SAVE THE PASTURES!

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20779, 23 January 1931, Page 18

SAVE THE PASTURES!

WEEDS AND SEEDS. BETTER FEED WANTED, rtv k.p. Compared witli the task of keeping tin l pastures in good order, every other joli on the farm pales into insignificance. It is on his grassland that the farmer depends for carrying capacity and output. There was a time when a man was considered to he a good farmer because he could plough a straight furrow; now we arc inclined to judge a man's ability as a farmer from the condition of his pastures.

The present is a critical time on most grassland farms as grass has 'come away with a rush and the stock on the place have not a chance of coping with it. One clay we can look round and say that the feed is coming away nicely and the cows are getting a good bite and almost the next day—so short a time does it seem — some of the paddocks are away to seed. If is hard to know just when to limit the grazing area so as (o ensure keeping a nice fresh growth. Hay and ensilage of course, offer tho farmer the best possible means of controlling pastures that have got past Ihe most profitable grazing stage. It is out of the question to conjure up extra stock overnight to enable one to keep all the grass stocked to capacity and the only alternative to grazing is cutting. Poorer Grasses Dormant. It will be noticed that pastures that have run to seed at present consist very largely of poorer species of grass, such as fog, sweot vernal, dantlionia, etc.; at least these species are most prominent and if given the opportunity will reseed themselves very prolific-ally and by this method retain for themselves a dominant placo in the pasture. Unfortunately, there are still some who seem to look upon a paddock running to seed as a good thing, as it shows there is plenty of feed available elsewhere, and again some who say, "That will all he cleaned up in the winter time." The fact is that such feed is of very low value and may even bo harmful to stuck. A great deal of research has been directed toward a determination of the feeding value of pasture grasses at various stages of their growth and such useful information has been made available from different sources on this very subject. Dr. H. E. Woodman, School of Agriculture, Cambridge, has carried out some very interesting work and the conclusion be has reached is that young grass has a feeding value equal to that of oil cake, but that as grass becomes more mature it falls off rapidly in feeding value. The outstanding characteristics in respect of the chemical composition of closely grazed pasturage arc (1) exceedingly high content of protein, and (2) relatively low content of crude fibre. It will he realised that grass rich in protein and low in fibre content must be nourishing and palatable to stock; the point at issue is how to keep it that way. Topping Grass.

A farmer says to liiinsclf that there is a limit to what he can cut and handle as hay and ensilage and it is impossible to go all over the farm. It is to meet such a case as this that someone has introduced the system of "topping"— that is, tunning over the field with the mower to cut off all seed heads and rank growth over three to four inches high. The cuttings may lie left alone or may he raked off if considered worth while, but they are finished with as far as ibis season is concerned as soon as they have been cut. Although topping is a very simple operation and one that can be carried out more or less independent, of weather conditions, it is remarkable how jt improves a pasture for the remainder of the grazing season.

Of course, the ideal type of pasture management is thai known as I lie "rotational" grazing system, where the grassland is subdivided into small fields, each of which is grazed in turn, first by milk cows and second by dry stock or ewes. Even the rotational system, however, has its limitations and the time is hardly ripe for pressing its claims. There are many ways short of the ideal that may with profit he adopted on grass farms whereby the surplus summer growth is kept under better control, or, rather, made better use of. It would he difficult to imagine stock of any sort going into raptures over the rough, dry feed left over in 'he paddock from the previous year: they would appreciate, it more if (he stuff was cut at a reasonable stage and saved in the form of well-cured bay. A little consideration along these lines will surely convince anyono that it is a serious economic waste to allow any pasture to got away rough and seeded when nil that surplus growth could be turned to good advantage. We would say to all concerned to have a look round the farm and see how much waste of grass i.s going on, then devise ways and means ol checking it.