THE NORTH ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 4074, 12 April 1932, Page 15

THE NORTH ISLAND.

GENERAL. “It may be of interest to learn that this cheque represents the proceeds of the sale of 16 sheepskins, one calfskin, and two boner cows,” said a district farmer in forwarding a cheque for £2 2s to the South Taranaki Automobile Association in payment of subscriptions. “ Times are hard,” was the sender’s brief but pointed comment. A shipment of 500 two-tooth empty ewes was despatched from Gisborne the other day to the order of a Canterbury farmer (says the Poverty Bay Herald). This is one of the very few lines of Gisborne sheep sent to Canterbury this season. A few seasons ago many thousands of this district’s surplus sheep found their way to the Addington market or direct to Canterbury stations. The importance of “pedigree” grassland was emphasised by Air A. H. Cockayne, Assistant Director of Agriculture, in a talk to a party of farmers who visited the Agriculture Department laboratory at Wallaceville a few days ago. The whole future of New Zealand, so far as the production of meat and butter was concerned, said Air Cockayne, depended just as much upon getting “ pedigree ” into the pasture as into the stock.

The low values for sheep skins at present ruling in Hawke’s Bay hardly meet the cost of carting the skins to the fellmongery and in consequence numbers of farmers are holding their skins in their woolsheds, against a possible rise, since they argue that one might as well do this as give them away (says the Napier Telegraph). The prospects of a rise certamly do not appear very bright at the present time and the lowered trend of the wool market will not help matters. A Wanganui business man who has just returned from a visit to Hastings, states that he was amazed at the wonderful growth of grass to be seen in the Hawke’s Bay district (says the Herald). He was informed that the rainfall has been on a liberal scale, and the pastures reflected this, as there is an abundance of feed for stock; in fact, hay could be cut on many of the farms. Naturally, the stock is showing the benefit in the circumstances, and farmers are delighted at having such a plentiful supply of grass at this season of the year. The district never looked .better, and the prospects are decidedly bright. DEMAND FOR SHEEP. The great growth of grass everywhere in the eastern districts of the North Island has resulted in spirited buying of store sheep, and there appear to b«P insufficient offering on the sale yards at Gisborne to satisfy the demand. The upward tendency was assisted by the operations of a Hawke’s Bay buyer, who secured SOO store sheep at Alatawhero out of the 4900 offered. His purchases were mostly ewes running with rams. WAIKATO CROPS. The Waikato district is generally known as the land of grass—and grass alone. This year, however, some farmers are reverting to cropping to provide a portion of their winter feed. A feature this year has been the extension of areas in swedes. Probably more lucerne has been sown in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty districts this year. The dry weather turned the attention of farmers to lucerne, but, unfortunately, most crops were sown late, and these are somewhat backward in consequence. FEILDING SALE. /kt the Feilding sale recently the Associated Live Stock Auctioneers. Ltd., offered a record entry comprising 1662 fat sheep and 2572 fat lambs, a total of 4234. Competition was keen from the outset for all classes. At the same time realisations for quality ewes suffered in comparison with prices paid for ordinary sorts. An entry of 4735 store sheep made up chiefly of fattening ewes and lambs was hardlj’ up to the standard of a couple of weeks ago, but for these and the few wethers penned there was quite a satisfactory demand and clearance. Fat cattle were in fair supply, and prices showed a slight easing on previous sale rates. In the store cattle pens weaner heifers and 18month heifers running with bulls met with a firming inquiry, and with a reasonable rainfall in the near future prices for this class should harden. Dairy cattle in small numbers met with a rather better demand, and as the new season approaches buyers are expected to be operating freely. FARM COMPETITION. The merits of good dairy farm management and the value of the results which accrued from sound practice were doubly emphasised at Aorangi the other day, when the prizes won in the WellingtonWest Coast dairy farm competition were presented and the information obtained as the outcome of the scheme was disseminated. There was a large attendance of farmers from all parts of the Alanawatu district, and keen interest was shown. The function took place on the property of the winner of the first prize, Air A. J. Baxter, of Cameron’s Line. First: Air A. J. Baxter, of Cameron’s Line, Aorangi, £25 and the committee’s silver cup. Second: Air H. L. Knudsen, of Tiritea. £l5. Third: Air H. A. Benge, of Aorangi, £5. Cheers were given for the

first prize-winner, who returned thanks, and paid a tribute to the help given him by his son.

WAIPUKURAU HORSE SALE.

