GRASSLAND FARMING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20251, 10 May 1929, Page 5

GRASSLAND FARMING.

NEEDS OF THE WAIKATO.

RESEARCH FOR THE NORTH

PECULIAR LOCAL CONDITIONS

A desire to make greater use of Ruakura as an experimental station, particularly regarding resoarch in grass pastures, has been finding freer expression in Waikato circles of late.

Publicity given to the movement has tho endorsement of Dr. 11. E. Annett, formerly a prominent expert in the Indian Agricultural Service, and now a resident in tho Waikato, where ho continues to display an active interest in farming problems. He, himself, has conducted extensive grass land farming experiments on his farm at Matangi and holds the view that the experimental work carried on at Massey Agricultural College, Palinerston North, and in the South Island, is not always applicable in its results to tho Auckland district with il?, climatic and' soil peculiarities. In tho com so of a statement recently made by him in the Waikato, Dr. Arinett said that while New Zealand had achieved a very great deal through herd-testing and other ways of bettering tho standard of farming and raising production, there remained a lack of information on such subjects as grassland farming and the maximum use of manures. He took as an instance the use of superphosphate. The value of the manure was, of course, undoubted, but did the farmer yet know just the best way to apply it to the soil and how much to use at any one season to secure the maximum result for his outlay and labour? Best Use of Manures. In his opinion it was practically certain that far better results would be secured if the fanner applied superphosphate in smaller quantities at different times of the year instead of all in one dressing at one time. Which of the Waikato lands responded better to basic slag than to superphosphate was another question demanding a positive answer through local experiment. Again, there were now coming on the market phosphatic manures of new types. Data showing their comparative values was urgently required. The rapid development in the manufacture of nitrogenous manures from the air, particularly in Germany and in England, had resulted in a great reduction in tho price of these fertilisers, but their correct uso involved more skill than the use of phosphates. Here, again, tho farmer needed guidance. Research was urgently required, too, into the question of what happened to both phosphatic and nitrogenous manures when they were applied to tho soil. An investigation of fundamental importance would be the determination of the amount of nitrate nitrogen which exists in the soil at different depths throughout the year and how these amounts are influenced by manuring. Guarding Health of Stock. Investigation of moisture conditions in tho soil at varying depths throughout the year was also of great importance, and particularly the effect of harrowing, rolling, and'close grazing as they affected the moisture content of thp soil. Of recent years the yield of dairy cows had been vastly increased, and naturally the animal required far larger quantities of mineral matter in its food, which meant a big drain on the soil's natural stores of lime and potash, and possibly other substances such as iodine. Yet our knowledge of the lime and potash content of Waikato lands, and of the losses of these constituents of the soil, was negligible. So bound up was this matter of minerals with the health of stock that such lack of knowledge was a matter of concern. There was a big field for work in investigating the effects of different pasture foods on the digestion of cows. Troubles such as mamniitis were quite possibly bound up with indigestion, and research into the relation of tho type and ago of pastures (o digestive functions should be productive of interesting results. Value of District Research. Tliero were oilier problems of importance, but the question was how best to obtain the precise knowledge. At Palmerston North and at Marton the Detriment of Agriculture had initiated very wellplanned experiments which promised to be of tho greatest valuo to those districts.

Conditions in the Waikato, however, were different, and the Waikato was easily the Dominion's most important dairying district. Surely it had a claim to a research centre of its own, said Dr. Annett. Such a research station could conveniently be stationed at Ruakura, where, in the first place, experiments similar to those now being done at Marton could be carried out. Mr. Hudson, who was responsible for the lay-out at Marton, would no doubt be able to give some assistant at Ruakura, but the work would eventually require the services of a special officer who would bo able to devote the whole of his time to it. _ Later, tho need would arise for the appointment of a larger staff. There were quite a number of people in tho Waikato fitted and prepared to act as an advisory council to aid the director of any experimental work which might be commenced in the South Auckland district. Lines ol Instruction.

Dr. Annett mado the point that the problems arising out of tho new system of dairying without supplementary crops differed materially from those of agriculture. It was not simply a question of how much weight of crop would be added by the use of so much manure. lhe health of tho stock, and butter-fat prodtiction, had to bo taken into account. To make any experiments productive 01 truo avei.ago results, it would be necessary to have about five farms with similar stock but with five different systems of manuring, etc. . Farms of instruction, in his opinion, should bo on the lines of the Danish agricultural high schools. Boys could not bo admitted to these schools until they had passed through tho ordinary schools and also worked for two years on a farm. It was a mistake to maintain schools to teach boys ploughing, milking, and shearing. These things the lads could learn better from practical experience. In Denmark, students were taught the principles of co-operation, economics, and other matters which could only be imparted by experts, but which were the essential 'allies of practical experience.