SMALL FARMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22030, 9 February 1935, Page 18

SMALL FARMS

PRODUCTION PROSPECTS ROTATIONAL GRAZING PLAN SHEEP AND DAIRY CATTLE Claims thai overhead costs on small farms could he enormously reduped and considerably larger profits secured by the adoption of mixed farming and a thorough system of rotational grazing wore advanced by Mr. H. C. Wheeler. J.P., of Muriwal, in an address to farmers and business men at the I own Hall, Henderson, last night. s Mr. Wheeler, who claims at least 35 years' practical experience in farming in various parts of the North Island, gave facts and figures to show that rotational grazing had increased the carrying capacity and returns of land he had farmed by as much as 300 to 400 l>er cent, independent of Suitable topdressing.

The plan advanced by Mr. Wheeler was broadly that the Government should be asked, instead of burdening the dairy industry with the heavy costs involved in the proposals advocated by the Dairy Commission, to advance money to dairy farmers to enable them to subdivide their properties efficiently into small paddocks and provide water and shelter for stock. These advances would be granted as l6ng-term -loans, repayable through a sinking fund provided for in the interest rate. The work of subdivision would give employment to a considerable number of labourers.

An important feature of the scheme was that, farmers should be encouraged to graze sheep as well as dairy cattle. Not only were sheep essential to keep pastures :in order behind the cows in a system of rotational grazing, but, without decreasing the carrying capacity of tihe land; they tho soil from becoming "cattle-sick" by eating and destroying parasites. They also •materially increased the farmer's returns through wool and lambs. The procedure advocated was to subdivide each 100 acres into 16 paddocks. The herd would be allowed one day's grazing only in each small paddock and then moved on to the being followed by the sheep, which trimmed up the grasises neglected by the cows. Both sheep and cattle benefited from continually having clean, fresh pastures, not recently contaminated by their own species, smd the ground and pasture Were immensely improved by the consolidation resulting from intermittent heavy stacking. Mr. Wheeler claimed that an increased carrying capacity" could be achieved equal to that secured by the application of 4cwt. of artificial manure an acre. The estimated initial cost would not exceed £5 an acre, the repayment of interest and sinking fund on which would show an apparent annual saving of from 10s to 15s an acre over the cost of applying superphosphate. Artificial manure would still be necessary on some classes of soil, but the manipulation of stock through rotational grazing would show the iftcreased carrying capacity over that of topdressing alone, while permanent improvement Of land and pastures, with only one outlay, would be secured, as against the largely temporary effect of artificial manures. Further, the health and individual production of stock under a system o:t rotational grazing Would be superior to that enjoyed under the present system.