Jl. be annual horse fair was held in VVaipukurau, there being a large entry, lhe majority of the animals, however, were not of a good quality, and prices ranged accordingly. Good quality draught horses sold well'. There was a large attendance of buyers. Prices for unbroken, hght, and heavy draughts were as follow: — Ihree-year-old gelding passed at £6 10s; rising three-year-old filly, £9; five-year-old filly, £l4; six-year-old filly, £2l; three-year-old gelding, £l3 10s; six-year-old mare (handled), £3; four-year-old gelding, £4; three-year-old gelding (handled), passed, at £2B; three-year-old filly (handled), bl ’ 0u o l } t *5 10s; three-year-old filly (handled), £4 ss; two-year-old filly (handled), £9; three-year-old gelding, £l4 t,V°-year-old filly, £l3 10s; two-year-old filly, £3 10s; yearling colt, £3 10s; four-year-old filly, £l5; six-year-old gelding, £l7 and £29 10s; eight-year-old geldlo<?’ broken to chains, £3O, aged mare (chains), £2O ss, nine-year-old geldings, £l7 to £l9; three-year-old mare, £18; six-year-old mare , £27; and aged sorts £8 to TARANAKI STOCK MARKET. Although the Easter holidays have interrupted business to some extent, the demand generally for stock i s fair. Graziers have benefited through a slight rise in freezing values for lamb and mutton during the week, the limits at present being lambs (woolly) sd, seconds ld a ” weights, lambs (shorn) 4Jd, wethers^ approximately 13s, ewes approxiniately 7s. A similar rise was experienced at this period last year. The result should add impetus to dealings in the store sheep section, with a hardening in values. l’he drawback in regard to store sheep at the moment is the lack of supplies. Store lambs are available in small lines only at the sale yards, and continue to find favour -with dairy farmers in their small lot requirements. Several lines of store wethers up to 500 in number have been disposed of privately at figures up to Ils, but the position still is the same in regard to this class, and that is supplies are not available to meet demands. Sales of breeding ewes are few, due to the lateness of the season. Little alteration can be reported in the beef section. Several holders of fat bullocks have been tempted to sell during the week to freezing companies at prices up to £5, which is approximately 15s per 1001 b. Alore business on these lines should lead the W’ay for more transactions in store cattle, and a better freezing schedule would improve the position still further. Butchers continue to draw the bulk of requirements from the large number of female cattle available. FLOOD AS A BLESSING. That the February flood has done more good than harm to the silted pastures is the view- held by Air D. P. Cameron, a settler with over 50 years’ experience on the Gisborne flats.

A small portion of Air Cameron’s property at Waerenga-a-hika has been flooded practically every time the Waipaoa has overflowed. Grass seed sown immediately the water has subsided has invariably produced a wonderful growth, and the silted pasture has produced more feed than before the flood. The onljcost is in the purchase of grass seed and the loss of the grazing while the new grass is growing. Of course, if any crops happened to have been in the silted area they may be destroyed, but that is cne of the risks.

T his year’s flood came at a time when settlers were able to utilise the best of growing conditions. Water remained on 30 acres of Air Cameron's farm for 15 days, but immediately it subsided he broadcast seed over the wet silt. At the end of last week he brought into town a sample of two lots of silt. One bore a beautiful growth of ryegrass, while the other, taken from an area that had not been sown, was barren of any growth, and "as already beginning to crack open'. lhe silt that was brought down by the river, Air Cameron considered, gave a remarkable stimulus to growth. He did not agree with the assertions of a number of farmers that the silt deposited by the last flood was of inferior quality to’ that ;eft by previous inundations. The power of stimulating growth was shown in the good crop of grass it was now bringing on.

While a paddock was receiving coatings cf silt every few years, there was no necessity to use artificial fertilisers on it, Air Cameron added. Floods had been Nature’s fertiliser to the Poverty Bay flats, lhe silt, he declared, settled down like milk that had been stood in a pan. In the case of the milk, the cream rose to the surface. Likewise, the cream of the silt—that which provided the greatest stimulus to growth—rose to the surface as the silt settled.

