NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

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

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Of all the fodder plants growing in the Waitaki High School experimental field, Buda kale is one of the most successful and promising. It is very similar in appearance to a crop of rape, 'but at the- same age elands higher and appears to yield a greater bulk of fodder. Wo are indebted to Mr Macphorson for the following information in rel c and other fodder crops:— Iho kale is supposed to have come from Budaicsth, in Hungary. It was introduced info Taranaki nine or ten years ago, and has boon successfully grown for feeding dairy cowe, pigs, and. voting stock, but more especially for dairy cows. But this fact has not been widely known, and it has only conic into prominence as a fodder plant within the last two years. It has a distinctive advantage over other varieties of kale, in that it docs not impart any flavour to the milk. ■- Sow in spring in drills Sin apart, at the rate of 31b of seed’ to the acre; and feeding-offl may start in fiom six to eight weeks after sowing (six weeks is the usual time in Taranaki). Being a deep-rooted plant, it stands eating well; and there is no danger of its being pulled up. It has bean found that from two to three hours daily is long enough time to allow milch oowa to have accocs to the Buda kefe field. The kale grows all win w ter, but, of course, slowly during frosty weather. It comes away well again the following spring, and if 'shut up in September seed may be gathered first week in December, and at once re-sown. The land in which they are sown should be deeply piouehod, and should bo well manured with' stable manure. In Taranaki lewt super and lewt bonedust is a suitable fertiliser.”

Hud a Kale.

Ihe grass Phalaris oommutata is grown in. a plot at the Waitaki Boys’ High School field, and formed a strong, dense mass ... , of fodder, which was to ait i. , * ltj waste at the bottom. AU Stock seem to do well on it, and it stands the drought well. It is being tried in the C'amaru district on the high coun-t-iy, and is growing well at the vegetating stations m Otago Central and-the Mackenzie Country. It is a grass which Auckland dairymen depend most on. Thie grass, which is described as the- king of all winter glares, , 8 now on trial by the department throughout the Dominion, under varying conditions both as to climate and soils, l ei T t ° n y Jn t} ! e experimental stage tC I S - as ,ts feeding and forage qualities, nothing definite can as yet be r ll f s i u ‘? abl lity to this island, it is a native of Italy, and conics to the country with a great reputation. It is r<“ist ed (W 11 t i ha , t U g , r °' Vß 6ft to 7ft hi « h > sisto frost and drought, grows all winter! thrives m all climates and soils. On good soijs it produces 8 to 10 tons dry hay per ■acre per annum, which is sweet and of good colour. It is a very free seeder, as many as 167 seed sterns having been produced on one plant Sow thinly in lied, out 3r‘.£T aie suffic,ent] y strong plant

Plialaris Commutatn.

From inquiry wo learn tliafc the fodder plant known as Japanese or Ivudzu vine must bo awarded first place as tho fa-s test-growing plant used for this -purpose jn existence. It will grow from Bft to 10ft during the first year from seed, and after it becomes established there seems to be very little limit to its growth. It bears small racemes of losy nurnle peashaped blossom towards the close of Februai \. Iho field division Have secured seme of the oeed, hut not yet grown it in the south. It is desired that this plant should bo carefully treated for fodder, for winch purpose it is grown in its own country. Ihe Kudzu is a climber of tho order loguminosai, and is claimed to be the quickest-growing’ plant for extensiveness- in existence. -The land should be prepared, and manured as for the vegetable marrow, and the seed should bo sown and the plant treated in the same way. Tho seed may eitner bo town or raised in pots or boxes, and act out when .strong plants. Tho stem or runners of tho vines arc used for forage Those die in the winter, and the root remains in the ground for several years. Iho plant is claimed to increase in vigour each year. As the germination is poor, plant close and thin out to Klin apart if necessary.

.T«psne'e or Kudzu Vine.

