ON THE LAND

Southland Times, Issue 21997, 22 April 1933, Page 5

ON THE LAND

WEEKLY REVIEW GOOD POTATO YIELDS REPORTED EXPORT PROSPECTS Heavy falls of rain during the week and cold and boisterous conditions have reminded fanners that winter is upon them. Winter conditions have made an early appearance, but most farmers are well prepared with feed for their stock to carry them through the cold months. Oats are being offered to merchants by farmers fairly freely. A certain amount of threshing is being done in the various districts, but a number of farmers are not prepared to thresh at the present time and are leaving their crops in stack until required or until market quotations improve. The present state of the market is much the same as for several weeks past, A grade Gartons being quoted at 1/- to 1/1 per bushel on trucks country stations. Offerings of new season’s chaff have been coming in freely, but merchants complain that many of the samples show signs of careless cutting. Although farmers may think with some justification that the present quotations do not warrant careful cutting, the state of the market is such that only first quality chaff is saleable. The demand is only for good bright quality and merchants are having some difficulty in inducing buyers to show much interest even at the low rates at which chaff is offering. Prices to farmers are on the basis of £2 per ton on trucks country stations. Lower grade chaff is not in demand. Ryegrass has not been offering very readily as growers are loath to sell at the very low prices offered. The shipping demand has not been bright and there has been no improvement in the market. The harvest of brown top has not been extensive this season, but it appears that supplies available will be ample for the market which has eased since the first offerings were made. Main crop potatoes are being dug at present and the returns in most districts are excellent, although in certain parts of the province blight appears to have struck the crops rather badly. As attempts will be renewed this season to establish a good export trade farmers should be particularly careful in grading their potatoes and bagging them in good quality bags as there were numerous complaints in this connection last year. The market position is by no means bright and present prospects are that farmers will not be offered more than 32/6 to 35/- per ton for their potatoes. The cold conditions are forcing the milk yield down very quickly and in a month or so many of the dairy factories will have concluded their operations for the season and will have closed down. This may occur slightly earlier than usual as at the present very low prices farmers will not consider that the returns justify the trouble of keeping their cows in milk well into the winter and they will accordingly dry off their herds earlier than usual. Turnip Seed. The turnip in the ordinary course of its life does not produce seed in the first year. There are exceptional cases when this does happen, but it is brought about by injury, as by late frosts. The function of the turnip in its first year is to store up food for its ultimate aim of producing seed in its second year. This stage is reached when the leaves turn yellow. Those who desire to procure the seed of some special variety should make a selection of the roots at this period. Care must be exercised that the roots selected are of good shape and size, and their general feeding qualities realized. These roots should be pitted and unearthed and planted out in the spring when they will produce stems up to three feet bearing a profusion of pale yellow flowers which on being fertilized produce the required seed. As the seed ripens the birds become very active, so that for small quantities of bulbs it is advisable to grow them under cover of netted wire. Kohl Rabi. As a feeding crop Kohl Rabi has not proved a great success under our climatic conditions. This plant to the layman looks like half-cabbage, halfturnip, and grows well out of the ground. A small trial at the Winion Experimental area last season showed nothing in its favour as regards feeding qualities when compared with either turnips or swedes. There are two common varieties grown, the Green Top and the Purple Top. The crop can be treated as regards _ soil preparation, seeding and manuring as the turnip crop. It is perhaps an advantage to thin out the crop to the same extent as Chou Moellier to obtain larger bulbs and a greater mass of foliage. All stock show a liking for this feed, more especially sheep. One point in its favour is that it grows well out of the ground and the feeding off is not hampered during heavy frosts or snow. It is supposed to be more resistant to club-root disease than the turnip. An analysis of Kohl Rabi shows that it is richer in proteins (flesh-forming materials), but low in the carbohydrate content than swedes. Ryegrass Strains. It is the intention of the Department of Agriculture to investigate the Italian and Western Wolths ryegrass in Southland from a strain point of view, with the object of improving by selection suitable strains of these types. The furtherance of this research depends on the co-operation of the growers of these types of seeds. It is hoped they will forward samples of about 6oz to the instructor in agriculture in Invercargill. Southland Cheese. It is expected that the committee set up to report on the co-operative marketing of Southland or South Island cheese will shortly be able to put some definite proposal before the producers, and it is hoped to have the matter well advanced by the beginning of June so that it can be fully discussed at the annual conference of the South Island Dairy Association. The question of a greater utilization of milk and cream for local consumption may also be considered, although it is not considered likely that the association, as an organization, will take any action in this matter. Reports to hand on this season’s export of cheese from Southland are very favourable and should supply the industry with ample evidence that a co-operative scheme, whether by means of a Southland brand or pooled marketing, is worthy of serious consideration as a means of improving returns.