ON THE LAND

Southland Times, Issue 21820, 24 September 1932, Page 5

ON THE LAND

WEEKLY REVIEW THE GOOD WEATHER CONTINUES LAMBING SEASON The spell of good weather has continued during the week and farmers have been able to keep well up to date with seasonal work. The dairying season has been well launched and the intakes at the dairy factories are increasing rapidly. Farmers arc now commencing the main lambing, which will be the most serious task for the next few weeks. The lambing season has been a particularly good one and there are now many lambs about, although the main lambing will not commence until next week. There should be a number of high percentages this year if the present good weather continues. Some interest has been shown by Tooley Street already this season and offers of from 6d to 61 d per lb f.o.b. have been available for the cheese output of a number of factories for the early months of the season. This is about the same price that was offered at the beginning of last season, but after a month or so prices rose fairly substantially and 6j>d was quite freely offered. There has been a good demand for horses for farm work this year and there appears to be a definite movement back to the horse. Actually, there has been a shortage of horses, but many fanners, by working in with each other, have been able to carry on and avoid the necessity of purchasing new horses. Young horses of a good working stamp have not been offering very freely this year, and only financial considerations have been responsible for restricting what otherwise would have been a strong demand. At recent fairs, however, prices have been showing an upward tendency. It looks as if it would pay farmers to go in for breeding horses again, as there is reported to be a definite movement against mechanical power on the farms. There has been a fairly good demand for potatoes for shipment, but buyers are hard to satisfy in regard to quality. As far as shipments to Auckland are concerned, the season will be over soon as new potatoes generally come on to the Auckland market fairly freoly towards the middle of October. There is still a fair amount of inquiry for land, although it. is getting late in the season now. It is reported that Mr Albert Pascoe, of Tokanui, has sold his farm of about 300 acres to a Mr Shaw, of the Gore district. A very considerable quantity of oats and wheat is being sown in Southland this spring. Farmers who have not grown these cereals for many years are doing so this season. The sheep farmers in particular have had a very bad time financially and are turning to crop growing in order to bring in some ready money. In view of the welcome news that wool is hardening and on account of the fact that there have been good rains in Canterbury, the Southland stock markets have shown a firming tendency and the appearances are that the downward slide has at last been stopped. This appears to be the case with all primary products. There has been very little appreciable rise, but everything is now more or less saleable and there is more hope of recovery than a few months ago. Potato Manuring.

With the potato planting season at hand, farmers have now to .consider manurial mixtures which will produce the heaviest crops. The use of a mixture of well-known manures for this crop is fairly clearly demonstrated from the results of experiments laid down in Southland last season by Mr A. A. Hume, instructor in agriculture. On Mr S. Kokay’s property at Tuatapere, using certified King Edward seed, the yields were as follows: Without manure, 11.6 tons per acre; with 3 cwt superphosphate per acre, 15.8 tons per acre; with 3 cwt superphosphate and 1 cwt sulphate of potash, 15.6 tons per acre; with 3 cwt t.uperphosphate and 1 cwt sulphate of ammonia, 16.7 tons per acre; with 3 cwt superphosphate and 1 cwt each sulphate of ammonia and sulphate of potash, 17.7 tons per acre. , Another trial at Mr H. Hormans property at Tuatapere, using certified Up-to-Date seed, yielded as follows: With 3 cwt superphosphate, 19.1 tons per acre; with 5 cwt superphosphate, 20.9 tons per acre; with 5 cwt superphosphate and 1 cwt sulphate of ammonia, 22.5 tons per acre; with 5 cwt superphosphate, 1 cwt sulphate of ammonia and 1 cwt sulphate of potash, 21.6 tons per acre; with 5 cwt superphosphate and 2 cwt sulphate of ammonia, 23.3 tons per acre. By using a soluble phosphate such as superphosphate as a basis at the rate of 3cwt per acre and the addition of sulphate of ammonia at the rate, of lewt per acre, a very economical mixture can be applied. It has been found for those who sow the manure by hand that it is more beneficial to sow the manure in a narrow strip about three inches wide in the bottom of the drill before planting the seed than to broadcast the manure up the sides of the drill. uis-iu. To prevent the ravages of blight, spraying will have to be done sooner or later. The number of tubers that are discarded at digging is appalling and when consignments come forward to the saleroom many lines are only fit for the pigs due to the high percentage of blight. The mixtures are cheap, being made up of washing soda, bluestone and water, or lime, bluestone and water applied with a spray.. Particulars of the mixtures and suitable times for spraying can be obtained at the local office of the Department of Agriculture. Nitrogen on the Pastures. •The effect of nitrogenous manures applied to the pastures in the fonn of sulphate of ammonia at the rate of from li cwt to 2 cwt to the acre is now very noticeable, and on farms where it has been used this year a good growth of grass about four inches long is to be observed. Sulphate of ammonia is particularly valuable for encouraging an early growth of grass at the beginning of the season when, as is the case this year, there is very little fresh grass about to boost the milk supply or keep the ewes with young lambs going.