SOD-BOUND PASPALUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18942, 13 February 1925, Page 7

SOD-BOUND PASPALUM.

SUCCESSFUL REJUVENATION. EXPERIMENTS AT RUAKURA. rBV TKI.EOP.APH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT) HAMILTON. Thursday. An experiment to rejuvenate a sod-bound paspalum paddock has been successfully carried out at Buakura, a paddock near the homestead that had been down in paspalum for some years being chosen. It was turned over with a doublefurrow plough in September, 1921. It was then rolled on the furrow and doubledisced live times. Ceroaltf'were drilled in during the same month. After the cereals had been harvested tho following January a good growth of paspalum made its appearance. In April, 1922, the field waa harrowed twice with heavy tine harrows and tho surface was sown with grass and clover seed, the seed being covered with tripod and chain harrows. Tho object was to rejuvenate the paspalum, and to see how far ryegrass and clover could be sown so as to combine with the paspalum. Since April, 1922, thci-o lias been a good growth of ryegrass, red and white clover, subterranean clover, and lotus major in the various plots that were sown. The field was heavily stocked, until November, 1924, when it was shut up for hay. Mowing took place a few days ago, and 'harvesting is now in progress. During the last two months there has been a remarkable growth of grass in the paddock, red clover and lotus major being particularly noticeable among the paspalum. The yield is particularly heavy, being estimated at 2£ tons to tho acre. Referring to the experiment Mr. P. W. Smallfield, an instructor at the farm, Jlid that paspalum usually became sodbound after 10 years' growth. Paspalum's main growing season was from November to the end of April, and a combination of .other grasses was required to produce feed when the paspalum was in a more or less dormant condition. Subterranean clover produced a mv'ituum amount of feed from August to December, aud although this variety of clover was not very suitable for mixing with English grasses, because of its smothering effect, it did well m a paspalum paddock