GRASS ALL THE YEAR

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 11, 8 March 1930, Page 3

GRASS ALL THE YEAR

BEST USE OF FERTILIZERS. CARRYING CAPACITY OF FARMS. OFFICIAL TESTS BETNG MADE., Intensive grassland fanning has become firmly established. It depends on the us<- of fertilizers. That fact is known to everyone who takes any interest, in New Zealand fanning operations. But the second stage of this development is the learning how to apply the fertilizers in order to secure the greatest possible increase in the annual carrying capacity of the land. The problem involved in this is being sys-; terimtieally studied by officers of the Agricultural Department with the object of providing practical guidance for farmers, states the " N.Z. Herald." Improvement of the sward is the object with which top-dressing is primarily undertaken. An advance has now been made beyond this to the stage when stimulation of growth is sought :it the periods of the year when normally it is least. TOP-DRESSING FOR WINTER • FEED. I • A" one time it was the practice to uYpVV '"' lf)st nl " tne phosphate top-dressing •in t«e winter or early spring, an officer of the department stated. The general effect of the application of fertilisers then is greatly to increase the late spring and early summer production of grass. Several years ago, largely owing to the propaganda of the Department of Agriculture, farmers changed over their main top-dressing to the [month of March, the effect being to stimulate greatly the autumn and early

I winter growth of grass and so increase the carrying capacity of the farm. As from 60 to TO per cent, of normal grass production takes place in the spring and the early summer, it I'ollows that stimulation of growth is less needed then than at the less favourable periods, I if the object is to increase the grazing capacity of the farm. NEW METHODS FORECASTED. it is possible that the outcome oi the tests now being completed will be that in the future farmers will top-dress the greater part of their land in March, will give spine of the best fields a second dressing during the winter to increase the early spring production, and will apply fertilizers to other portions of their holdings in November and December in order to obtain the effect on the pasture in the late summer and early autumn.