Record growth of grass in the North

Northland Age, Volume 4, Issue 16, 18 January 1935, Page 2

Record growth of grass in the North

The far northern district has experienced a most abnormal season this summer in that the growth of feed has been greater than has been experienced for many years, and the growth lias kept up with the aid of the warm rains during tbe end of December and the beginning of January, so that the grass is still coming away. Farmers with experience in other parts of New Zealand, say that this summer in the north has been the greatest season for the growth of feed that they have ever seen. So abundant is the feed that some dairy farmers on the flat lands are forced to cut all their grass as it is becoming too rank for food value. In all parts, of the district farmers are at present taking full advantage of the fine weather and getting in their hay and ensilage, the work that was interfered with by the wet weather during the latter part of December. Record cuts of hay are being reported, the highest yst recorded being that from the Morpeth Estate, where the yield is about 6)£ tons to the acre, 40 tons being cut from a 6f<j acre paddock. Two stacks have been built, each measuring 35’ by 22’ by 24’ high. This paddock, which contains mostly English grasses, was thoroughly disced and harrowed last autumn, then heavily manured with rock and shell lime and super mixed with Italian rye - and clover seeds. The paddock was shut up ou the Ist November and when cut at the beginning of January the grasses were fence high with abundant leaves, not all stalk. As a demonstration of the growth in the north this summer, the grass has grown in this paddock six inches since it was cut a week ago. It is intended to again lime the paddock and in three weeks it shou! 1 be growing heavy feed .gain for the owner’s dairy herd. On the same farm corn is being grown, and this is already standing high above the fences, while i s a change of iced for the cows, o; her gret i fodder crops are about ready for feeding out. Another farmer, on the Awanui road, reports that this year he cut more hay oil a live acre paddock than he did oif ten fecres' last year. On Mr. D. Archibald’s farm on Fryer’s road, over 25 tons of hay was cut off less than Ibis paddock was chiefly paspalum grass and clover, the paspalum being four feet high and the lotus major three feet. Off a paddock alongside Mr. O. Werner is making a large hay stack as well as an ensilage stack, the yield being about 5]4 tons to the acre. These fields are by no means uncommon in the north this season, such has been the tremendous growth of feed.