THE RURAL WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24221, 13 February 1940, Page 2

THE RURAL WORLD.

SUMMER SHOWS THE 1940 SEASON Summer shows for the coming season have been arranged as follows: 1940 March 2. —Central Otago, at Omakau. March 9—Mo uni Benger at Miller’s Flat. March 16. Upper Clutha, at Pembroke Match 16. —Temuka and Geraldine at W inchesler. March 20.—bake County at Arrowtown. March 25.—Mackenzie Highland at Fairlie March 25.—Strath-Taien at Middlemarch MORE PRODUCTION ROLE OF FERTILISERS GREATER PASTURE GROWTH TOP-DRESSING PRACTICE AND MIXTURES The use of artificial fertilisers has been one of the greatest factors in building up farm production in the Dominion to its present level, and the primary production councils are making every effort to ensure that topdressing of grassland is exploited m th, lull in the national effort lor increased production. The district organiser of primary production has submitted the following notes in connection with top-dressing in Otago:— Although the proporton ol grassland top-dressed in the South Island is considerably lower than in the North, there is evidence to show that in Otago more attention is being paid to the use of fertilisers on established pastures than hitherto. During the past three years the area top-dressed has increased considerably, and in 1937-38 when the last statistics were available, more than 100,000 acres were topdressed with fertilisers, this being 30 per cent, more than the previous year and over 60 per cent, increase over 1935-36. It is becoming realised more and more that maximum production can only be obtained from pastures when there are no limiting factors to plant growth such as lack of phosphate. If possible, top-dressing should be carried out so as to produce its results at the times of least growth. Thus, late autumn top-dressing will produce more prolonged growth in the winter and very early spring top-dressing will cause growth to commence earlier in the spring. In Otago fertiliser should be applied preferably from March to May or otherwise in the early spring not later than September. On much land of this province a foundation dressing of lime is required. A dressing of one ton of lime per acre should be given previous to the laying down of pastures, and subsequent annual dressings of 3cwt to scwt of lime, or the equivalent annual amount every two years.

Ag elsewhere in New Zealand phosphates form the main type of manure used. At the laying down of pastures from IJcwt to 3cwt of superphosphate Per acre should be sown with the seed and subsequent annual dressings of lewt to 3cwt of superphospate. In wet districts basic slag, if available, may be substituted for superphosphate Under dry climatic conditions a heavy dressing of superphosphate is not payable and the lower quantity should be used. Under good rainfall conditions or on irrigated land, the heavier quantity of fertiliser may be used. Besides increasing the yield of grass phosphatic fertilisers increase the amount of phosphates and lime in the herbage and make the feed more nutritious. particularly for wet stock The quantity of clover in the sward is also increased, and this in turn builds up the nitrogen supply of the soil Nitrogenous fertilisers do not play a very large part in top-dressing practice in Otago. Sulphate'of ammonia and ammoniated superphosphate have some value, particularly on high-fertility soils in dairying and town milk supplv areas to obtain an early flush of grass in the spring or a prolonged growth in the late autumn.

Although top-dressing is an alternative or complementary method to cropping for increasing farm production it does not. however, eliminate the advisability of growing crops, but at times rather accentuates it. To obtain maximum results from the use .of topdressing full utilisation must be made of the extra herbage produced.

AMERICAN WOOL CLIP

INFERIOR TO DOMINIONS DIFFERENCES IN PRODUCTION (From Our Own Correspondent) LONDON. Jan, 16. Differences between the methods ot sheep raising in New Zealand and Australia and America greatly interested Dr Clunies Ross, chairman of the International Wool Secretariat, during his recent visit to Texas, Colorado Utah, and Wyoming. He felt that owing to the conditions under which sheep are run there, and the objectives sought, the average American wool clip was far inferior to that of Australia and New Zealand. “ Only in Texas are sheep normally run in paddocks.” he said. “In the other States they are run on open range under the continuous care of sheep herders. The latter method is expensive on account of the cost of labour involved, while the severe winters in the mountain States require the passage of sheep often over hundreds of miles from winter to summer range country. “In addition many sheep are handfed for five or six months of the year and this is also a serious handicap to cheap wool production. These factors explain also the greater importance attached to fat lamb production in the meiority of the Western States compared with wool production. In States such as Wyoming, approximately 75 per cent, of the returns from sheen are in the form of lamb and only aboul 25 per cent, in wool.

