DEMONSTRATION FARM

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1932, Page 13

DEMONSTRATION FARM

ACTIVITIES AT WAIMATE WEST. NOTES ON THE 1931-32 SEASON. (By J. M. Smith, Instructor in Agriculture, Fields The season of 1931-.32 from a weather point of view was one of most trying that had been experienced in South Taranaki for some considerable time. A cold backward spring was followed by a very dry summer and autumn, and this condition lasted until it was too late for the rain to do very much good, on account of the cold nights. The season, however, proved how sound was the policy of having a standby provision of hay and silage. Feeding the silage was started at the demonstration farm in March, two or three months earlier than usual, and the fodder conserved as hay and ensilage was such that it afforded six months’ feeding. This depleted the fodder reserves, but, given normal conditions, the current season should see the reserves largely built up again. The intensive rotational grazing and nitrogen top-dressing trial, where eight three-acre paddocks are under trial, was again carried on. Observations over the past three seasons indicate that with a herd of sixty cows these paddocks are too small. The value of nitrogen in relation to early feed was again 'demonstrated, although the cold backward spring retarded all pasture growth, even where nitrogen had been used. From an economic aspect, however, the value of nitrogen as an early feed producer has yet to be determined. The. lucerne stand proved a great standby during the summer and autumn. Usually the second cut is conserved either as silage or hay, but this cut was required for feeding out green in the season under review. This third cut was utilised in a like manner. A gradual invasion of grass has been taking place over the older portion of the lucerne paddock, and this part has been broken up, cropped, and resown. In resowing thre varieties were used— Marlborough, Hunter River, and South African—and it is interesting to note that up to the time of writing the African appears to be doing the best. This area was sown down in November, 1931. Another portion of the older part of the paddock is being ploughed this current spring, and will be resown with lucerne straight away without prior cropping.