STUDY OF GRASS LANDS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 28 June 1926, Page 4

STUDY OF GRASS LANDS

BY VISITING AGRICULTURIST

(By Telegraph—Special to The Mail

CHRISTCHURCH, June 26.

“I wish 1 had some shares in a superphosphate company,” said Professor R. G. Stapledon, when speaking of topdressing to a representative of the Press. Professor Stapledcm is a director of the Welsh plant breeding station at Aberystwyth and Professor of Agriculture and Botany, and at present lie is making an independent study of New Zealand grass lands with special regard to seed prodution and the export of seeds to Great Britain. So far the professor has visited Hawke’s Bay and tlie Marlborough districts, and he is interested particularly in cocksfoot, ryegrass and red and white clover. Continuing on the subject of top dressing Professor Stapledon said it stood to reason that one could not continue taking from the ground without putting something back, and everyone had to eo-nie to top dressing sooner or later. Everyone is mad about it, lie said, but as yet they are just biting at it. It is the same in England. Searrifying the land is a very important adjunct to top dressing and farmers will he well advised to employ a heavier implement than is usually used at present. The whole thing is no use unless the stock is well controlled. If a farmer lias a thousand acre paddock and he attempts to top dress one corner, allowing the stock tm wander about as they please, he will be doing more harm than good. In New Zealand as well as in England, continued the Professor, more thorough methods of land cultivation could only be employed when there were (better transport facilities, but in this direction the motor lorry was a great boon in carrying materials to hack stations and out of the way-places. Professor .Stapledon visited the United States in 1922. when lie inspected the experimental and research colleges, and he has just completed a similar tour of Australia. He expressed the opinion that the climate of New Zealand was “marvellous.”