ATTENTION TO THE FARM

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1931, Page 11

ATTENTION TO THE FARM

WORK THAT NEEDS DOING IMPORTANCE OF TOP-DRESSING. SOWING PERMANENT PASTURES. (Contributed by the Department of Agriculture, New Plymouth.) Weather conditions have been fairly favourable to pasture growth during the past month,, there being rain every few days with humid conditions. Following on tho. dry spring, however, this has had more the effect of growing seed heads rather than the desired leaf growth. There was a wonderful growth of white clover early in the month. This sudden growth and heavy flowering was ■ pro-bably duetto seasonal conditions. The control of pasture growth should still be practised even at this period ,of the year, as areas that become rough now will not produce the autumn feed that they should .One should be wary, of using the mower too freely- at this time of the year, and pastures should only be topped very high; that is, the mower should, be set as high as possible. If a dry spell follows heavy topping often more harm - than good results. This season, on account of conditions, very little mid-season top-dressing will have been done, and for this reason it will be advisable to endeavour to carry out some top-dressing in, say, March or April, and arrangements should be made accordinglv. Economies will have to be made in farming operations this season, but it would be false economy to endeavour to cut down the manuring too heavily. Where heavy dressings have been the order of the day during the past few years, lighter dressings will this season be all right, but where just average dressings have been made every endeavour should be made to keep them going. It might .also be as well to use one of the slower-acting fertilisers this season, as this will have an effect over a longer period than where a quickacting fertiliser is used. Areas that are to be sown down in permanent .pasture this autumn should be given attention, and if not yet ploughed should be turned over as opportunity

occurs.. Common practice in some districts is to sow down after rape.’ The rape stubble is disced and the seed sown and harrowed in. This is a good way of sowing down, in that a good seed bed is procured, and this is essential. There is no doubt that a great deal of Our grass seed is ; sown too deeply through the soil being too loose, and this results in a patchy and unsatisfactory strike. On headlands the strike is usually good, which is accounted for by the extra trampling the headlands receive during cultivation. A splendid example of the advantage of a firm seed bed was seen last autumn, 'An' area had' been worked up ready for sowing, but on account of wet weather sowing. was delayed some weeks. When the seed was sown the surface had become so hard through the action of the weather that the horses left no imprints with their feet, and .it was necessary to get the tine harrows to icover the seed, yet this was one of the finest strikes, recorded last year. |Therefpre. the roller should be used liberally just before sowing. I The necessity to use only good seed needs no further emphasis here, neither does the necessity to' use only a good permanent strain of ryegrass. This grass almost makes the pasture, and the inclusion of a non-permanent .perennial rye means a pasture that has run out. in, a few years’ time! The grass mixture will vary a little, but a good standard mixture for our average Taranaki country would be: — Certified Perenial Rye • 151 b. Italian Rye Akaroa Cocksfoot/ .-'S „ Crested Dogstail 2„ - Timothy.; 2„ White Clover (N.Z.) 3„ Cowgrass s „ Per acre ............ f 411 b. ■Some farmers like to sow considerably more than this, but if good seed is obtained, having a good germination, and the paddock is prepared in a proper manner, a 401 b. mixture will give just as good sward as a 601 b. one. As a matter of fact, if every seed of a 401 b. mixture germinated and'grew there would be far too many plants to ensure a good sward. In next month’s notes the different mixtures’for different aspects will be dealt

with. The weather has not been very favourable for intercultivating root crops, as with the wet weather the weeds have struck again and have not been destroyed. It is in a season like this that the greatest benefits of the wide drills are apparent. With the wide drills it is no big job to run the horse hoe through the crop several times to keep the weeds from rooting again. Where crop failures have been experienced rcsowings with. Hardy Green Globe turnips should be made. 1 The weather has not been very favourable for haymaking, although quite a lot of hay has been got in without rain, on it. ■ Heavy crops that have had to 'be out for some days to cure, however, have not missed the rain. The liberal use of salt with these crops when being put into the stack is ah advantage. Ensilage making is gradually taking the place of hay, and no doubt the next season or so will provide ample evidence to say whether hay might not be dispensed with entirely.- If this could be done a lot of the worry of harvest time would be gone. The third cut of lucerne should now be growing strongly, and it will largely depend on the weather as to how this cut will be used. It may possibly be required'for green feed, or may be saved as hay or ensilage. Young stands should have been cut by this, and a light dressing of super should stimultae the crop and avoid that yellowing off. BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ CLUBS. No doubt the plots have been a little .neglected during the holidays, as the lure of the swimming pool is greater than that of the hoe during the hot weather, but now that you have settled dowp tp the year’s work again try to make up for lost time and get every weed out of the crop. M eeds at this stage greatly retard growth, and if not removed now will have a disastrous effect on the yield. The weeds should be removed from the plot, otherwise many of them may root again. Cultivation should also be deep from now on, so that the roots can develop. Those growing swedes should keep the different varieties under close observation for signs of disease, and make notes of anything that they see.