EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

Southland Times, Issue 20116, 1 March 1927, Page 8

EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

Farmers’ Field Day at Winton.

INSTRUCTIVE DEMONSTRATION.

Satisfactory Results of Tests.

Over 100 farmers and others attended the field day held on the Winton Experimental Farm yesterday afternoon. Representatives were present from Mataura, Thombury, Nightcaps, Dipton, Caroline, Hedgehope and other centres. The weather was fine and a most instructive and interesting afternoon was the opinion expressed by visiting farmers.

FIRST-CLASS PASTURES. The Winton Experimental Farm has now been in operation for about nine years and in that time much useful work has been done in developing the possibilities of the farm. During the past three years a great deal of pasture investigation work has been carried out by Mr. McGillivray, Instructor in Agriculture, and now some of the pasture areas are really first-class and it would be hard to find anything better anywhere. The stock carrying capacity is high as shown by the fact that there are at present 213 mixed sheep on 35 acres of top-dressed grass land, and one would say that it could comfortably carry 7 twice as many. The growth of grass is most luxuriant and in most places completely covers the ground which, as Mr McGillivray explained, is a very important point in pastures, and farmers should endeavour to get rid of bare patches in their pastures. SUCCESS OF MANURES. When the appointed time of meeting arrived, Mr McGillivray led the party to the manurial trials of chou moellier, thousand headed kale and swedes. This experi ment occupies about 10 acres of land and is laid down with the following fertilisers: (1) Super, 2cwt; (2) Super, 2cwt, Blood lewt; (3) Super, 2cwt, Blood, lewt, Potash, lewt; (4) Super, 2cwt, Potash, lewt. Growth is fairly even under the various manurial treatments but in the swedes the super and potash seems to be slightly in the lead In this block also is being tried out Mr J, C. Neill’s treated and untreated swede seed. Mr Neill is an officer of the Biological Laboratory 7 , Wellington, and has for the past three seasons been working on the control of plant diseases. Mr. McGillivray mentioned that at Gore last year they examined 380 swede roots grown from untreated swede seed and found that 15 per cent, were affected with dry rot. In the case of the same line of seed, treated, 610 swedes were examined and only one doubtful one was found. COMBATING THISTLE PEST. The party then proceeded to examine a block in which Winter Vetches and also a plant known as Lathyrus Tingitanus were being used for the purpose of smothering out Californian thistle and both appear to have accomplished their purpose as the land looked clean. One farmer present stated that the last time he saw the paddock he could not put his foot down without treading on Californian thistles. Mr McGillivray said the block was to be sown again in a similar smother crop next month and it was hoped to have a complete smother next season. ENGLISH CLOVER. A number of farmers then proceeded to examine a new pasture laid down with English wild white clover which seemed to be coming away well, but the plants were very small; but this is said to be characteristic of the variety which makes rapid growth once it is established. A tour was then made through five pasture blocks, each of five acres. Three of these blocks were laid down in 1920 and all are in excellent condition and were much admired, one block having a very comprehensive seeding being in exceptional condition. It had been limed and topdressed and last season carried stock equivalent to eight sheep per acre per annum. RYEGRASS TAKES WELL. Two blocks at the eastern side of the farm laid down last year came in for a lot of attention. In one block no ryegrass was used. Its place in the pasture was taken by meadow fescue, a grass that has not been grown to any extent in Southland. In both blocks cocksfoot was sown at the rate of 81bs per acre. It was not very prominent in the ryegrass block, but showed an amazing growth in the meadow fescue pasture. Mr McGillivray explained that ryegrass, being a rapid grower, has a depressing affect on cocksfoot and anyone inspecting these two blocks must come to the conclusion that cocksfoot does best when not sown along with ryegrass.

AIDING SWEDE GROWTH. The next area visited was one where extensive swede manurial trials are under way. Various phosphates are being tried out. In all cases the control plots are superphosphate. Others are bonedust, Seychelles, Ephos, basic slag, Nauru and Walpole. In this experiment all plots were to be sown at the rate of 24cwt per acre, but owing to a derangement of the sowing year one side of the double ridger could not be made to sow a sufficiently heavy dressing and according to the amount of fertiliser left over it is estimated that not more than 2cwt per acre was sown on that side. The resultant crop is interesting to look at, and should give some interesting information later on when a sowing of 2Acwt per acre is compared with one of approximately 2cwt per acre. VALUE OF LIMING. A visit was paid to a new pasture laid down in October last. In this paddock the value of lime is demonstrated to a remarkable degree. On the limed part of the paddock is a fine growth of grass and clover, while on the unlimed part there appears to be more weeds than anything else. ADDRESS BY MR McGILLIVRAY. At the conclusion of the inspection of the farm Mr R. McGillivray, Instructor in Agriculture, addressed the gathering. He expressed pleasure at the large number present, and said that farmers were welcome to visit the farm at any time. He stated that there was now an advisory committee, but the farm was as much an experimental farm as it ever was, and departmental officers took as much and perhaps more interest in the farm than ever before. Mr Cockayne, of Wellington, visited Winton during last week, and went into matters on the farm and expressed pleasure at what he saw. The policy with regard to the development of the farm had not as yet been finally decided upon. Personally, he thought it would develop into an intensive dairy farm with top dressing of pastures on lines suitable for dairy development. Possibly be would manage to get some topdreasing done with nitrogen during the present season, and potash was also worth 1 more attention than it had received in the past. He said that stocking records during the past two seasons indicated that with the present acreage of land under grass they at the present time could carry 25 cows on grass for eight months in the year. To keep 25 cows for the remaining four months, 75 tons of swedes and 124 tons of good hay would be required. Some good clover or oat and pea hay would also be •equired during September. Mr McGillivray said that the pasture investigations on Winton had reached a stage when he could say that they were getting some results from the use of Nauru rock phosphate as a top-dressing. It took a long time to get a return, but the Nauru plots this season have considerably more clover than the control plots. It was not yet equal to basic slag in the experiment, but all the same it had at last given promise of better things. He also mentioned that the plots treated with carbonate of lime had more clover in the pasturage than was the case where burnt lime was used. MR J. R. HAMILTON’S VIEWS. Mr J. R. Hamilton, M.P., was the next speaker, and explained that the Winton farm was doing work that was of great importance to farmers. The top-dressing and pasture development on Winton was all done for the benefit of farmers. He expressed pleasure at the announcement that Nauru rock phosphate had shown results on the farm this season. He reminded his audience that science and practice must now go hand in hand. He said that the Government recognised this and had established an Agricultural College. He remarked that the eradication of twitch and the smothering of Californian thistles as shown on the farm were things that showed the farm was a useful institution. VOTE OF THANKS. Mr D. H. McLean expressed pleasure at what he had seen on the farm, and said that he was sure it was going to increase in usefulness as time went on*. He concluded by moving a hearty vote of thanks to Mr McGillivray.