THE TREATMENT OF GRASS LAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3867, 24 April 1928, Page 12

THE TREATMENT OF GRASS LAND.

It is apparent as year succeeds year that more and more land is being laid down to grass, owing in some measure to the higher costs of arable farming since the Great War, and last, but not least, to the more general recognition that in oi»- ora=s we posses assets which, rightly treated will conhnrb to yield bountiful returns’ Jhe nroner treatment of grass lands which of course, involves fertilisation and rota-’ tional grazing, ha« proved successful, in other countries, and there i s no tenable reason why we should not adopt similar measures. We do not ignore the fact that already sow considerable progress has been made tn N»w Zealand in top-dressing pastures, but. it is questionable whether there is sufficient anpreniafion of tfie methods of handling grass lands both prior and subsequent to fertilising in order to ensure the be-t results. The recent topdressing experiments conducted by of the Department of Agriculture i n various widely separated areas in Otago are suggestive. Here we have some marked re suits due to the use o f different fertilisers on various soils. The indications in some instances of the soil’s' lack of certain fertilising. constitnents .are undoubted, while some oases doubtless indicate tho soil’s compactness and general lack of humus, thus retarding the generous growth of the of r ?k Ke th ° vea ’L/° n °"' ine ' lllp nnnb’eation of the manure. Then tho -row+h of clover was more er less marked under all conditions Otago when phosphorus was readily available. This latter develcpment is' interesting in that we have here clear evidence of the fact that when the clover gets the phosphorus and potash for which it has been starving it begins to grow vigorously and absorbs nitrogen from the air. As the clover completes its lifo cycle the old plants wifi die oft and their decaying rootsystems supply nitrogen to the soil; The young ones take their place and go to make up nutritious herbage, jiaving secured the most expensive portion, nitrogen, from the atmosphere, free of cost- " It will probably be gainsaid tlu»t. schist farm pastures, whether top-drested or >qi-, should be stirred at least once a year with the harrows. . Grass roots need atmospheric •ir just as much as fb e gre'"i pnr*s of 1 plant, although . their requirements are nothing like as great. If air is f’-'uied

them they do not develop freely, and tend to become unhealthy, and we get reduced i growth of the parts above ground. The | intercultivation of drilled turnips, for in- i stance, although ostensibly done in order | to kill, weeds, benefits the plants because of j the stirring the soil receives, and in con- t sequence permitting the air to penetrate .more freely and to greater depths than it otherwise could. This . basic principle underlies the mechanical treatment of grass land, and it is as necessary to grass as to any other farm crop. Grass needs the same elements with which to manufacture their tissues and their rooks, despite their fibrous nature, and must breathe in order to flourish. It becomes therefore essential to knocs about grass land from time to time in order to freshen it up. Land in—grass tends to become compacted if grazed for years by stock, while it is a common matter to see more or less dead vegetation oa the surface, which hinders fair play of rhe air and diminishes the action of fertilisers, and thus hampers the growth of the grass plants. The mechanical treatment of grassland should be practised and observed closely. The work should be thoroughly done in order to be effective. Chain harrowing or even the use of the tripods will put a good face on a paddock, but more than this is wanted. There should be a good stirring up of mossy places and a general rejuvenating of half-suffocated plants. A suitable harrow would be one that will dig into the tough grassy surface and stir up the dormant grasses; not a spring harrow. The field after treatmentmay not look pretty, but the bare spaces will soon fill up, and the subsequent growth will be healthy and vigorous. The time to do the harrowing will depend upon local conditions, such as the state and age of the herbage, while the- soil condition must be considered. Generally epeaking it should be done in late winter, or early spring. The first good harrowing, it is suggested, might be done, say, the length of the paddock, and the second at right angles to the first, the work to be done after a mild rain, and. not when the land is very wet. Some idea of the benefits to be gained from- cultivating grass land can be learned from a study of individual species of grasses grown separately. Allowing for increased growth due to ample space with the consequent reduction in competition for food, the extra . luxuriance of all species is remarkab'e. Stirring the soil exerci.es great benefits, while coupled with ton-bossing, we have the best of grass treatment. i It has bceen increasingly evident from year to year that although the farmer cannot well secure maximum results without seme arable farming, he can by tr- ting his grass land in a judicious manner lessen his annual expenditure and carry more stock.