DEMONSTRATION FARM

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1932, Page 10

DEMONSTRATION FARM

FARMERS NOTE EXPERIMENTS FIELD DAY AT STRATFORD. TREATING GRASS GRUB PEST. Between 50 and 60 farmers attended the field day organised by the Stratford Demonstration Farm Society at the demonstration farm on Wednesday. Mr. J. M. Smith, chairman of the society, conducted the demonstration, his talk and comments upon the various experiments in progress and completed being heard with a great deal of attention. 1 . The ravages of grass grub m the pasture were discussed in the first paddock visited. Here it was of value to note that some of the plots resisted the pest in a remarkable manner while others did not. The paddock was sown about four years ago with selected mixtures, and those plots having a substantial proportion of cocksfoot were scarcely affected. Plots showing evidence of strong-growing rye were fairly free from the grub, while grasses not suited to the district such as meadow foxtail, fescue, prairie and some varieties of clover were badly affected. Mr. Smith explained that the only practical system of control lay in feeding out ensilage and root crops on such portions of the field where the presence of the grub was easily visible. This system had met with .a fair measure of success. It had also been noted that plots dressed with potash during the past six months appeared to have held the pest in cheek. As the party approached a cloud of starlings rose from feeding on the grub and Mr. Smith took the opportunity’ of emphasising what a friend these birds were to farmers, not only in the destruction of grass grub but also in eradicating other pests. i CERTIFIED SEED THE BEST. Thirty-four strains of rye were under trial in the next paddock and there the demonstrator drew attention to the splendid example of the growth of certified seed. Nothing but certified rye seed should be sown, he said, and seeing that the difference between good and poor rye represented to from 70 to 801 b. of fat per acre, farmers would realise that an extra 10s spent on procuring certified seed was a good investment. In the next paddock a trial relating to the control of clubroot was in progress, but as the crop was only half grown no conclusion could be reached. Mr. Smith stated that at the plant research station in Palmerston North last year some outstanding results had been obtained in the control of clubroot, and the findings were now being prosecuted further on a field scale. The result would be reported in due course. The concrete hillside silo was visited. Last season a comparison in en-silage-making was carried out at the silo and' in an adjacent paddock. From data so derived it was shown that with the hillside silo £l3 10s was saved in labour and £6 16s in waste. From this there had to be subtracted £6 10s for interest and depreciation, leaving a nett saving of £l3 6s in favour of the silo. Numerous questions were asked regarding the construction and filling of the silo, visitors being impressed with the convenience and efficiency of the system. NITROGEN NOT NECESSARY. An experiment with nitrogen topdressing was discussed in the next paddock. A ten-acre field had been divided in halves, giving similar conditions in each portion. Both received phosphate dressings during the past four years, while one was treated with sulphate of ammonia at varying rates. Response from the ammonia in the first season was slight, but was considerable in the second. It was not so marked in the third season, while grazing results for the immediately past season were as follows:—• 1

This table indicated that the ammonia dressing was of definite value during the spring months but faded out later in the season. Summing up the experiment, Mr. Smith stated that except for special purposes there appeared little scope for ammonia, fertilisation in the Stratford district. Moreover, potash plots in both paddocks showed only slight response. Two other earth silos were inspected; then the party returned to the spotless cowshed for afternoon tea. A demonstration was given of the efficiency of a horse ragwort sprayer which would fit any horse and was operated by a pump lever attached to the animal’s front leg so that the solution was sprayed merely by the horse’s movements. , 1 On behalf of the visitors Mr. H. Trimble thanked Mr. Smith for his demonstration and advice. He emphasised the value of the farm but suggested that perhaps a trial might be made as to the efficiency of mixing potash with phosphate prior to sowing. Mr. Trimble was pleased to see such interest taken in the work of the farm, and said it was up to all farmers to attend the field days because, of the great assistance the experiments there conducted would be when applied to individual farms. In reply Mr. Smith said he would be pleased to institute an experiment on the lines suggested by Air. Trimble. It gave him great pleasure to note the interest with which farmers had followed the tour that afternoon, and he hoped the work of the farm would prove of some practical value to all who attended. ' The farm was at all times open to inspection and it was the society’s desire to see the greatest possible use made of its facilities. i

Ammonia. Phosphate. Cows days. Cow days. August .. 20.6 25.8 September 48.8 37.8 October .. . 58.4 31.4 November 43.2 49.9 December . 91.8 i 91.8 January .«•••• 35.4 62.2 February 22.7 22.7 1 320.9 321.6