DEMONSTRATION FARM

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 82, 12 August 1929, Page 5

DEMONSTRATION FARM

YEAR’S WORK REVIEWED. ANNUAL REPORT. Mfr. M. Smith, (chairman of the Stratford Demonstration Farm pommittee, submitted the following anhual report of the annual meeting which was held on Saturday. “At the close of last season the last of the clearing, stumping and breaking in has been completed, so that during the past season the work ;carried out on the farm has been , chiefly in connection with pasture management, and cropping was reduced almost to a minimum. Ihe farm is now in lino with the majority of dairy farm in the coastal end, central districts of Taranaki in tiat breaking in has been completed and pastures management is now getting major attention. The matter of . whethelr supplementary cropping can be entirely dispensed with under these existing conditions is a matmatter of conjecture, but there ■ is jit/Ydouibt that by proper pasture management, which will be in the direction of getting the feed away earlier in the spring, prolonging the growth further into the winter, and increasing the growth during the flush period of growth, the herd can be well done with a smaller acreage of supplementary fodder crops than has been the case in the past. The more thorough (cultivation and attention to these crops has no doubt meant in recent years that a bigger tonnage has been taken off a smaller area, and this, is no small degree has resulted in a smaller area being unddr the plough, but the biggest factor in the reduction of the cropping area has no doubt been our increased pasture production following better management in the way of tojp-idiressing, graying!, and harrowing. It is the .intention of the farm committee to see just how far we can go towards eliminating croping onr bntterfat production or making that production economically * cropping without in any way reduounsound. During the past season of the 142 r acres comprising the farm only 9 acres were under the plough, and on this area non© of the crops grown were for autumn feed. “Three acres were in mangolds, one acres in carrots, five acres were sown < in chou mpellier ami swedes, hut these turned out to be a failure and the paddock was then sown in oats. During the coming season five a,ores of the nine are to be sown down and in all probability there will be four acres under the plough for mangolds and 'carrots. Hay wafe conserved from acres and ensilage made from-25 acres. Of this 25 acres, how- .. ever,, idt ■ was originally intended to save 8 acres for hay, but owing to .unfavourable weather conditions during the harvest months it was decided at the lart minute to conserve it as ensilage, and although it wag recognised that the crop had gone far past its best stage for ensilage mak- - jug it was felt that a second class (ensilage was a better proposition'; than a very inferior bleached hay. It ( is proposed to build at lealst one concrete ensilage pit ready for the coining ensilage season in a situation that will be convenient for both , carting in and feeding out. This should reduce' to some extent • our ' heavy wages account for harvesting 1 nnd should also result in a better en- : silage being made with a minimum 1 , of w’aste. “The abnormal growth brought ab out by the very favourable growing conditions was experienced ait Stratford in common with other districts during the past late spring and summer, and it was found necessary to run the mower over the whole of the pastures. This “topping” material was saved as hay as there was t i a considerable quantity of it, and . the pastures were thus kept controlled and kept in. a younger growing condition. ‘'‘Realising the losses that occur due to faulty seeding of permanent pastures! the committee is working in close co-operation with Mr. E. Bruce Levy, Agristologist fco the Department of Agriculture, in connection with the putting down, of truly permanent and suitable grasses. A series of pasture trials was j put down last spring and although not yet twelve months old some ratable data has already been obtained. The matter of permanent strains of ryes and clovers is an all important thing to-day as there is a va;st difference between the different , strains of these grasses, and Avftth a view to determining the best strains to use throughout Taranaki, it is hoped, with the con-) sent of the incoming committee, to sow down some 4 or 5 acres until the different strains. “The standard top-dressing trials St commenced previously have heeni > H* continued and the results continue to he of interest. Most of the newt trials in top-dressing have been with \ the use of nitrogenous manures. To test out the use of Sulphate of Am monia as a manure considered of j , great value in bringing away early . feed and prolonging autumn growth, ] two paddocks were selected which | Welre identical i’n every respect, in fact

at on© time they wore one and the Same paddock. One of these padclocks had in addition to Hie ordinary phosphatic dressings, four separ ate dressings at di'cerent periods of Sulphate of Ammonia at the rat© of lewt per acre; the second paddock a,ad only the phosphatis dressing. Fhe grazing figures of the two padlooks were kept, as were also the nilk returns. As this experiment is mly one of a series of some 50 or more being conducted throughout the country an announcement of the re--suit of the various trials will no Jouht be made by the Department of Agriculture is due course. “A further trial with some of the concentrated manures now on the mar ket was started just recently. Here a ten acre paddock was divided into three, one third being treated with Superpho spate, one third with Leunaphis (curtaining phosphate and nitrogen) and the other third with Nitrophosbai (containing phosphate, po task andl nitrogen). Grazing fcl!a)Ua. from each of these paddocks will he kept and it is hoped that some valuable information will result. “Some staff changes have taken place during the season. The Manager, Mr. Grierson, after three years of faithful service resigned on ao count of ill health, his place being taken by Mr, E’. E. Strong, who has been farm assistant for some two years. It is with pleasure we place on record another year of hearty cooperation , and faithful service by the farm staff. ‘“Hie concentrate feeding trial during, the previous season was eon •binned during the year and the results of, this trial are the subject of a separate report. “The bntterfat production during the past season shows a decided doerease, but this is accounted for mainly through the failure of cows to come to profit and through there being a few cows fewer duo toi heavy sales during the previous dry season. The herd average during the past season was 3031hs iat per cow, based on factory return.

“The general interest being taken in the operations of the farm by the farming community is evidenced by the attendance and interest taken at two general field davs that were conducted during the year. Tn ad dition: to these two field days visits were paid to the farm by members of the brandies of the farmers’ Union from Lopporton, Tikorangi and Inglewood. Visitors to tbe fain in small parties or singly are also fair ly numerous, and the committee welcomes visitors and trusts that, tbe farming community of tbe piovinee will continue to take advantage of ,the work that is being carried out solely for their benefit.”