GRASSLAND MANAGEMEHT

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1930, Page 3

GRASSLAND MANAGEMEHT

THE SCIENCE OF MANURING LECTURE BY DR. H. E. ANNETT. CULTIVATION OF PASTURES. An interesting lecture on grassland management was delivered last night by Dr. 11. E. Annett, Waikato, to the Lopperton branch of the Farmers’ Union. An attendance of about 75 farmers from a wide district, some coming from as far north as Pukearuhe, was presided over by Mr. H. E. Blyde. ' _ He did not claim to have an extensive knowledge of New Zealand conditions, said Dr. Annett, but for nearly twenty years he had been in charge of agricultural colleges, mainly in India, where it had been his duty to.keep in touch with agriculture in all countries. New Zealand, he had decided, waz-> an ideal place to which to retire. For a year he had worked on a dairy farm in New Zealand and, following an address given oil grassland farming, he had been led to take an active interest in fanning. Investigations in Germany and at Cambridge on grassland farming had aroused his interest. This had made him realise the value of young grass for feed. Particularly in Germany the use of nitrogenous manure had increased the grass yield. ■ Until a few years ago this manure was not considered necessary. , Referring to the reason lor nitrates coming into general use lie said that the manufacture of nitrates had received a groat impulse during the war when it was used for explosives. Owing to the fact that nitrates had to come from Chile, Germany had turned its attention to tlie manufacture of ammonia and nitrates from the air. The process had been discovered only in 1913 Lar f, 'e works were ■ erected, first in Germany and later in England. When the war was over it seemed very bad policy to scrap the'se factories and it was decided to go on with the manufacture of nitrates as fertilisers. ■ There had been over-production, prices had fallen and there was a tendency to fall still lower. . . / , To investigate the possibilities or the manures experimental stations in connection with the fertiliser works had been inaugurated and were to be found in a long chain along- the Rhine and in Great Britain. COULD HOLD ITS OWN. During the past year, the lecturer said, he had travelled extensively, but when he came back he arrived at the conclusion that New Zealand could hold its own in grassland farming with any other country. He had found when lie camo back in March that there was a wave of pessimism in the farming community. But farmers should look to increasing their production. New Zealand butter was about 17 per cent, of that imported into England and Danish was about 33 per cent., but during the past ten years the 'North-Eastern European nations raised their quota to 18 per cent. If production in ' New Zealand were cut down it would be tantamount to handing over the market to these nations. lie was convinced that no country could produce butter-fat at such a low cost as New Zealand. English people looked up to the workers and investigators in agriculture in New Zealand as very progressive men. He thought the’farmers should keep an eye on the Government to see that it did not cut down xpenditure on agriculture. Regarding New Zealand, said the/lecturer, there were two. important points, the two definite growth periods, to be considered. Firstly there was the spring growth from October till after the new year, and secondly an autumn growth from the end of March to May. If it were possible to bring forward the spring growth to August or the end of July and similarly the August growth to the end of May, there would bo a great increase in feed. Then there was a period of drought from mid-January to the end of February. Regarding the first spring period nitrates had played a very great part in the Waikato in bringing the growth to August. The same had been found to be the case of the autumn growth. During the drought period, however, it was not found that an increase in nitrates was a paying proposition. ALL-THE-YEAR MILKING. A number of farmers had considered the advisability of bringing all the cows in at the same time’ of the year. There were very good arguments fcr all the year round milking. At present there was a big glut of butter on the market at one period and all the year round milking would help to alleviate that factor. In England it had been found that cows calving in the winter months produced more than those calving' later in the year. If a system of bringing cows in at different periods were practiced the hot period would not be felt so much as not all the cows would be milking through it.

Some of the factors in the success of grassland management were referred to by Dr. Annett. In dealing with manuring lie did not want them to think that this was the most important item. Shelter efficiently arranged, it had. been found in the Waikato, could produce an entirely different class of climate.

Feeding young grass was important, but to do so it was necessary to subdivide. It was very difficult to know how far to take subdivision. On his Waikato farm he had started by laying out the area in eight paddocks. But later he had found it necessary to increase the number of paddocks to 15. Even this was not sufficient and he foresaw that to get the right kind of grass it would be necessary to have twenty paddocks. He instanced a farm of 109 acres which had 20 paddocks. In the past year this farm had touched 2501 b of fat to the acre. He had kept the grass in a good state for grazing. When a scheme of rotational grazing was in use it w*s necessary to have something to clean up the rough. Sheep had been found efficient for this purpose. Weed problems’ had been solved as a result of rotational grazing which tended to eradicate tufts of grass and thistles. It was aimed to build up a ryegrass pasture, but this did not grow where there was foggage and thistles. Text books referred to the ideal, grass as being four inches long, but l -when good pasture was measured it te : n found to be nearer nine inches ’long.

