PROPER USES OF GRASS

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1934, Page 22 (Supplement)

PROPER USES OF GRASS

ELIMINATION OF WASTE. KEEPING PASTURES EVEN. Better utilisation of pastures is discussed as follows, by Mr. J. M. Smith, Department of Agriculture. He states:— “The old adage of growing two blades of grass wherq one grew before has been reached on many Taranaki farms to-day, and in fact on quite a number of farms three or four blades are growing where one grew before. A definite weakness has now become apparent in the management in many cases, in that the extra blades being grown at a certain cost to the farmer are not being turned to profit, and. a definite loss is being occasioned. '“This complete utilisation of all growth by stock is not an easy matter, but much can be done to meet the case. To begin with autumn top-dressing rather than spring applications tend towards a more even all the year round growth. Further sub-division so that controlled grazing can be practised in certain paddocks, while others are closed for hay or silage, results in a better utilisation of growth.

“Seasonal conditions naturally have a tremendous effect on growth and even on the best managed farms it is not always possible to control the growth by stock in which case the mower must be brought into play and ■ the pasture topped. This topping must take place early in the stage of growth of the pasture, as late topping is of relatively little benefit. The running of a small flock of sheep in conjunction with the dairy herd has much to commend it in connection with controlled grazing, and in addition the sheep clean up many pasture weeds. • . • - •SUPPLEMENTARY CROPS. “There has been . a tendency, during quite recent years to go back a little to cropping, and this must not be taken as a sign of failure of the pasture, and its resultant hay and silage, to maintain the herd, but rather on account,of the success of pasture farming. “To-day with our better pasture strains and our better management of grass, a longer growing season and a better growth of grass results. To cope with, or to take advantage* of this extra grass production, carrying capacities have in many cases been increased, and this increase has meant a better utilisation of the pasture growth. It might be argued that it would be better to put this extra growth into hay and silage and winter the stock on this, but it appears to be better practice to fully utilise the bulk of the growing grass by livestock, which utilisation is cheaper than harvesting the hay or silage, and then growing roots to supplement what hay and silage is saved for the winter.

“This means the carrying of extra stock, the production from which greatly exceeds the extra cost of cropping, 'which after all is not so much an extra cost as it is a diversion of labour into other more profitable channels, for the heaviest costs in cropping are labour costs. Another important outcome of the increased stocking is the increased stock nitrogen . returned to the pasture, which must result in a strengthening of the rye content of the sward.’