Ryegrass Pastures And Southland's Experience

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18922, 25 January 1936, Page 13

Ryegrass Pastures And Southland's Experience

rvUIMNG an extensive tour'through. a number of the farming districts of Southland, Mr. .T. R. Stevenson, produce manager of the Hawke's Eay Farmers' Co-operative Association, Limited, noted some interesting results from the use of Hawke's Bay strains of certified perennial ryegrass in permanent pasture sowings.

In an interview Mr. Stevenson stated that the majority of farmers who had sown down seed of Hawke's Bay strains of rye were well satisfied with their results, but in odd cases, mainly due to insufficient grazing, complaints in regard to unpalatability were stiil being heard. "Where the true perennial rye is being kept heavily stocked and well grazed down along similar lines to Hawke's Bay, one hears no complaints and with liming and topdrcssing the sowing down of pastures with a proportion of true perennial rye certainly improves the carrying capacity," he said, going on to instance the case of a run of J 5,000 acres, originally snow grass tussock and stunted scrub, which had been broken up and sown down in a pasture mixture of Hawke's Bay strains of perennial certified ryegrass, cocksfoot, timothy and poa pratonsis. With generous liming and topdrcssing with superphosphate this area, originally nothing better than a wilderness, was now carrying up to five ewes to the acre and doing them well.

One impression gained by Mr. .Stevenson during his visit was that the average Southland seeding mixtures for permanent pastures were too light. He stated that the average in some districts of .Southland was from 25 to 281 b. to the acre, which was a very light provision compared with the average sowing of up to (JOlb. to the acre found in Hawke's Bay.

"Their pastures are inclined to lack body, and in all too many eases are dogstail dominant," he continued. "It would appear that many farmers would find it a decided advantage to sow more clovers and establish a better 'bottom' to their pastures, which would thus provide better mixed grazing.'' "Lime and super have been the making of Southland farming," he remarked, in conclusion.