Crop Experiments

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 89, 20 August 1923, Page 7

Crop Experiments

WORK AT DEMONSTRATION FARM. INTERESTING DETAILS. Following is a resume of the oper-' ations at the Stratford Demonstration Farm for the season 1922-23. j SWEDES. Niine varieties' wore tested under field conditions principally to find I out their resistance to dry-rot and ; club-root. Some of tho varieties made a very good showing in regard i to dry-rot. As no club-root was found in any of tho varieties the j tost does not tell us anything. The foP owing are the particvla.rs (weighed Juno 9th, 1923): C. and Sons' Pieton I Purple Top; yield, 53 tons 10 cwtji remarks, Bulbs nice size and shape but showing large amount of rot, small ttps. Vil. White Purple Top;. 51 tons 8 cwt; long necks, practical-1 ly no rot. C. and Sons.' Scotia Drown Top; 43 tons 7 cwt; slight l . rot and necky. B-angholms; 11 ten-) 15 cwt; showing .slight amount of rot, J nice fresh green tops, somewhat necky. G. Grandmaster; 41 tons 15 cwt; showing fair amount of rot, very nice roots. 0. and Sons' Purple Top; 40 tons 1G cwt; very heavy tone, long necks, poor quality bulbs, practically no rot. G. Superlative • j •10 tons 3 cwt; had with rot, 50 per cent. Shepherd's Round Red; 38 tons 11 cwt; nioo shaped bulbs, very littlo ret. C. and Sons' Knockton; 30 tons 17 cwt; largo amount of rot, necky. MANGOLDS. The soason on the whole was too wot and cold for this crop, connequontly tho retu'ns wore not up to former years. Four varieties were tested in the field, th« results being as follows:

Sutton's- White Sugar, 34 tons 2 cwt; Weraroa Jersey Queen, 33 tons 17 owtj Button's Jersey Queen. 32 tons 4 cwt; Red Intermediate (Moumahaku seed), 31 tons 4 cwt; Prizewinner (main crop), 30 tons 6 cwt; Prizewinner (Moumahaki seed), 26 tons 10 cwt; Prizewinner (Nauru phosphate), 21 tons 7 cwt. The mammal test between our standad manure, viz : 3 parts super, 1 part bone, and 1 part Nauru, and Nauru phosphate resulted in a difference of 9 tons p*r acre in favour of the standard manure. CARROTS. The wot season seemed to suit this crop better than Four varieties were tested, as usual Marehl*sfii White came out on top. Details are:— Matchless White, main crop, 42 tons 8 o-vt ; Sinclair Champion, 33 tons 13 ,ewit; Magnum Bouum, 30 tons 5 cwt; White Belgian, • -27 tons 19 cwt. A number of variety trials in small plots were sown, but when near readv to woish were destroyed by a neighbour's pagS. TURNIPS. The varieties grown were Purple Top Mammoth, Har-'y and Imperial Green Globe. A test between imported seed and seed grown at the Ashburton Experimental Farm was very much in favour of the Asfhburtoh sesds, viz : 46 tons 2 cwt against 31 tons 14 cwt. The manure used for both swedes and turnips was basic (Super. 3 cwt per acre, LUCERNE. This- test has been continued. The area sown in cow grass had practically died out by last Christmas ami lias been sown down in oats. Two cuttings taken on January 18th and March 10th gave the following wei'Jits pT ace:— Plot 1, Gim Lucerne, 21 in drills, manured, 10 tons 12 cwt; Plot 2, Marlborough Lucerne, 21 in drills., no manure, 12 tons 0 cwt; Plot 3, Marlborough Lucerne, 21 in drills, manured, 13 tons 15 cwt; Plot 4, Marlboreugh Lucomo, 14 in drills no manure, 10 tons 8 cwt; Plot 5, Marlborough Lucerne, 14 in drills, manured, 13 tons 18 cwt; Plot 6, Marlborough Lucerno, 7 in drills, no man uro, 11 tons 7 cwt; Plot 7, Marlborough Lucerne, 7 in drills, manured, 17 tons 0 cwt; Plot 8, Marlborough Lucerne, broadcasted, manured, 9 tons 18 cwt.

The comparisons between the manured and unmauured areas, and the different systems of sowing arc very interesting. It slionld bo noted that the manure was put on at the timei the seed wa,s sown, i.e. ; January Ith, 1921. No manure has since been applied, but it is intended to top-dress next September.