FARM RESEARCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22675, 12 March 1937, Page 13

FARM RESEARCH

OUTLINE BY MINISTER STEPS TO CONTROL RAGWORT QUESTION OF FEED FLAVOURS [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Thurnday Important research being undertaken at the Ruakura Farm of Instruction in connection with ragwort control, together with the department's plans to carry out extensive fertilising trials and to investigate the question of feed flavours, were points mentioned by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, in a statement to-day. The Minister said that the gravity of the present position in regard to the spread of ragwort on dairying pastures necessitated every effort being made to deal effectively with the weed, and the important fundamental research into the life history, habits and weaknesses of the plant was being inaugurated at Ruakura, where a special officer was being delegated to study ragwort in all its phases. Officers of the Fields' Division in other districts were to take part in this organised scheme and it was anticipated that a fund of, information would be available within a comparatively short time.

"Generally speaking, the main problems of the district are being investigated," the Minister said when he outlined other research, which includes the testing of dried grass as a supplementary stock food, the elimination of feed flavours and the feeding of pigs under modern conditions. _ The results of the investigation into feed flavour in the Waikato, which supported a parallel series of trials carried out by the Dairy Research Institute at Palmerston North, had shown that pastures which contained suckling clover, subterranean clover or white clover as dominant constituents generally gave ri;?e to relatively high Feed flavour when grazed during periods of rapid growth. Fields which contained a large proportion of ryegrass, cocksfoot and other grasses with only moderate amounts of these clovers in their composition poduced little or no feed flavours when grazed.

EXTENSION OF TIME EXPENDING RAGWORT GRANT [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] HAMILTON, Thursday The present scheme of ragwort elimination under which the Government made allocations to assist local bodies in their efforts was to have terminated on March 15. However, according to an announcement made to-night by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, the period for disbursing the unexpended portions of the grant has been extended until the end of April.

Explaining the fact that the extension was a temporary measure pending the Cabinet's approval of a new programme, the Minister said that local bodies were to be advised immediately of the lengthening of the original period. Thus they might not dispense with the services of men employed in ragwort elimination projects when they could be retained until the end of April. It was hoped by this time to have completed a scheme of eradication which would permit a national campaign against the pest while it was in the incipient stages of early growth. The unexpended portion of the allocation would bo sufficient to enable all counties to carry on until the end of April.