TRIAL WHEAT CROP NEAR OKAIHAU

Northern Advocate, 3 April 1947, Page 3

TRIAL WHEAT CROP NEAR OKAIHAU

LAND which grew tough tea-tree at Okaihau 18 months ago, produced a useful crop of wheat this season. The yield of 10 bushels per acre from an area of 12 acres could not be called high, but, considering the conditions under which the crop was grown, the result was most satisfactory.

This trial crop was grown by Mr R. Lister, of Puketotara. In September of last year he sowed 12 acres of virgin land with Cross Seven wheat. The land was mainly ironstone in its soil type. It was previously covered with scrub and, in preparation for the crop it was simply disced and harrowed. The only topdressing was an application of blood and bone at the rate of 1 cwt per acre. No lime was used.

trict were contemplating planting considerable areas in wheat next season, Mr Lister said.

Commenting on the use of this crop during the breaking in of new land, he said he had cut it high to leave plenty of straw, thus building up the humus content of the soil. He had obtained about 80 bales of straw from the threshing process and this straw had some value for packing purposes. The soil itself was now in excellent condition and he intended to apply lime at about lOcwt per acre and other fertiliser for next season’s crop which would occupy a greater acreage, thus bringing move land into cultivation. After one crop had been taken on. the soil was in a suitable stale for the sowing of pastures. Generally speaking this venture had been successful. Little labour had been required and the results had shown that with adequate feitiliser and lime, the soil could produce wheat crops which would give a yield comparable with that of the recognised grain growing districts of New Zealand. Mr Lister contended.

Interviewed yesterday Mr Lister raid he was pleased with the'result of his experiment which produced a crop of good hard wheat, suitable for fowl feed.

He said wheat had been successfully grown in a number of Northland districts, and yields of up to 80 bushels per acre had been obtained in years gone by, from an area near the old stone store at Kerikeri. Mr Lister considered that average

yields of about 30 bushels per acre could be obtained by farmers in any Northland district. By putting in a

.Lew acres farmers could do much to alleviate the shortage of grain for poultry, he suggested.

Other farmers in the Okaihau dis-