PASTURE IMPROVEMENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17437, 8 April 1931, Page 7

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT

RESPONSE FROM RAIN ANOTHER WELCOME FALL 'l'lie rain which commenced yesterday afternoon should prove of additional benefit to the pastures. The growth since the breaking of the drought lias been little short of wonderful on the fertilised areas, while other paddocks and hill pastures, too, are now well covered. The sward, however, is not yet bade to its original thickness, but the showers that fell last week, and the ii-lit rain yesterday and to-day should go a long way towards filling up the spaces between the clumps of grass. Already the bare pal dies on which the grass had completely died out are showni? tineps of gieen, and if warm conditions continue for a short time longer it should not be long beiore the pastures again contain a good thick sward, to considerably ease the winter leed problem. The district would benefit by a great deal more rain, for the ground a few inches down is still fairly dry and in a position to absorb much more moisaire. So far, little improvement has been noticed in the production of butterfat as a result of the flush of grass aftei the rain. Few of the herds have actu ally increased- their- supplies to- any up me in Tie extent, but those farmers wli, have kept their rows up to a fairly high standard .of production, by taking cnie to adequately feed them during the time the pastures .wore dried up, are oiking 'forward to their butterfat ini proving when their cows are able to respond to the. consumption of the succulent new grass. In other instances the downward trend has been checked for the time being, and farmers will he idle In keep their tows in milk lor a longer period iliau if no rain had fallen. The rain fame too late to do any good to the apple crops, which, however, suffered little compared with the loss ii) flaky pivdiietion. This week’s fall will have the effect of delaying on-King. which was at ils height beiore the rain commenced yes.eiJay.