THE BEST DIVIDEND

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16202, 27 November 1926, Page 9

THE BEST DIVIDEND

PAID BY TOP-DRESSING ADVICE OF AN EXPERT. There is no subject of greater interest to the P.B. farmer than that of top-dressing, and the inquiries made since the publication in the Herald of tbe results'- secured in. this district show that they are alive to the need for the practice. With the knowledge of what top-dressing has done in other districts, there is not the slight eat doubt that it will pay handsomely on the high quality land that is general in Poverty Bav.

Mr. W. McCulloch, who will lie remembered by dairymen here who attended the winter farm school, gnv" an interesting address recently on the subject. Mr. McCulloch first dealt with the feeding quality' of pastures, and said every farmer should he to a grear extent his own chemist and know whether the fertility of the soil was rigid by tin* look of the pasture. Good grasses vanished for want of sustenance, and one of the primary causes of the lowered fertility was the dairycow.

THE COW’S NOURISHMENT

For every (50001 b of milk the average cow produced she relieved the farm of an equivalent in manures, representing, say, 2c,wt. superphosphate. The sheepfarmer was in the same boat, for every full grown carcase taken off the farm represented round about 131 b. super. If it was hoped to retain good pastures the farmer would have to put back the equivalent. Increased quantity' of pasture and palatability or quality (which was mere important) was what they must strive for. The lecturer then dealt exhaustively wdth manures and their action, and stated that of the three principal fertilisers phosphate was the most necessary to the soil of this country'. Much nitrogen was available in the atmosphere, and the plant absorbed it. Potash was also necessary, though the latter in New' Zealand had not always given the results expected, perhaps because sufficient potash remains still in this comparatively young country. Phosphates, however, they must put back, for without it their land would soon cease to lie productive at all. Much land was deteriorating in fertility because of lack of phosphates. Farmers were advised not to purchase low grade super, as it was really dearer per unit than high grade. Much of the so-called bone diseases in cattle was due to deficiency of phosphates in the soil. If this disease existed in his herd the farmer had neglcctod to supply his soil with sufficient phosphates. He could not too greatly stress the importance of this valuable mineral.

ACTUAL RETURNS.

Though less ploughing was done now* than was the case 25 years ago, much more artificial manures were being used, which showed that it was being applied to grogs land. Whereas 25 i years ago 24.000 tons of manures were i being used in New Zealand, to-day wo t are using over 200,000 tons. lop-, dressing gave an earlier spring growth j and the autumn growth continued fur-1 ther into the winter. It also meant j that a farmer would ( in many' eases j avoid the expense of renewing his pasture, which might cost anything up; io £5 per acre to lay down. . i An illustration was shown in rite case i >f a dairy farmer in Oroua Downs 1 district, where in the 1923-24 season ( a herd of 25 cows made 42701b5. of j butterfat. In 1924 33J acres were top- ■ dressed with. 3cwt. of manure per acre, being five tons at a cost of £9 10s pci • ton. That season 1924-25, the same herd of cows, with the addition of two ' heifers, returned 67241 b. of fat, which ; gave the farmer a clear profit after do- i ducting the cost of the manure of j £ll3 9s 6d, butter fat being reckoned I at Is Gd per lb. in both seasons. i Another example was when a sheep farmer had dm-dricd the cn-ryin; . capatity of Iris farm, which is now carrying four sheep (mainly ewes) to the acre. Another farmer, whose income from 800 acres was round about £I3OO per annum, increased it gradually to £2580 last year by spending £2OO per year on manure. “If any of you are racing men,” said Mr. McCulloch, “take a ticket on Phosphate Manure, and vou will get a 600 per cent, dividend. It. is the surest tiring you have ever bet on, and there are no non-starters.“ The lecturer advised the liberal use of heavy tripod-harrows. Top-dress* in" hilly country by hand was eertainly'a payable proposition. An average man could broadcast on six acres a day. and the speaker gave numerous instances whore much profit had accrued by hand sown manures. It cost about £1 10,s on an average to top-dress hills with 3c;vt. super per acre.