CROPS COMPETITIONS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19365, 1 July 1937, Page 13

CROPS COMPETITIONS

MANGOLD CLASSES

YOUNG FARMER’S SUCCESS WIN IN OPEN SECTION HIGHEST YIELD 151 TONS FIRST A. AND P. EFFORT A member of a Young Farmers’ Club has won the open mangold growing competition sponsored by the Poverty Bay A. and P. Association. He is Mr. A. Donald, Tolaga Bay, whose crop was 151 tons to the acre. This is the first time the A. and P. Association has conducted such a competition, and the judge, Mr. E. M. Bates, B.Sc., instructor in agriculture in Gisborne, believes it will do a great deal towards promoting the growing of mangolds as a more general practice on the dairy farm. The competition was for an area of not less than a quarter of an acre. The following are the first three placings in the A. and P. Association’s competition.

The above areas were all of halfacre or more. Double yield points for tonnage. Judge’s Comments The judges’ comments on the winning crops were:— “A. Donald, Tolaga Bay.—A Young Farmers’ Club member registers an easy win in this competition. While his high yield, 151 tons per acre, was largely due to his choice of site near the cowshed, he had also put in very good work to win the competition. The roots were well developed, even and sound throughout. The width of rows was 20in., not wide enough for horse work. “H. Chrisp, Repongaere, whose halfacre gave a yield of 10G tons per acre, grew the mangolds folowing lucerne, j using a globe variety with 3Jcwt. super per acre, sowing in 18in. drills. Owing to the narrow drills hand work only could be carried out in aftercultivation. “A. McPhail, Waipaoa.—This crop was sown in 34!in. drills to allow for horse work. The wide drills necessarily cut down the yield per acr:. The work throughout was excellently carried out with the possiole exception of the horse-hoeing, as the earth had a tendency to be piled up against the mangolds instead of being drawn away. The crop was very clean and had been sown after a crop of pumpkins; the previous cultivation of this crop, followed by winter- ploughing, greatly assisting in having the ground in good tilth. A Globe variety was used with 3cwt. of artificial fertiliser. “The average yield throughout the competition was 87 tons per acre. Onc-Acrc Areas * I “Carter’s seed mangold competition > for areas of one acre resulted:—

“A. McPhail, Waipaoa, although not having the highest yield owing to wide drills, obtains lirst place in this competition, having gained the greatest number of points. The work has been faithfully carried out from start to finish, and the entry generally was excellent. “H. Chrisp, Repongaere, who was placed before A. McPhail in the A. and P. Association’s competition for the area, was unable to gain sufficient yield points over the acre plot to lead in this competition. Owing to the width of drills being only 22.6 in. in width, hand worl* had to be resorted! to, and weeds were more difficult to, contend with, but had been kept well ; in cheek, especially in the early part: of the season, which is the most critical time.

“C. Tietjen, Bushmere, entered a crop of Golden Tankards sown at an average width of 32.7 in. and yielding 82 tons per acre. The tops, in contrast to the Globes, appeared to cover a more vigorous crop, but the roots were not as well developed as might be expected, and inclined to be gappy in places. Blood and bone was sown with the crop. Some points were dropped in variable width of rows as this would not facilitate horse work. “The average yield in this competition was 75 tons per acre.” Excellent Results “The work entailed in growing a heavy crop of mangolds on a small area,” the judge added, “is less than a light crop on the same area, let alone a light crop of equal tonnage on a larger area. Excellent results in many districts have been obtained by growing mangolds on the same ground for a number of years on an area adjoining the cowshed, where high fertility is readily obtained and the crop is handy for both cultivation and feeding out.

“While mangolds need to be pulled for some time before feeding out, they come in at a useful time for feeding out with hay after pumpkins are used up, and at the most critical time as far as the ryegrass in the pastures, as well as 'the .dairy stock are concerned. Bare grazing of ryegrass in the late winter-early spring period of shortage is a most detrimental practice, and a supply of mangolds and hay at this period is invaluable both to stoc and pasture. For pigs mangolds are useful as a portion of the -ation, pigs not being fed wholly on mangolds.

~ v B £ ~ * . p F , o v a & 'fi- h

A. Donald . 75 J IT, 24 IS 14 154.1 .1 If. C’hrisp , . 55 21 2-2 10 15 129 2 A. Mcl’linil . ;. 4:t 3d 34 IP 15 125 2

o £ * i C’v’i <y Total

A. McPiinil . 42J 24 24 10 15 3 24.'. 1 II. Chvisj) . 45 21 2.:i 1C. i:i ns 2 0. Tit'tjen . 41 22 22 IS 12 115 I!