COUCH GRASS.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2081, 3 January 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

COUCH GRASS.

A knowledge of farming is not .so easily acquired, as to be immediately within the reach of any one who way have capital enough to invest iv the purchase of a farm. Experience undoubtedly teaches the best knowledge, amd when knowledge is thus gained it carries an additional weight with it. The man whose wisdom on given subjects is earned by the industry of experience, is unquestionably a step in advance of the theorist. ISo also is the theorist astepin advance of the man who is content to plud along in the steps of his forefathers. The march in the direction of improved agricultura has taken vase stiides within the last year or two, and those farmers who desire to be in the ftont ranks, must in a measure depend on the expeiience of others as* well as on that gained by themselves. Thus it follows that the establishment of a Fanners' Club — which we have advooatad in pievious issues — would be the rneansof conveying information gained by local experience to the members thereof. It would lead to a reciprocity of idt-as, and in a comparatively new country like ours without any landmarks to guide even those who may have gained a knowledge of tanning at .Home. The ir.for nmtion to be obtained w.mld be greatly to their advantage. We have a different soil, a different climate, and ditfurent surroundings to what we were accustomed to in the Old Country, and our desire should be to endeavor to obtain a knowledge of how these differences would be likely to affect ourselves. This could be gained by a mutual interchange of individual experience. It is almost impossible in th* short •pan of one man's life that he riptM bt rtfe to wltet aui »ture as

much benefic >*\ information as perhnp3 twenty would do. When tli s district was first thought of as a field of settlement — more particularly the settlement ofbheep — it \v<u considered us essentially necessary that tiie pisturage Hhould be of a peimauent na tnre. With this object in view some of those who then owned the laud thought it advisable that the grass seed imported by them should have a considerable admixture of couch. This was for the purposa of — if we mij;ht be allowed the use of the expression — to render the pastures more permanently permanent. It had the desired effect, and might ultimately have been of great benefit, but for the fact that the district has changed from a pastoral to an agricultural one. The necessity which then existed for its introduction and utilisation — now exists with increased force for its eradication. The method for its eradication is now what we have to consider, the more so that it is gaining gi'ound, and rapidly, in the district, and some are under the iiupiession that its eradicition is a matter of comparative ease, aud can be accomplished at will. It is not a matter of comparative ease, but one of great trouble and expense, and to those who have little on their firms, we would say " make it Ipss." Mako it less in any cisp. Mr MeCHI siys that couch or twitch is the "curse of agriculture, 1 ' .uid that ie should be removed at any cost. Its companionship is good for nothing. He reckons that this same nuisance costs Great Britain millions of money ai.noally. We publish below some information on tbe subject of the eindication of coach, as practised by the writer, who farms one of the finest and most profitable estates in New Zealand, notwithstanding the disadvantages of having couch as an unwelcome tenant. We believe the information will be re id with interest by our agricultur.il readers, and wft have to express our ihanks to th« gentleman who kindly furnished us with it, for the trouble lie has been put to in doing so. We may mention that his plan is the same as that adopted by eminent farmers in the Home Country, and will be until a more effectual means is discovered of Repainting the fibre roots from the earth by machinery: — My mode of operation for clemm* my ground of conch grass J hrieflv state. Tlie plan I have had to adopt is a very expensive one. yet I fin I tli 're is n » other out*. Mv farm was completely covered with it when I took possission. It is not in pi dies ike wlnit it U to be seen on co ne turn I.1 '. It seens to have been sown on the place or mixed with other grasses. I loun I nothing woul I crow where ir w;is, a* I could not get pufficie it soil to cover the seed that was 'own, or even after ploughing it two or tlroe time" to get a seed bed ; tha root* of the couch being in thegronnd would alwr.}n come upbeU) ethe seed eneh id sown, md com le ely string c it, and Hgriin take |'o«se»a->u of the ground, on the sufare I may mention, th it if l«ft Ml the ground without being disturbed it does not go \ery deep into tbe foil — about 2or 3 inches. I was advsed fit first to plough it down and try to kill it in that way. But I found that plan would not •Jo. For wherever the furrow was left the least bit open, the air got down to it, and it grew up just as before, and made it more expensive to clean by being deeper in the soil and worse to get at. Tli e plan I therefore adopted, and have pursued this Boy 9 years for clearing the ground of this grass is as follows : — As aoon after harvest as may be convenient — perhnps in May — I plough the paddock I intend to clean very shallow, say About 4 inches deep, and very narrow ; and after hing for some time in that state, say 2 or 3 months, and when dry enough to do so, I give it a good dressi 1 q down withthe harrow*, which takes away a good part of the soil from the roots, and makes it more solid for the cross ploughing, which follows. The cross ploughing is done about an inch deeper than the previous ploughing, so that tbe plough may not draw the old furrows with it. I mny mention that I find the double plough with revolving coulters by far the best for this woik, tliey deing heavier, and not so liable to lift as the single or swing plough. And now it mny be said the real work o' cleaning commences. So'ne time after the cross ploughing — =ny about a month — hniid it he dry enough, the barrows are "gain put on there t»eing . o limit to the tmes you mny have to go over it, till \ou may think it fit to gather. It is h. tter to gather it very rough the first time, for sho-ild the ground be damp V<e horns' feet have a tendency to trnmple it very h ird, which is much against tbe grubber when brought to work upon it. When this i« done men are put on to gither it, tw> ana* two working face to f c ', witli 4-pronged forks, gathering the ro-iN into drills, while others throw it into little heaps, when the drays come and take it nwa^to any hollows that miy be in the field. . if there are no hollo as then into large heaps like manure After it ha< been all gone over in tliis wav, I put on a 3-boise grubber, which brings up more roots. And after 1\ ing a few days the harrows are again put on, and the same processes gone through in gathering and carting off. Then the grubber crossi a it, a> I find when it is woi ke I all the same way tbe erubher has a tendency to go always in the same groove, and leave some between the teeth, which is not brought uj> to the sutfuce ; but when crossed nothing can eso.i!>a it. i'iiH proj^s of grubbing, borrowing, and gathering, I have to go over 4, 5, or even 0 tii»e«, just a-< tne state of the weather necessitate. When tbe weather lias been very dry, I h.i\e tried to bum the last gathering or two, as they consist generally of only the rooty fibres ; but I have found it be>t to cart it tight away, as I never could get it to bum clean. As a rule I always crop the same season with potatoes and turnips tUe. ground cleaned. I therefore have to woik it in s. ctions to get mv potatoes in first ami to be able to end with turnips. I commence in September and finish in December. It oo*ts me on an average froiu LlO to Ll2 an acre t > clean it, including the putting in e>{ my green crops. Susli is my mode of operation for the cleaning of my ground 1 from couch grass. Others may have a Ui»I femt ittti feu WpJUilv* w»y Ot dting ft,

Hut I qu< stion if any one in Otago has bb j e» compelled to tackle, it as I have had to do. And I am oorry to i»ay that with all mv labor and expense, it is not altogether out of the around \ef. I find it shewing it«?lf in some of the fields which were cleaned ■ few year* ai»o, after I begin again to crop them. I hive cleaned about 350 acres during the la«t 9 years.