SCIENTIFIC FARMING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18876, 31 May 1923, Page 2

SCIENTIFIC FARMING.

POPULAR LECTURES. The week’s course of instruction in farming methods, planned by the Agricultural Department, was continued yesterday in the Technical College. The chair was occupied by Mr R. B. Tenncnt, and the meeting was largely attended, and much interest taken, in .what ho said. HERD TESTING. Mr Ross, A.C., dairy expert for Otago, was the first .o address those interested in fanning. Ho spoke on the subject of "Herd Testing,” and at opening expressed pleasure at seeing so many assembled. There was nothing more important for dairymen to do than to test their herds, the basis of the dairy business being the cow. No business could be profitably run unless it was properly maintained, and that was especially true of the dairy business. Considering the great importance oi knowing which were the better cows, which would pay and which would not, Very little had been done in the south by the dairy farmer to find out which cqw was the best and which was not. Herd-testing was the means of finding out the unprofitable cows, and culling them out. Put out the unprofitable cow, as she spoilt the herd. If the farmer weighed the milk correctly, thg Babcock tester would five the correct percentage of milk, and the record when totalled up would give him the result. Mr Ross then went on to place a series of figures on the screen, showing the great ; results obtained by culling, and said they had an object lesson in the Testing Association. In a first year’s test one herd, by culling, had improved from 2101 b of butter fai, to 2531 b. That was an object lesson. , He went on to quote figures (displayed on the screen) to prove the value of testing and culling, and said that it was only by taking up aai individual tost that it could be ascertained the class of cow that was no good in the herd. He hoped when he was through with bis figures that students would appreciate the value of testing and culling. He gave them figures to show that by culling the yield of butter fat was largely increased, and that by still further culling a still further increase was obtained. They had been urging this herd test for a number of years, but very little had been done by dairy farmers to carry it out. In 1919 there had been a meeting _ at Owaka, and tne manager of an association had been impressed as to the value of testing. Mr Ross again showed figures on the screen to prove that in succeeding seasons there had been, by culling, i a large increase in the butter fat obtained I from herds. He mentioned that tests had sometimes been carried out inaccurately. I owing to a deceptive sample of milk being j taken for the test; the result being that I the test was not a. true one. He quoted further figures to show that testing was going to bring about a great improvement in the percentage of butter fat obtained. Mr Ross went on to emphasise the value of feeding good animals, and said no one should select a cow without bringing her before the scales and the Babcock tester. Ho regretted the small number of cows that were tested. Instead of two cows in 27 he hoped to see the whole 27 tested. In answer to questions, he said a high class sire was or importance. Mr Ross was accorded a vote of thanks for his address CROP ROTATION. Mr 11. Cockayne addressed the meeting on the subject of rotation of crops. Ho prefaced by dealing with the early history of crop rotation, and said that in early history there was no proper agriculture, so called. The people procured necessities by hunting, and gathered what edible products provided for them. The first groat agricultural step’ had been the domestication of animals, and the great factor that led to specialisation had been the growing of crops. The general idea as to the rotation growing of crops was based upon custom, and, that had grown and developed. What had happened was that crops had begun to be grown that interested a particular tribe, and a special thing, in a particular locality, had been specialised. In the early stages of crop' growing there had been any extent of land, and exhaustion of the soil had not to be considered. ~ But this could ijqt go on indefinitely as population Increased. It was understood That if land was let alone for a period! it became fertile ■ again. However, the developments that ruled really were a typo of rotation. It was found that instead, of leaving the ground absolutely bare for years better results were obtained by cultivating that ground even for a definite period; and from that wo could trace,-our first .rotation, which was wheat followed by fallow. The first rotation we had any knowledge of was growing a cereal crop followed, by another cereal crop, after a period of rest followed by cultivation. Of fallows wo had several types. Wo had complete bare fallows until the ground was put under crop' again. One of the great objects of farming was to try, if possible, to use the ground in ; such’ a way that the latent food reserves became