WORLD’S BUTTER MARKET

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12526, 16 August 1926, Page 3

WORLD’S BUTTER MARKET

AT NEW ZEALAND’S FEET VIEWS OF BRITISH EXPERT IMPORTANT ADVICE ON PASTURES (By Telegraph.—Special to “Times.**) . AUCKLAND, August 14. High praise for the past development of New Zealand pasture lands and faith in their future effect on primary production if treated scientifically were voiced by Professor 16. G. Stapledon, of Wales, in an address under the auspices of the Auckland University Agricultural Science Club. Professor Stapledon, who spoke on grass lands research, is director of the Welsh Plant Breeding Association, and if* recognised hr a world wide authority. "Pasture conditions in New Zealand are simply marvellous,'" said Professor Stapledon,. “an<T I do not think you realise the immense possibilities by using special methods of converting them into milk. I cannot help thinking that you have got the butter market of the world in the palm of your hand, and I think that if you eo on you will have it trembling at your feet. However, it will be alone lipes of investigation and careful management of farm lands that success will lie. I believe that particularly in the North Island, by resorting to investigation, . you are going to run something like two cows in full milk to the acre instead of one as at present. You will have to progress for two reasons. PRIMARY EDUCATION. As far as I can gather your oualitv of primary education i* very high. If you exnect to put families on forme of about. 50 acres you have got to ask them to work hard with thier hands an,d set them thinking very hard how to get the highest production out. of their farms. On the other hand your climate is wonderful. Tt i<s one of sun and rain, which are absolutely essential for the nroduction of grass. With your electrical schemes, v-our milking machine* and splendid chances of producing milk under sanitarv conditions which we cannot r»t in England, your conditions are ideal." The first nuestion discussed by the sneaker wn<? that of chemical top dressing. the soil, and its fertility. New Zealand was particularly fortunate in having a grazing season which was prolonged almost over the whole year, but he thought this carried with it considerable . dangers. Recent researches had proved that if a plant were cut rapidly, which amounted to the same thing ag hard grazing, there would N 1 an adverse effect on its development. This applied eouallv to top dressing if it were carried out. If grazing were to be suooes6fnl it was imperative that it should be Mternatelv hard and casr. Thev would be far toward solving difficult problems if they could wholly determine why one pasture was than another. As fend for butter-fat production it had heen shown that the leaf of the plant wa- far more nutritmis than the stem, and a great deal depended on the selection of sward. While it was important to know the fertility rnouirements of certain grasses, the essence of continual growth was a healthy root system, upon which depended the development and maintenance of good pasture. This revolved around top dressing and use of proper implements'the most important of which h® thought was the mowing machine. Although, farmers in New Zealand were far from Teaching the ideal, they were in some capes nearer the goal than was the case in Engl a A famous German professor recently indicated his metho<L of successful pasture management. Starting with the idea that auickly growing leaf was more nutritious than slow growing, he applied about three dressings of nitrate of soda a year on small paddocks. When grass was about 6 inches high the stock was turned on to it. \nd taken off when the feed was all eaten, and the whole farm worked in rotation. The herbage must not under any circumstances be allowed to grow away from the stock, ana if it grew too long must be mowed short, even if it were wasted. The after effects of this practice were extraordinary, ana it was found that sheep placed in a paddock, half of which had been mowed and half cropped, always remained on the mown part until it was totally eaten. It was of vital importance to let air into pasture. CHAIN HARROWING. Chain harrowing was useless, and something more effective than the tripod harrow was needed. Many pastures in New Zealand needed far more sever© treatment than thev were receiving. "You have not done anything at all unless you have so torn your field to pieces that, you reckon you have ruined it altogether,” Professor Stapledon stated. From the chemical viewpoint it had only quite recently been fully appreciated that the content of pasture might mean a great deal in nutritive value. He was not prepared to say that deficiency of iron was caused through the dense bush, although experiments had almost proved the case. The problem in New Zealand would perhaps be solved by breeding plants which would liv© with what little iron was, available in certain areas. He was of opinion that research would go a long way to soiling this in a few years. "AU grass land is- trying its hardest to relapse into something of an entirely different nature, and if left to itself will develop into wood, land. Professor Stapledon continued. "It is very important to realise tins. In Britain these changes and successions are spread over thousands of years, and practically all our grass land, with the possible exception of the Wiltshire Downs, has come from wood lands in the remote past. We have been at it for thousands of years, therefore your opportunity ior study is better than ours.