PERMANENT PASTURE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21503, 29 May 1933, Page 16

PERMANENT PASTURE

PROBLEM OF MAINTENANCE CONTINUOUS ABSORPTION BY H.B.T. All life, from the microscopic poll bacteria through the vegetable and animal kingdoms up to man, is essentially the same. It has the same basic food requirements, and transforms these so that they can bo assimilated by tho life immediately above it in the cycle. Thus soil bacteria require mineral, vegetable and animal food, beside air, warmth and moisture, before they can survive and do their work of_ transforming these to a solution which can be absorbed by the roots of plants. The plants in turn transform these inorganic minerals to vegetable organisms which are suitable food for our domesticated animals. Grass, and all other plant life, of course, requires also air, sunlight or warmth, and moisture before they can function and produce the succulent leaves which, through its digestive organs, the animal incorporates with its own life.

Whilo tho absorption of what we term " food and drink " may be intermittent, other absorption which is actively adding to the bulk of the living grass or animal is continuous. Ibis is achieved through breathing and through exposure of the body of the plant or animal to tho rays of tho sun, and is proportionately of greater importance than actual " food." _ all realise that if the supply of air is cut off from an animal or plant the life therein is destroyed. If it is merely restricted, tho life affected will be enfeebled and the body which contains tho life will not grow vigorously. Function ol the Leaves Plant lifo is the very important link between the mineral and animal kingdoms. It converts inorganip matter, which cannot be absorbed except in very small quantity by animals, into vegetable organisms which are the animal's chief food. Because it has tho samo life as tho animals, it, in turn, requires an unrestricted supply of air and sunlight if it is to be healthy and make vigorous growth. It also must have unimpaired digestive and breathing organs through which to convert its " food," derived from tho soil bacteria into living grass tissue. Each leaf of every plant is a wonderfully complex digestive and breathing organ, which deals with the raw food sent up by the roots, and blends with this the oxygen and other essential foods extracted from the air. As vitalised sap, corresponding with the blood in our own veins, it is then sent down to the roots to build new tissue. Tho leaf also catches and builds into its tissues tho nutriment contained in sunlight, transforming this into the green colouring matter of plants which we term " chlorophyl." If tho activities of these leaves are restricted by close-grazing beforo the plant has reached its full development, it is obvious that its growth must be Stunted. Tho root system will only develop to an extent depending on tho supply of digested food, or sap, received from the leaves. If, however, there is an abundant supply of food sent down to the roots, they push down into the soil, tapping new supplies of food and moisture with which to further stimulate the leaf growth. Duty oi Reproduction

The young or immature stage is the most important in animal life, and equally so with plants. If the development of tho young grass plant is checked by feeding off its vitally important leaves before tho roots have reached their full growth, the plant is certain always to be feeble and sickly. Once, however, any life has reached maturity and is firmly established, it has a duty to perform. This duty is to reproduce itself and to produce a surplus of food for other forms of life. Nature will aid it in maintaining its full vigour until it has accomplished this duty. When this has been achieved the requisito number of times Nature's aids to vigour are withdrawn, and tho plant or other life dies. As wo have ascertained that in the first place development should not be checked in any way beforo maturity is reached, and secondly, that to secure vigour over an extended period reproduction should not be allowed to take placo, we have arrived at* two fundamental truths regarding the establishment and maintenance) of permanent pastures. First, every condition should be provided in soil cultivation to allow of the penetration of warmth and air, and thus stimulate bacterial activity; and to conserve tho moisture supply for tho young plant so that it may have an ample supply of mineral food and moisture. At tho same timo its leaf growth must not be interfered with until the whole plant—root and leaf — has reached maturity. Plant's First Impulse Where this stagers reached the plant's first impulse is to reproduce itself. As vigorous growth and permanency are tho conditions we wish to establish in our pastures, the matured grass plants must bo prevented from seeding and thus reducing £heir vitality. Tho practice of taking a crop of " maiden " seed from a newly-established pasture is therefore certain to damage its vigour and permanency. There is a stage when young grass should bo eaten off, and this is when the first seed stalks are thrown up by tho plant. It has then reached its full root development, and thereafter should be kept grazed sufficiently close to prevent seeding.