PASTURE MANAGEMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1930, Page 11

PASTURE MANAGEMENT

CUP. PPvESENTED AT URENUI. That farmers are fully alive to the necessity for. improving their .pastures and are keen to learn the best methods of achieving this'object has been jllqs-’ trated by the interest taken; in the pasture competitions since their institution two or three years, ago. .Last night'at Urenui a very large gathering of members of the Urenui branch of the Farmers’. Union assembled for the .presentation of the silver cup donated by. Mr. A. H. Halcombe to the winner; of the local dairy pasture competition, Mr. J. F.’Phillips, president of the branch, presided. The presentation was made by Mr. J. M. Smith, of the Fields Division of the Agricultural Department.' Mr. Smith congratulated Mr. Halcombe on having donated the cup.- While farmers did not enter the competitions for the sake Of winning only, the possession of a trophy was a fine memento of success achieved. He congratulated Mr. S. Topless on having annexed the cup, which has to be won twice in 'succession' or three times at intervals to become the property of the/ winner. He handed the cup to Mr. R. Topless', who accepted it in the unavoidable absence of his father. "

A lecture on pasture management, bringing put some of the most important points gained as the results of the competitions, was given by Mr. Smith. He emphasised the necessity for obtaining an ideal pasture, of which important component parts were perennial rye and white clovers. During the first season the pastures had been judged on the point analysis system, but a.s that had proved too slow they had this year judged by observation, which, of course, was not s« accurate. The main thing in a pasture was to have cover, and point analysis accurately gauged' that.' When conditions improved it was hoped to revert to point analysis. Adjudicating the pasture paddocks each year.gave a true indication whether under the treatment employed by the farmer' the pasture wag jmproving'or deteriorating. . Tabulated slides showed the value <?f the various the lecturer pointing out' that it was far better to have the 1 ground covered with low fertility grasses than have it bare,-or covered with weeds, for which points were deducted. Bare ground was one of the greatest weaknesses in Taranaki pastures, some showing as much as 30 per cent. In a wet climate like Taranaki there should be more Timothy. There was too much Suckling’s clover, Vernal, catsear and rib grass. There was also a danger of an excess of white clover. It was necessary that for dairy purposes a sward should be well balanced. If continuous use of slag or potash induced too much clover farmers should switch over to some other fertiliser. They must also guard/against too little clover. Clover could easily be introduced by surface sowing.