When the flood swept several thousands cf acres of the Gisborne flats in February, lhe ground was very warm from the hot, ary spell. The heat from the ground warmed the silt, and the seed that was planted on it immediately the water subsided met admirable growing conditions. The sample Air Cameron brought into town had a giowth of grass from oin to 9in long. In advocating the sowing of seed immediately after the flood waters have subsided, Air Cameron conflicts with those who believe in waiting until the soil is firm enough to permit harrowing. In all his experience, he has had good results from immediate sowing, and regards the other method as waste of time. USE OF BASIC SLAG. EXPERIMENTS AT ROTHAMSTED Sir E. J. Russell (director of the Rothamsted Experimental Station), in his latest work on Artificial Fertilisers, deals at length with the experiments with basic slag. It has been proved that high soluble slags owe their value chiefly to the soluble phosphorus compounds, but also to the calcium compounds producing the lime effect; and that the low-soluble slags owe their value chiefly to the calcium compounds, and to the soluble phosphorus present or formed by decomposition in the soil. The experiments at Rothamsted are

in accordance with this view; they show that high-soluble slags produce a phosphatie effect at once, and that low-soluble slags do not, though they begin to act after a time.

On grassland that is not too acid or too wet (writes Sir John Russell) highsoluble slag increases the growth of clover, especially of wild white clover, provided other conditions allow, it may also increase the growth of thistles and of grass. It breaks up the mat of dead vegetation, by facilitating decomposition, and thus allows rain-water to percolate through the soil more easily. The effect is greatly influenced by the use to which the grass is put. Experiments carried out by the Agricultural Education Association at various centres throughout England and Wales showed that in the first year, the highsoluble slag comes out best and, on good land, much the best. In the second and following years the low-soluble slag is improved in effectiveness at the centres where yields were good, and in the fourth year the increments were almost as good as those given by the high-soluble slag, though the total gain during the four ypars was far less. The mineral phosphate also did better in the fourth year than in the second and third, but its total effect remained below that of the low-soluble slag.

The general result is that the highsoluble slag begins to the return at once and its action continues. The lowsoluble slag and the mineral phosphate take longer to begin; after a time they act fairy well on some soils; but even at the end of four years they have not given the same total increase as the high-soluble slag.

The addition of slag to pasture land often results in a striking improvement, especially in the growth of clover; so striking, indeed, that in the early days it was often believed that the slag brought in the clover seeds. It is much more difficult, however, to measure the improvement on grazing land than on hay land. The Cockle Park method of weighing animals at the beginning and at the end of a specified period is admirable for demonstration purposes where the difference between the slagged and the untreated plots is considerable, but it fails where the differences are similar, because it can take no account of the selective grazing of the herbage, or of the grass consumed for maintenance, or of the difference between individual animals. Sheep are used as the grazing animals because they are small, and a large number can be put on to the plots, but unfortunately they cannot cope with grass that has grown more than a few inches high. Mixed grazing with sheep and cattle keeps the herbage satisfactory, but introduces great difficulties into the experiment, because of the large area of land needed, one bullock requiring abput as much land as six sheep. Smaller animals than sheep might be used; for example, one sheep is equivalent to about three geese. . A similar method is to leave the plots unfenced, and accessible to all the animals, and then closely to watch the herbage and the choice exercised by

the animals: this gives information as to the palatability, and is useful in the hands of a competent, unbiased observer using ecological methods of herbage analysis. A third method is to fence in the grass, thus protectins it from the animals, but to cut it frequently by a mowing machine, and to weigh and analyse the cuttings. This method has the advantage of giving quantitative results, but the disadvantage that mowing is not quite the same as grazing. None of these methods is as accurate or as trustworthy as those used for hay or for arable crops. Attempts are being made at Rothamsted to improve the grazing method and to give it quantitative si<m£ finance.

Loams on which grass and clover already grow well may show little response Much depends on the efficiency of the grazing If the grass is kept closely eaten down, by cattle and sheep grazinir together, slag may increase the vield of meat or milk, but if it is allowed'to grow and is grazed by sheep only, it may pass beyond the stage at which the animals thrice upon it. Unless the grazing is adequately done, slag may do more liarm than good on this type of land.

Clay land usually responds to slag better than does any other. The most spectacular improvement is on wet, sour clay land only sparsely populated with vegetation’ so.that there is much unoccupied surface in particular land that is carrying little or no clover, but a relatively large amount of bent grass, which dies and goes brown in the autumn. Such is the land of Cockle 1 ark and much of the boulder clay of the Midlands of England. Addition‘of slag causes a remarkable spread of clover usually the wild white variety (Trifolium repens), which rapidly colonises the unoccupied land and which, by enriching the s ° d ’ n nitrogen and in humus, favours the development of useful grasses. The improvement is striking; it is at least as good as can be obtained by cake-feeding and is much cheaper. On very acid soils or very wet soils, a mat of dead vegetation is apt to form and render colonisation bv clover impossible. Slag cannot then act until the excess of water is removed, the acidity neutralised, and the mat destroyed so that the bare earth is exposed.