GRAZING DAIRY STOCK

Southland Times, Issue 20014, 30 October 1926, Page 14

GRAZING DAIRY STOCK

EFFECTS OF FERTILISERS GERMAN EXPERIMENTS. A great deal of interest has been created in Great Britain, says Mr. R. Lindsay Robb, N.D.A., N.D.D., by the results of the German experiments on the intensive system of manuring grass and meadow land. These experiments, initiated by Professor Warmbold at Hohenheim, in 1916, have resulted in a greater stockcarrying capacity of the pasture land of South Germany, and consequently an increased output of milk, beef, and mutton per acre. Incidentally, the Germans have also, under this intensive manuring system 2 increased the yields and improved the quality of their meadow of hay. The system of grassland management advocated by Professor Warmbold is briefly as follows: Phosphates, potash (and lime where necessary), are applied during the autumn, and the first dressing of nitrogen is applied at the end of January or beginning of February. This early application of nitrogen stimulates the growth of grasses, and the pastures are ready for stocking . from fifteen to twentyfive days earlier than usual. The fields are then grazed in sections varying in size from one to eight or ten acres each. In the early spring (March) sheep are allowed to run over all the plots, and at the beginning of April they are taken off, and grazing commences with the milk stock. Each plot is stocked with a sufficient number of cows to eat it down in three or four days and dry cows or other horned cattle may be used to follow up the milk stock and complete the grazing of each plot. The grazing is more easily controlled under this sectional method, and the grass on different plots can be kept at varying stages of growth by varying the time of applying the nitrogen. Three, and sometimes four, dressings of nitrogen were given throughout the season in the Continental pasture experiments, with very successful results. TREBLING STOCK-CARRYING CAPACITY. Prior to 1916 one and a-half acres per cow were required at Hohenheim for the normal grazing season, but in less than two years under the intensive manuring system only slightly over half an acre (0.52) was required per cow, which meant that the stock-carrying capacity had been practically trebled. The yield of milk per acre had increased in the same time by 168 per cent. In order to ascertain how .far the results obtained on the Continent may be applicable under English conditions a number of experiments have been arranged and are now in progress in different parts of this country. In Yorkshire, a grazing trial is being carried out on Mr. William Brunton’s fann, Tollesby, Marton. In this experiment 27 acres have been fenced off into six plots, three of five acres and three of four acres with water laid on. Phosphates, potash, and Billingham carbonate of lime were applied during the early winter and nitrogen in the form of sulphate of ammonia at 1 cwt. per acre was applied to each plot on various dates between the beginning of February and the end of March. From the middle to the end of March two of the plots were grazed with ewes and lambs (39 ewes and 44 lambs). The sheep were taken off and 26 milk cows were turned on to the plots at the end of the first week in April. The number of cows has had to be steadily increased, and to-day (May 22) there are 40 milk cows and 8 dry cows being grazed on the plots. It is of the utmost importance that each plot should be stocked when the grass is about four inches high. If allowed to get beyond this stage the plots readily become patchy. The keynote of success in this system is early and heavy stocking... ECONOMY IN CONCENTRATES. It is also interesting to note that on this farm Mr. Brunton does not usually trun his cows out to grass until May; the intensive manuring has resulted, therefore, in grass being available for the dairy cows fully a month earlier than usual. This is a fact of great economic significance. The saving affected here in expensive concentrated foods is enormous, because the young succulent grass provides for maintenance, and three gallons of milk. Only cows giving over three gallons of milk per day require to have concentrated food supplied, and it is easy, therefore, to calculate the tremendous advantage of having grass available so early in the season.