“Ip Texas, on the other hand, not only are costs lower, but wool is of considerably greater importance.” Compared with the practice in the dominions, there was practically no classing of the wool clip and shearing conditions were of a most primitive nature.” Dr Ross greatly admires the Americans. Their interest in the war. he sa.ys. is tremendous, and detestation of Hitler and Stalin is far greater than in this country. He says America wants to keep out of the war “if we can finish the iob.” He thinks however. they should have some responsibility for any peace settlement, and that this is “ probably the best thine they could do.” Dr Ross left America in the Clipper on December 23. The advertised attraction was “ Christmas Eve over the

FARM AND STATION NEWS

By RUSTICUSu

Atlantic.” They reached Bermuda in the record time of three hours 4? minutes, where they stayed as guests of the company for 11 days. This was because the swell at the Azores was so heavy that the Clipper was not allowed to proceed there. When eventually she took off from the Azores, he said, that the sensation of the 40-ton machine bouncing over the waves was one not to be forgotten

NEWS FROM CLUBS

The South Taieri Club recently held its first meeting for the year, when a number of general matters of club interest were discussed.

An interesting aftermath of the ploughing match which was conducted last winter by the South Taieri Club is a request received by the secretary of this club from the headmaster of an agricultural college in Queensland. This gentleman saw an account of the ploughing match in the Young Farmers’ Club section of the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture and was anxious to ascertain the methods of iudging carried out by the club, ¥ ¥ *

Two members of the West Australia Young Farmers’ Clubs have recently arrived in New Zealand, and after viewing the Exhibition are touring the Dominion for about six weeks as guests of the Young Farmers' Club Federation. On account of the petrol restrictions these members are travelling almost entirely by train instead of relying on district committees, etc., for transport as was originally intended. As far as Otago is concerned it is anticipated that they will arrive in Dunedin on March 1. After that date they will travel through Central Otago to Queenstown, after which they will visit Invercargill, Gore, and Oamaru, leaving the Otago district on Friday, the Bth. ¥ ¥ .¥ The following is a further collection of information gathered from the recently published booklet on the constitution of the Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (Inc.). Councils: (a) Four councils shall be formed, two in each island. Each of such councils shall have jurisdiction, for the purposes of the society, over the areas constituting those districts under control of each of the four fields superintendents of the Department of Agriculture respectively. The four councils shall be designated as follows:—Auckland Y.F.C. Council, Wellington Y.F.C. Council, Canterbury Y.F.C. Council. Otago-Southland Y.F.C. Council.

(b) A council shall consist of three (3) delegates from each District Executive Committee, within the area covered by such council, together with the fields superintendent, Department of Agriculture (ex officio) for that area. In addition, a council shall have power to add up to four (4) other members as may be desired, such members to be at the discretion of the council, and to be appointed annually. (c) A council shall meet at least twice annually, and shall hold an annual meeting before May 31 in each year. A council shall elect, at its annual meeting, a chairman, a vice-chair-man, honorary secretary and treasurer, and three (3) delegates to the Dominion Executive Committee (two to be active club members and one to be an advisory member). The council chairman shall be ex officio a member of the Dominion, Executive Committee The council shall also elect at its annual meeting an Emergency Committee. (d) The duties of the councils shall be:— (1) To co-ordinate the work of the District Executive Committees. (2) To consider problems, difficulties or disputes in their respective areas. (3) To make recommendations to the Dominion Executive Committee. (4) To carry out the policy of the Dominion Executive Committee, and to promote the welfare of the society generally.

The following is the third of a series of articles on insect pests by Mr S. H. Saxby, of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture:— This week’s article deals with the manner in which insects inflict the damage that is responsible for their being regarded as pests. There are many ways in which the damage is done to plants and animals.

In nearly every instance it is a case of an insect harming its host while obtaining or proceeding to obtain nourishment for itself. Practically no destruction due to insects is meaningless as far as the insect itself is concerned. It is, of course, immaterial to the insect whether it is doing harm or doing good. In fact, some insects are both useful and harmful, depending on circumstances. For instance, worms (although not insects) are useful to the farmer and a nuisance to the greenkeeper. Similarly, certain species of the humble bee are harmful in that they damage the flowers of some types of plants whilst others leave the plant unaffected. There are. however, some insects that do a great deal of hafm a considerable amount of which is not only the destruction of the plant on which- it is living, but also rendering it unfit for consumption. A good example of this is seen in the white butterfly. whose caterpillars and their excreta render the food inedible. Aphis have the same effect as well. With regard to insect attacks on animals this also is usually a question of the insect obtaining nourishment from the animal, with the result that the health and vitality of the animal is impaired. Such insects are the nasal bot fly. the common fly. the blowfly, and the various ticks and lice. Another group of harmful insects is the boring type. In this group falls the various insects that bore in timber. the common borer the white ant and weevils. Then, again, some insects live underground, where most of their damage is done. Examples of this group are the wire worm, grass grub, and cut worm