ON THE LAND

Southland Times, Issue 20771, 11 May 1929, Page 7

ON THE LAND

REVIEW OF THE WEEK

QUIET TIME ON THE FARMS WINTRY WEATHER Wintry weather has been experienced again this week and the growth of pastures appears to have been considerably checked, although there is still a good deal of grass available. The dairy season is now nearing its close, although the supply of milk has been exceptionally well maintained. As it is now in the ’tween seasons, the farmers are experiencing a fairly quiet time. A certain amount of autumn top-dressing is being done, although most farmers *who have contemplated this work have already applied the fertilizers to the soil. Sheep farmers are engaged with crutching operations’. The inquiry for farm properties stiil continues to be bright. Buyers, however, are very hard to satisfy and there are comparatively few farms in the market worth the prices demanded. There is still a certain amount of grain offering. Most of the samples are B grade, but there are occasionally good samples in the market, and as a rule both A’s and B’s are very heavy. Important Sale of Stud Stock. An important sale of stud Jersey cattle and Clydesdale horses will be held at the Invercargill Showgrounds on Tuesday, commencing at 10.30 a.m. Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Company will offer on behalf of Dr. Ritchie Crawford three bulls and four females from his notable "Marinofo” Jersey stud, and this sale should attract very wide interest among fanciers of the breed who realize the high quality of the doctor’s stock. The offering will include the present herd sire, Marshal of Marinoto, and two yearling bulls, the cows, Meg of Marinoto and Megan of Marinoto, a rising two-year-old heifer and a heifer and calf, all of the finest breeding. The Clydesdale offering, which is being made on behalf of the Trustees of the estate of the late James King, will include two very well-bred stallions, six mares, nine fillies and three colts. The breeding of these stock is excellent and the offering will be a very attractive lot. Some of the late Mr King’s finest prize-winning stock is included and the be of particular interest to breeders. Successful Ensilage Experiment. Southland farmers have been anything but convinced of the possibilities of success in saving ensilage, but at least one farmer was sufficiently sanguine to undertake the experiment this season, and his attempt was met with a great measure of success. Mr H. C. Stevens, of Myross Bush, was the farmer in question and he had constructed a pit silo in an admirable situation on the bank of a creek which gave good drainage. The pit was 42 feet long, 13 feet wide at the bottom and 15 feet wide at the top and seven feet deep. Some 80 tons of grass in very good condition containing a good percentage of white clover was put into the silo which was finally sealed on January 9 last. Neighbours were very sceptical of success and considered that the work was so much waste. When the pit was opened last Wednesday, however, it was found that the experiment was by no means a waste and Mr Stevens’s winter fodder will be augmented by this quantity of first-class ensilage, and it is likely that he will be in a position to sell some of this excellent feed to the sceptics. As was expected, about nine inches to a foot of mouldy or rotten ensilage was found at the mouth. There was practically no loss at all under the covering of earth at the top and the ensilage from the top to the bottom of the pit was a very even green colour, sweet smelling and graded as firstclass. The ensilage was laid under the supervision of Mr G. W. Wild, instructor in agriculture, who expressed great satisfaction at the success of the experiment. Samples will be exhibited at the Winter Show in conjunction with the exhibit of the Department of Agriculture.