Nc thing better could bo demanded to show the ncccesitv for a seedbreeding and seed-producing station than the fact that maize is growing a strong’, healthy plant on Totara. It has been tried time after time locally, and failed every time on land in perfect cultivation, and the r< E-son for that failure is slated to be that tho plant has not been acclimatised and has therefore failed. That i s a point which should he cleared up. Mr Macpherson think-.; there should be no difficulty in growing maize in the south, and we would like to have the experience of those who have tried it. Of rnaiz-e-growing Mr Macpher-r-on says“ Among fodder crops which can ho easily grown and harvested, maizo is ’king of all.’ It is easily first as regards bulk of yield, averaging from throe to five times tho weight per aero of any of the cereal fodders. Fed green it i s a highlysuceulcnt fodder, and, with tho exception of lucerne, it is the only succulent fodder available at that season of the year when the pasture is dried up and laxative feed is essential for the maintenance of healthy oigfstion and the milk yield. Tho cultivation of maize a s a, green fodder for dairy cows, although widely recommended, has not been undertaken to any extent in this island. This it* mainly due to tho mistaken belief that it cannot bo grown successfully owing to damage by frosts. Where potatoes can be grown, as far as frost is concerned eo can maize. Tho growing season for maize is during the hot summer months when the growth of grass is practically at a standstill. It only occupies tho ground for from 90 to 180 days, according to tho variety grown. During the severe drought experienced last season an excellent crop war- grown at Sunnyside Mental Hospital, which was cut green and fed to the dairy cows spread on the pasture field adjoining. Tho growing of maizo

Mnizegrowlng.

find lucerne for dairy purposes, as demonstrated on the Mental Hospital farm, is worthy of being copied by dairy-farmcis through-out the Dominion, : Maize best on rich flats; but it may be gro™ profitably on land of medium or even poor quality, if properly managed. It >« of course, suitable to grow m a locahty liable to late or early frosts. Cultnn tion: The soil should bo thoroughly cultivated before sowing the seed, and m cultivation given at intervals when the plam ia established. A good harrowing vit tine harrows when the plants arc abo ”. t 6 ' high is t'trongly recommended, providing the soil is then in a condition to be worked. Planting: Do not plant before the soil is warm, from second week in *>ov ember to the middle of December being about the best time. Sow on, the fiat m drills 30in apart and Bin between the seeds in the drill rows. About li bushels of seed per acre is required. Fertilisers; On rioh land no fertilisers are necessary, but on lighter soils about Igcwt to 3cm t per aero of super, and bono*> mixed, accord ng to locality and quality of soil, will be beneficial. When to Cut: The crop may be out at any stage at which it happens to bo.wanted. Young crops are lere nutritious than those more mature. _ Iho best stage at which to cut for silage is when the cobs are fully formed, with the gram past the milking stage and commencing to glaze and harden. Maize that only reaches the tassolling stage by the time it lei necessary to convert into silage only contains loolb of digestible nutrients per ton ; if it reaches the silking- stage it will contain 2111 b; when in the early milk it will contain 2571 b; in the late milk 2c6lb, and at the glazing stage 3391 b. It will therefore be apparent that it will pay the farmer to grow a variety of maize for ensilage purposes that will reach the glazing stage before the early frowts conic. In the cooperative field experiments conducted by the department in this island the varieties of maize being tested are —1, Hickory King, 2, Red Hogan; 3, Eclipse. One of the plots at the school experimental field at Waitaki contained a very successful take of chicory, which had grown well in the Central districts. It is a perennial, growing under favourable circumstances to a height of 3ft or more, and bearing heads of handsome , blue flowers, which ar» given off the stern in pairs. It has not been cultivated much as a cattle food, but mixed with sheep’s Burnet, sanfoin, and kidney vetch, for use in permanent pastures, it has boon grown extensively in Canterbury. The root dried and ground is often mixed with coffee, and the blanched leaves arc used for salads. Chicory flourishes on nearly every class of soil, and has proved to be profitable on poor sands as well as on richer and more productive soil. Its leaf is not unlike lettuce in appearance. The Rhodes grass sown at Totara came away fairly well in the rows, but it did not have time to develop sufficiently to give an opportunity of judging its qualifications. This grass’ also is on trial by the Agricultural Department. So far, although producing an enormous growth during the summer inonths, it was killed outright by the severe frosts experienced last year in the Mackenzie Country and Central Otago It blaimod for it that it is one of the greatest drought-resisting grasses over introduced into Australia. It spreads along the ground and takes root at each joint. It should bo planted sft apart each way, thus requiring 1742 plants per acre. It grows on any soil, and produces seed all summer. Seeds should bo sown and plants put out as soon as frosts arc over. Bromus inermis, or the Hungarian forage grass, is the best of all the Bromo family, most of which are weeds, and covered the plot thickly with a considerable crop of forage. In the south-east of Europe this plant is much used, and produces an extraordinary amount of fodder, and it is also grown in several parts of North America, whore it endures both heat and cold very well, thriving where no other grass of any value could be relied on. All kinds of stock eat it in preference to Italian ryegrass. Compared with Italian ryegrass, it starts earlier ire the spring, and yields more in the first but. The plant is perennial, and grows rapidly under favourable circumstances. It if s u-Wally Down alone for a fodder crop, out its germination, is capricious. The plot of buckwheat which is being grown for seed at Wnitaki High School, oolked remarkably well and healthy, but somewhat fragile. This plant Is grown at Home for feeding the pheasants, which are very fond of the seed. The trinangular seed is also useful for poultry. The plant is occasionally sown to

