origin should always be used; old seed is very apt to be disappointing. Fertilizers should be used with, the seed at the rate of 2 cwt. to 3 cwt. per acre. Most of the proprietary manures give good results, but where the farmer wishes to mix his own the following will be found very suitable generally: Half superphosphate and half either Ephos phosphate, basic slag, bone-meal, or Nauru phosphate; on old land l cwt. sulphate , of potash per acre added to the above will in some cases be advantageous. Care must be taken that a run-off of rough grazing will be a\-ailable adjacent to the swede-paddock when the latter is fed 01Y. Failing this, a supply of liav will be a great asset. HAY AND ENSILAGE. In the earlier districts crops for both hay and ensilage will be ready for cutting from the beginning of December onwards. To get the best of grass for either purpose it should be rut when the majority of plants are in bloom; if allowed to stand until the seed is ripening, the quality of both hay and ensilage will be inferior. Further, if the crop is removed at the proper time the clover and fine grasses then come away rapidly and a good aftermath is produced. Where special crops, like oats and tares or oats and peas, have been grown for hay or ensilage care should also be taken to see that they are cut nt the proper time. For hav the oats should be cut in the milky stage, and for ensilage in the dough stun;. The making of ensilage is steadily coming into favour either for autumn or winter feeling", for both of which purposes it is very valuable. Apart from the good fodder saved, the cleaning-up of pastures at this time of the year helps greatty towards a succulent autumn growth. On most farms there is now a great deal of rank grass which is not palatable to stock. If tliis is removed before it gets too div it makes quite good ensil'ige. Until the erection of silos is more general farmers will have to rely on the pit or stack methods of ensilage. The stack has the great advantage that it can be made in the field where the material is grown; its greatest disadvantage is the labour involved, but if this is set against the labour and worry of making hay in n wet season the ensilage probably has the best of it, and the fodder saved is better. MAKING STACK ENSILAGE. About 40 tons is the minimum quantity of green material that it is profitable to make into stack ensilage.

If the quantity is less the farmer should try u small pit. With a small quantity of material the loss around the sides in a stack is considerable, whereas if it is put into a pit it can be covered right up and the less reduced to a minimum. A fair average crop of grass will produce from 6 to S tons per acre of green material, and special crops like oats and tares S to 10 tons; heavy crops will give on extra 2 or 3 tons. A stack to contain 30 to 40 tons should be approximately 14 ft. bv 14 ft.; 50 to 70 tons, 10 ft. by 18ft.; 100 tons, 20 ft. by 24 ft.; and so on.

Having selected the site, the stack should, be built up from 6 ft. to 8 ft. high the first day, and then allowed to stand for a day or two to allow the heat to generate up to about 130 dg. F. After this a few feet may be added each day for two or three days, when the stack should be again spelled for d day or two. The builder is guided by the stack: if it is settling rapidly building should be continued every day, but if the settling is slight the stack should be rested until this is satisfactory. While the stack is being built care should bo taken to see that the sides are kept, if anything, a little firmer than the centre, and the top of the stack should always be kept as nearly level os possible. Further, if there . is a continuous wind from one direction there Mill be a danger of the heat being driven to the lee side and of 1 the stack settling unevenly. To prevent this, hang a tarpaulin or some bags on the windy side. It is also •in advantage to add from 3 lb. to 6 lb. of salt per ton of green material when building; the poorer the material, the more salt required. Salt improves the quality of the ensilage, and it is a convenient way of feeding it to the stock. "Wlen finished, the stack should be eovercd with from 9 in. to 12 in. of soil, so as to exclude the air; about 9 in. at the sides, running to 15 in. at the centre, gives a good finish. If the stack is very hot and settling rapidly the soil should be put on the I day following the last material. If, I on the other hand, the temperature is low and settling is slow the covering is best deferred for a few days. The best ensilage is made at a ternperature between 120dg. and 140dg. If the stack gets too hot during the process of building add .more material; on the other hand, if it is not hot enough spell for a time as alrendj' recommended. Experienced persons generally discard the thermometer, but it is a very useful guide for a beginner. At the end of each day's, work drive a 4 ft. length of 1 in. or larger piping down the centre of the stack; then place an ordinary milk thermometer attached to a string down this pipe. In the morning the temperature is read, and, if satisfac* tory, the pipe is removed and stacking proceeded with, the pipe being again placed in position at the end of the day's work. LUCERNE HAY. Lucerne is probably the most difficult plant to convert into first-class hay. The preservation of the leaf and a certain amount of moisture is essential if the green colour is to be retained. Too .much moisture, however, is sure to result in heating, and a fr.stv hay. If weather permits, and the crop is not too heavy, the whole operation niay be completed in three or four days. In the event of a heavy crop, lucerne should be dried out in small cocks rather than big ones. Should fain fall 011 the small cocks Joss damage will be done than if it fell on big ones. "Where lucerne is planted in rows and used for haying purposes it is not advisable to intercultivate after every cut. as dirt is sure to get in the subsequent cut of hay. Proper attention to autumn and spring cultivation should be sufficient to keep the stand clean. Where the stand is used as a giazing proposition, grubbing after each grazing could be resorted to for keeping the surface free from weeds and forming a mulch. PASTURES. Under Canterbury conditions the ordinary rve-grass and red-clover pasture becomes hard find unpalatable in December. It has been noticed that several farmers in that district are safeguarding themselves by providing a pure cocksfoot, dogstail, and whiteclover pasture, and keeping it shut up , till the cocksfoot gets away. This j feed then fits in nicely with the usual summer shortage, as grazing on such pasture can be commonccd at the end of November. Western Woltlis ryegrass, February-sown, gives the most satisfactory feed for October. GREEN FORAGES. Most of the rape will now be in, but where this crop is favoured for late feed additional sowings can now be made. Late sowings of millet or maize for fodder may be completed in December.