GRAZING EXPERIMENTS. He instanced some experimental work done in grazing. When cows were first turned on to rotational grazing paddocks very interesting results had been noted. Of the first day on the pasture ono should take no notice as the flow of milk from the grazing .cattle would result from the pasture of the previous day. The second day the yield wits found to bo up and similarly on the third, day. But on the fourth day the yield had fallen. This was due to the fact that the cattle were forced to walk about in the paddocks in search of feed. It was necessary, however, that cows should spend as much- time as. possible feeding or resting. Many experts were not sure of the advisability of attempting to obtain the maximum milk .yield from each animal. It was thought better to carry-a few extra animals. In Devonshire, he continued, a method of grazing known as the “on and off” system was ifi use. Cows were kept, in one paddock ahd sent into a second paddock for a period of one and' ‘rt-Jaalf hours every evening and morning. When the first paddock was completely grazed down without the use of followers, the cows were put into the second paddock and sent to a third paddock morjiiug and evening. as -previously. The milk producing power of grass was referred to by Dr. Annett. It was known, he said, that on nourishing grass a cow could produce' from four to five gallons a day. In that grass, however. there was protein for four more gallons if it were supplemented by starch feed; thus nine gallons could be produced. He instanced a .Shorthorn cow in the Waikato which -was being tested, being fed only on grass for six months. She had just completed nine months of the test.' During the first six months she had averaged about 701 b of milk a day and until the end of the . nine month period had yielded 5901 b of fat. During the past three months the animal had been fed . on ensilage made from ideal grazing grass. Tlie first day the ensilage was fed the cow consumed 801 b, but on the second’'day only 101 b, while on the fourth day this' had risen to 801 b again. The mineral content of young grass was almost identical 'with that of milk. ■ ' CULTIVATION OF PASTURE. A very important factor in efficient grassland management was cultivation, said the lecturer. Harrowing had advanced very, greatly . in New Zealand but it.was still a thing of which there was much .uncertainty. Some' people were of the .opinion it was not possible to knock grass ■ land about enough. Others favoured merely tripod harrowing. The point was it was not known what was best. In this way pastures were very different to arable land. He had thought that discing would be useful but after trying once lie had decided not to trouble again as the work wasso uneven. A harrow with a curved tyne and a sharp edge,- he considered, was necessary. This vwould bo bound to go into the soil an', inch to two inches and would let in the air . and . prune the roots. It did not tear, the ■ pastures about too much. Cultivation, - he concluded, was a subject to which too much attention could not be, given. In manuring, continued the lecturer, all realised that. in Npw Zealand the sheet anchor was phosphates. In Waikato this was the chief manure. It had the power of stimulating root development. This manure was being, studied by the Department of Agriculture. Out of it all, he considered, would arise the realisation that phosphates little and often was better than phosphates once and again. A small quantity applied very frequently was a great advantage. Farmers using phosphatie manures two or three, times a year were doii.g better than those who used itonly once a year. A bulletin* had been issued by the Department of Agriculture summarising the observations on a number of farms using up to 3cwt. of ('phosphate to the acre. It was shown that the cost of manuring was less than 2d a lb of fat. On those'farms using'only about Tcwt the cost was near sd. Dealing with different kinds of phosphatic manures he said he was particularly interested in mineral phosphates. It had been discovered that it. was n'oi* possible to obtain as good results with mineral phosphates as with basic slag, although on wet soil it was worth, trying. •Potash as '-a manure had not such spectacular effects as nitrates or phosphates but it was known to give healthy conditions to plants. In addition, potash was concerned intimately with the production of the starchy clement in leaves. Peaty and light sandy soils were almost always defieient in potash. From the farmers point of view, advised the lecturer, 39.. per cent, potash salts was the most efficient form. Lime was of' far greater importance in New Zealand than many people realised. Most soils in- New Zealand were very deficient in lime, the amount of this element passing away in drainage being very great. In England it had been found that with a 22inch rainfall about 9cwt. of lime to the acre passed away each year. In New Zealand the loss had been going on for a number of years and he surmised that it would bo approximately three to four cwt. a year. Lime was of -great importance in the breeding of strong boned stock. He was of the opinion, too, that milk fever was in some way connected with lime •as it was .rarely found on heavily limed pastures., If cows were not obtaining lime arid phosphates from the grass they drew on their skeletons. There was also a great loss of lime at calving. Leaf growth was encouraged by nitrogen, for within a few days Of applying nitrates the pastures took on a darker colour. Since this manure encouraged growth where it was used earlier grass could be expected. This could be obtained only by an intelligent use of nitrates. He illustrated the danger, in unskilful nitrate manuring by practical example. Personally, he never sowed a nitrogenous substance unless he had received notice from the weather bureau that it was going to rain. It was important that it should not be applied without some definite system. It should be . used in combination with such manures as phosphates. The grass, however, should be controllable, and hence it was advisable to have small paddocks. He - did not pin his faith wholly on increased individual production from artificial manures, but it made possible an increase in stock and it was well to remember that every extra cow produced about eight tons of dung a year., ■ A number of questions were as.-cd at the conclusion the lecture and these were answered fully by Dr.. Annett. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the lecturer and to the chairman. Supper was provided by a ladies coin* mittee consisting of Mesdaines H. E. Blyde, C. Oliver, A. Kilpatrick and Miss Kilpatrick,