Chictry.

The Rhodes Grass.

Bromns Ineiiuls,

Buckwheat,

afford a crop either for ploughing in green or for folding with sheep; hut for this purpoaa ,its habit of growth did not com,mend it when compared with many other very much stronger-growing plants.

Of tares there are four varieties grown at the Waitaki High School — the English, Scotch, golden, and kidney vetch. The former grow a heavy bulk, ■which, like all other tares, requires supporting by som cereal. For this reason they are often grown with rye or oats, the upright stalks of which afford them support and keep the plants off the ground, and thereby increase tne useful fodder. The Scotch taro appeared to bo thicker on the ground, and for that reason probably a good deal finer ’ in the stem, and more trailing in nature, while the golden tare was a much stronger plant, which grew higher and had a much larger loaf and flower. The kidney vetch has a branching head of conspicuous yellow flowers, and thrives particularly well on poor, sandy soils where the others will fail to grow. There are no fewer than 60_ plots altogether at the Waitaki Boys’ High School experimental field in grasses, clovers, and fodder crops. Some of them, like Bokhara clover and sheep's Burnet, are doing remarkably well on the depleted grass country ; while in addition to all the standard grasses and clovers grown for purposes of Identification, there are several other very interesting plots which have not been mentioned. like those of crimson clover, sulla (a fodder plant introduced during the Exhibition year), and white mustard (used for green manuring and sowing), along with rape, to keep the stock in good health. Other strong-growing plots were those of prairie grass, which grows such heavy seed that horses living on it are said to require no oats, and cattle and sheep like it. But there arc many others which require a fine day and ample time to inspect thoroughly, and such an examination would bo well worth making. The cbou mocllier in its plot at the school did not impress one as a plant which would develop into an enormous crop, and yield heavy strippings. Perhaps this was on account of the early stages of growth so soon after it had been thinned out heavily. It is one of those grass feeders for which it would pay to prepare a small quantity of ground specially, and retain it for the exclusive use of 'the plant. It belongs to the extensive Brassica family, and a member of 1 the kale class. It is a valuable summer and winter fodder, and is stated to bo both frost and drought-resistant. It grows 4ft io 6ft high, yielding a heavy wealth of succulent foliage. The stalks are solid and fleshy, and have not the woody or fibrous texture of the ordinary eabtage. Tho leaves can be stripped off about five times during the season, and the whole plant can bo cbaffled and fed to the animals with absolutely no waste. In France, where turnips will not grow, it is pulped and 'iHed for cattle food. All farm animals are fond of it. Prepare a well-manured seed-bed, and sow the seed thinly in drills 12in apart, same as in sowing drumhead cabbage Keep the soil moved between the drills after the plants arc up, to invigorate their growth. When about Sin high, and sturdy plants, they are ready to plant out. The land in which they are to bo planted out should be deeply ploughed and well cultivated, and should bo heavily manured, if possible, with stable manure, the plant i»eing a greedy feeder. Plant in rows 2ft apart and 3ft between each plant in the rows. The plants should bo dibbled in when tlie ground is wet, or when there is likely to bo rain. Keep the soil well stirred while the plant is growing, and an it increases in size it should be moulded up, otherwise it becomes top-heavy and falls down. The leaves should be cut off, and not pulled, when required. AGRICOLA.

Tetclies or Tares.

Various.

Clion JToellier nr 31 arrow Cabbage.