SCIENCE IN FARMING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21129, 11 March 1932, Page 14

SCIENCE IN FARMING.

MAINTAINING PRODUCTION. AVOIDING FALSE ECONOMY. ATTENTION TO PASTURES. No. 11. "While top-dressing is the major matter in which ono should bo careful not to avoid false economy, it may well bo kept in mind, during current circumstances, that tho work of growing special forage crops is ono in which tho avoidance of expenditure may also bo unwise," says .tho latest bulletin from the Plant Hesearch Station. "Fortunately there is available a range of suitable forage crops which, sown in tho lato summer or early autumn, become available when they may bo critically needed. "Land having grown such crops as oats, wheat, maize, millet, poffc turnips or rape, may be ploughed immediately theso crops are removed, and then sown without delay in temporary pasture, oats or barley. If the laud to be sown in such crops is so hard that satisfactory skim ploughing is impracticable, then cultivation with discs set with plenty of cut will frequently serve as an alternative. Such crops, and particularly the temporary pasture, should Le sown with as little delay as possible. "In preparing the land for such crops it is not necessary to reduce the surface layer of soil to a fine condition. Indeed, tho presence of small clods at times proves a distinct advantage. The clods prevent the caking of the surface which at times takes place in a fine sur face layer of soil under beating rains and eventually they are broken up by natural weathering. To stimulate rapid growth the forago crops mentioned above should be sown with liberal dressings of fertilisers in which superphosphate should be prominent. Utilisation of Green Feed. "At limes one sees maize and millot grown as green, feed crops kept too late. Rather than take the risk of having them become too woody or of having them cut down by frost, it is frequently advisable to utilise them earlier and to employ tho land thereby rendered vacant by growing one of tho forage crops mentioned above. Any portion of such crops which cannot suitably bo used as green feed should be conserved as silage unless the amount available is so small that this course is not worth while. When the amount available does not- justify ensilage it may be mado into hay. In .doing this it is well to remember that, it is usually somewhat diflicult to dry to a safe condition the comparatively coarse stalks of these crops. '-'Pasture establishment is another matter in respect to which some may be led into a course involving false economy. If, on tho score of outlay, a weakness is allowed to creep into a permanent pasture at its establishment, the annual influence will be multiplied according to the lifo of the pasture. -"One of tho matters which allows of a reduction of outlay—which, however, is linked with a much greater reduction in value efficiency—is tho purchase of ryegrass seed. Commercial perennial ryegrass may broadly bo divided into two classes—falso perennial, much of which is on tho market, and true perennial, which is on the market in limited quantities and at a much higher price. Field experience demonstrates that even at the higher prices it is real economy to use the true perennial type in the establishment of permanent pastures. Certified Seed.

"It is impossible bv eye examination to discriminate with any assurance between seeds of the tine and of the false perennial classes of ryegrass. The careful purchaser may use certified 'seed' which is sold in officially-sealed sacks and which, to the best knowledge of the Agricultural Department, consists of true perennial ryegrass. Purchase of certified seed forms the best available guarantee that true perennial ryegrass is being secured. Farmers unable to secure certified seed may with advantage have samples of ryegrass lines submitted to the violet ray test by the department free of charge. "At times farmers may be inclined to lower their outlay on pasture seed mixtures by reducing the amount of cocksfoot used. As a rule this is most undesirable. In the past the amount of cocksfoot used in seed mixtures for permanent pastures has frequently been too small. Almost universally in New Zenland, including land on which one should aim to build up a ryegrass-white clover dominant sward, cocksfoot is of outstanding value from December onwards in providing feed during tho summer period in which ryegrass and other useful pasture species make but scant growth. Proportion of Cocksfoot. -"At times the tufty habit of cocksfoot has been accentuated by the small number of plants in the sward due to the use of jess seed than could have been advantageously used. Generally the minimum amount of cocksfoot, that should be used is 101b. an acre, and tho amount rises to 151b. for conditions more suited to cocksfoot than to ryegrass, e.g., dry conditions of the east coast of 'both islands. In the interests of true economy the purity and particularly the germination capacity of all pasture seeds, including certified lineSj should be ascertained, and higher prices paid for the good lines. New Zealand cocksfoot and New Zealand white clover seed almost invariably give pasture plants markedly superior to those from imported seed, and as a rule the use of the New Zealand seed is very true economy."