DRIED GRASS

Putaruru Press, Volume XXI, Issue 1232, 29 May 1947, Page 7

DRIED GRASS

STORING SURPLUS FOOD English Co-operative Scheme Small farmers in England are to be served by a co-operative grassdrying scheme operated by the Milk Marketing Board. Later to he extended on a nation wide basis, the scheme will be given a trial run in Gloucestershire. At first cautious and unwilling to join the scheme, farmers are now enthusiastic about its possibilities. A central drying plant will serve a radius of five miles, the exact boundary being decided l by the farmers’ own co-operative committee. Fields will be fertilised, the grass harvested, carted to the drying plant and returned in bales for an estimated cost of around £ls a ton. As the organisation is, not-profit making, this figure covers the cost of producing dried grass and no more. A fairly good pasture should return about two tons of dried grass to the acre, and though only small and medium-sized farms are eligible to join the scheme, no paddock less than three acres in extent cab. be handled meanwhile. Later, those farmers with smaller paddocks, or with farms outside the area, may be able to enjoy the drying service by cutting and hauling their own grass. Two factors have been respon sible for the establishment of the scheme. Like us, English farmers are becoming aware of the heavy food loss when grass is stored as hay. Added to this, imported feeding stuffs are not available nor is there money to pay for them. Dried grass preserves all the food value of fresh grass and co-opera-tion provides the rather expensive machinery necessary to carry out the drying process. ' One difficulty being faced in the English experiment arises from the seasonal nature of grass growth. Any centralised scheme will break down if all its members clamour for service at the one time. And unless the grass-cutting period can be spread out this is exactly what would happen. As we in New Zealand have the same problem on a more intense scale, the success of the English measures to smooth out the peak growth during the flush will have a big influence on whether a similar scheme will be introduced to this country. Several methods of controlling grass growth are contemplated. To some extent the manuring policy can hasten or postpone the flush and l as the co-operative fertilises for the farmer it can help to prevent a glut at the central drying plant by this means. If too much grass does get away at one time some paddocks 1 may be cut before they are usually regarded as being ready. This will decrease yields but protein content will be concentrated 1 , and since drying retains the protein the overall loss will be slight. In a very heavy flush when the central plant is swamped by too much grass ready at the same time, the drier could make “super-hay,” that is a compromise between dried grass and hay. Finally, the supply of grass to the centre can be regulated by longterm methods. “Late” and “early” soil types ace to be selected for the grass crop and’ different seed mix tures will be sown so that some pastures will mature before or' after others.