available. ; The thing that paid in farming was to convert the fertility of the soil to use, and particularly to convert it into £ s. d. Tlie method was to trade upon the surplus supplies in the soil and turn them into money. In summer cultivation was at the highest point, and this hastened the deconi: position of organic matter in the soil, which resulted in the production of large quantities of nitrogen being available for plant'growth. l When we came to our summer, fallow a modification was wanted. Instead of running summer cultivation of the ground we grew crops which returned organic matter to the soil. Mr Cockayne went on to refer to "catch” crops which captured nitrates, and converted them into vegetable products, in place of them being lost to the ground. So far as proper rotation was concerned it was a matter of soil fertility, and to maintain the soil at a level of fertility that would produce satisfactory results and corresponding profits. Th© most important method of increasing the fertility of ground was the bringmg in of stock from which from 50 to b 9 per cent, of fertility was returned to the land. Then there was the branch of lime manuring and so on. He did not want to go into that. Mr Cockayne proceeded to speak in detail of cultivation in Northern Europe, and ho also made reference to the Norfolk rotation. Coming to New Zealand, ho said the great point was to make rotation fit in with requirements and the labour resources on the farm. It was just as well for the farmer to know that it was rather gambling with his future capital to lose sight of this, but if it suited him to do so, well and good. The lime would come when it would bo impossible to violate such rules and regulations without disaster following. The speaker wont on to. deal in detail with a great many varieties of rotations of crops in various countries, and claims for their modification, under certain conditions; all his remarks being illustrated by moans of lantern pictures. Speaking of Otago ho said the root crop was of course essential, but it was a menace of many diseases. LUCERNE CULTURE. Mr F. It. Ward spoke on the culture of lucerne, and totorreu to it having had its origin m Central Asia and spread to dillorent countries. In the growing of lucerne good seed was necessary. Good seed meant a virile plant, which was in its critical stage iu its early days. On the whole lucerne seed in New Zealand was good. He went on to speak ot duty seed and Uie various weeds resulting therefrom, mentioning one in particular; a w inding thread—little plant, that twined about tno lucerne. A plant very like lucerne m appearance was the American sweet clover, winch grow very luxuriously, but he did not think it was going to play an important part in the leeclmg of stock. So tar as lucerne was concerned it required sunshine, moisture, and shelter, and the bulk of the teed was on the surface. Certain land grew lucerne 1 quite successfully. There had been a great tieal ot propaganda as to growing it on light land, but while it could be grown laero it was doubtful if it could be grown profitably on such land. Lucerne was a very valuable plant, and was of exceedingly high food value, and did not require to be renewed for years. But the farmer should select a piece of land that would suit it. If it was required lor dairy covys, or poultry, and the land was light, the seed must be sowed on. the wide row system, but ho would not. recommend it in a general way. It was not a profitable undertaking. Ho mentioned specific instances where it had been grown on light land successfully, but even then it was not remunerative. The carrying capacity did not pay for the working expenses. Lucerne was a great lover of sunshine, moisture, and shelter. He understood that the coastal district of South Otago and Southland were good far lucerne, lie was speaking on broad principles, but if they wanted to grow suitable crops in place of lucerne he advised them to grow cats and vetches. A most important thing in growing lucerne was clean land. It was impossible to grow it on unclean land. The root went down to a great depth while the lop was small in poor land, and the weeds grow rapidly. This led him to speak of woods of which he mentioned a number including fat hen. Continuing, he said the time to sow lucerne was in spring, when the ground was becoming warm; probably in November. Mr Ward then dealt with innooulation, and said that in largo areas this was unnecessary, but in other cases it

