Farming Column

Opunake Times, 23 August 1932, Page 1

Farming Column

MANURING PASTURES

IMPORTANCE OF NITROGEN EARLY AND BETTER GRASS ( continued). The Present Position. This year over many parts of New Zealand there is a shortage of feed for the early spring owing to the dry summer experienced. Reserves of hay and ensilage are short, root crops are far from satisfactory, and many farmers are going to be uj> against ftt for a sufficiency of feed in the early spring months. However, nitrogen, the valuable fertiliser, will help them out of, their trouble, and farmers with reasonably good pastures— those with a fair content of true perennial rye, can apply in August a dressing of ammoniated superphosphate or of one part of super and one part sulphate of ammonia and bring grass on several weeks earlier in the spring. The greatest loss farmers can puffer is to starve their stock in (lie early parts of the season, thus effecting their production over the whole season. Whilst prices for farm produce are low, still, there is every indication that they are on the up-grade, and tiiOuO farmers who topdress wisely will be in the best position to ink'- advantage of the improved prices.

Price for Nitrogenous Manure. It is also interesting to note that the price of nitrogenous fertilisers, such as sulphate of ammonia, has come down materially, even in recent months. Over the last three years, the price of sulphate of ammonia, for instance has dropped b- nearly £3 10s per ton, and it is now available at a flq'ure that very fear dreamt of a few T -ears ago. It is a line sibsidised by the Government, and it is gaining increasing favour as a valuable top-dres-sing for pastures all over New Zealand.

Experience is showing that those farmers who have used nitrogen judiciously are continuing to do so, and it is suggested that those who have tried it and got what they consider disappointing results should try again in view of the greater knowledge now gained as to how, when and where to apply it.

To those who have not used it at all, it is suggested that they should try out, even on a small area, the use of ammoniated super, just to see for themselves what the effect of nitrogen is, used along with phosphate, in getting earlier grass, better grass, and a lonpr-term improvement of the pastures.