TOP-DRESSING PASTURES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18941, 12 February 1925, Page 14

TOP-DRESSING PASTURES.

The natural pastures of Australia form tho principal source of national income. Practically all the sheep and a greater portion of the cattle are supported exclusively on the natural herbage. The grass crop may, therefore, be regarded as Australia's greatest crop, but its cultivation lias received little attention in the past, and it is only within recent years that farmers of New South Wales, following in the footsteps of their Victorian brothers, have come to recognise the value of the top-dressing of pastures. The following experiment to test the top-dressing theory was carried out by Mr, T. Pickles, at Oaklands. The plot, chosen for the purpose consisted of light sandy soil, which, in favourable circumstances, produces very nice feed. This area, about 120 acres, he dressed with 561b. high-grade super about the middle of July, at which period many beneficial rainfalls had been recorded. The super was sown with a drill, to which was attached a set of harrows. The results are beyond all expectations. The plot is a carpet of clovers, trefoil, and other natural grasses, showing a growth of 6in. above that of the area not treated, which appears as an area of brown grass when compared with the experimental plot. Mr. Pickles avers that with top-dressing he can treble the carrying capacity of his land, and lie intends doing so.