was essential. He gave illustrations on the screen of the different results obtained in ono area. If, he said, hicerno was not doing well innoculalion could bo applied later. Lucerne loved lime, which induced organisms. There were, dozens of varieties of lucerno, but very few. could tell the difference. As far as New Zealand was concerned he did not think we need go outside our own country for seed. He had not found anything to surpass Marlborough or Hunter -River. Manuring in some localities had been very severely condemned, but had been carried out in various countries, and was generally advocated. Top-dressing when lucerno had gone back was desira.ble. He doscribed the land upon which lucerno could be grown to advantage as a deep, silty loam with water at a considerable depth, below, and said that with good lucerne land broadcasting was the best system of sowing. Then there was no trouble in cutting and raking.- Good lucerne land «as indicated by the presence of English trefoil, and American sweet clover. In limestone country lucerne would grow without any trouble, and about Oamaru there were large tracts of land where lucerne should bo grown, and nothing else. Ho mentioned that lucerne was useful in controlling the growth of the C'alifornian thistle. It was said the lucerne would not grow in clay soil, but he had seen places where it did. It got through the clay. He concluded by saying that in dry localities irrigation was very desirable. IN THE AFTERNOON. DEMONSTRATION AT MAC ANDREW'S BAY. \ The excursionists who made the trip by ferry steamer to Macandrew's Bay when a stobk demonstration was held on Mr J. iiellyer's property had a glorious afternoon tor the oucing. There wero I3l) in the party. The demonstrator was Mr 11. E. B. Watson, of Christohurch, who employed a dairy and a Jersey cow for .his purpose. Mr VVatson. who is known widely as an expert in this branch of work, demonstrated in a very lucid manner, and great enthusiasm prevailed at the close of his treatment of the subject, "V otes of thanks wore passed to the Hellyer family, who dispensed afternoon tea, and to Mr Watson, and the party returned shortly after five o'clock/ NEW ZEALAND PASTURES. Mr B. B. Levi, who is the Agricultural Department's pasture expert, lectured on "New Zealand Pastures" in. the evening. The lecture was illustrated by a series ot very fine slides, and many of these showing the land ,in its varying, states of virginity were remarkably beautiful. The lecturer dealt with his subject in a very interesting way, and he well deserved the vote of thanks and appreciation that was accorded him. The lecture incidentally presented a striking picture of the problems that, the department has to face in conquering the waste lands of the present so that they may become the meadows of the future. Mr Levi dealt principally with the questions of the species and the quantities of grasses to sow. Each pasture, he stated, had a life history subject to modification by the many vicissitudes of soil, climate, and environment, mado complex or simplified according to the species concerned in fiod according to the methods of utilising the food produced. The farmer should aim at a mixed pasture whioh was preferable to pure sowings, because the growth was more uniform throughout the year, because a variation of feed was offered and because plant companionship was often undoubtedly beneficial to the individual. On the subject of the advantage of a variety of food Mr Levi instanced that it was found that where there was a fairly pure pasture of English grasses, ryegrasses or cocksfoot, and there was in that pasture small patches of brown top, Chewing's fescue, etc., they were eaten quite close while the bulk of the food was more or less neglected, particularly if it was rank. Once a species was left uneaten it was, a sure indication that that species was in excess, but that did hot say that itwas necessary to eliminate it. The balancing of the pastui-e mixture was very, important. Particularly valuable, he proceeded, were the dovors in the pasture—they should be looked upon as one of the vital elements in" any pasture association. Grasses, it was emphasised, responded rapidly to nitrogenous manures. In general,. nowever, it was not a sound practice to apply nitrogenous manures to grass-land as the particular element of plant food contained in such manure was readily manufactured by the clover plant. The excessive nitrate manufactures of the clover became available to the associated grass. Another important function of the clover was to keep cool and moist the surface of the soil whence, in the case of .cocksfoot and crested dogtail, the new ro6ts arose. In conclusion 'Mr Levi advised the following permanent* pasture mixtures for various classes of soil: For short rotation soils.—Cocksfoot, 151 b: Peren. ryo., 101 b; crest, dogstail, 41b; Ital. rye., 41b"; red clover-. 21b; white clover,,2lb.' For first-class soils.—Cocksfoot, ,101 b; peren. rye., 151 b; Timothy. 31b; orest. dogstail. 21b ; Ital. rye.,: 41b; red clover, 31b;>white clover, 21b. For fertile, alluvial, or rich swamps.Perennial rye.: 151 b: cocksfoot, Bib; Timothy, 41b; meadow foxtail, 4lb: pos trivialis. 21b; Italian rye., 41b; red clover, 31b; Alsike, 21b; white clover, lib. TO-DAY'S EVENTS. j This morning Messrs Tennont: J. Nimmo. and Levi will lecture,- and in the, afternoon there yrill be a, demonstration at the Botanic Gardens by. the officers of the Forestry Department. In the evening Mr A. H. Cockaynp will lecture upon a subject that should make a wide appeal to Otago dairy farmers —"The Feeding' of Dairy Oows." ■