SPRAYING & HAYMAKING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3019, 24 January 1912, Page 14

SPRAYING & HAYMAKING.

The weather seems at last to have taken up and has every appearance, if one is to believe his barometer, of being settled for some time. The change has come suddenly, and it is not to be wondered at that* fanners doubt its permanency, i lie sunshine and temperature, however, is all that is required for growth, and the pentup energies of the farmer will have vent in several directions. Potatoes are at the proper stage for either first or scoon 1 spraying; late mangolds are sorely in need of drill-grubbing and singling ; in fact, many crops of them have tern a ban doned altogether. And the weed-covered turnip crops, all call out vainly for thorough drill cultivation and cleaning. It is too soon yet to speculate as to what extent tha change for the better will remedy the blasting effects which the we, and cold spell have exorcised on all . h<’ farm crops without exception. But there can be no doubt that its action will improve prospects for potato growers materially, ripen up and mature the stunted grain crops, and force mangolds and turnips and all other vegetation to a more active and vigorous development. Tt may prove too late to exOrt this beneficial action on some crops, but they are few and far between, and in all it will result in an average crop where only a fraction of a yield could have been expected a fortnight ago. The fact of getting suitable conditions to save the hay crop, and by this means supply healthy, nutritious, and cheap fodder for stock

during tho winter, is of itself a gratifying feature. But, taken all round, the settled weather has lifted the gloom from the farm, and given assurance that seed-time and harvest will both come in the allotted season. If we are fortunate enough to get summer weather during the next two months we shall sec how it can compensate for the chilly wetness of the early summer, and to what degree it M ill overcome the threatened failure that a little M'hile ago looked so ominous. Even in the finest weather it is M'ise to spray potatoes twice. One spraying may save the stems and prevent the blight getting to the tubers in that way, but a second will probably save tho plant and also increase the yield of the crop. Some farmers think it all nonsense to spray at all, and never do it, but they run every chance of losing their crops. Others who have sprayed for years argue that the. blight is dying out of the country, and, therefore, spraying is not required now. It must be urged, particularly in a shoM'ery year, that reliance shall not be placed on such arguments. If the summer weather holds, one spraying jnay be sufficient, but if wet weather supervenes safety lies in sprayas frequently as possible. In regard to haymaking, one is almost afraid to mention it this year. The most important point is to determine M’hen the grass is to be cut to secure the greatest passible amount of nutriment in the hay. The proper time to cut grass in rotation, M'hich is generally utilised for hay-mak-ing in this Dominion, is when the ryegrass comes into blossom and the clover is just coming into general bloom. If the crop is heavy, and it is left any longer than that it will become coarse and fibrous at the bottom. It is most important “to make hay while the sun shines,’’ but, unfortunately, there has not l>aen much sunshine this year. Still, by the aid of the mower a large breadth may soon be cut, and. if the weather is M-et and unpromising, it is better to delay until there is the promise of better things. If the weather be precarious, any halfmade hay should be drawn into rows M'ith the horse-rake, and made into small cocks in the evening. The less hay is exposed to dews in even the scorching sun the better will be its quality. The finest quality hay is made in dry, sunless ■weather, but in a season of this kind the farmer’s difficulty is to get his work done anyhow, and he M-ill take all sorts of good care not to lose a chance.