FARMING INTERESTS

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1934, Page 13

FARMING INTERESTS

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY REIEW OF YEAR’S SHOWS. KATERE PASTURE EXPERIMENT. The annual report of the Taranaki Metropolitan Agricultural Society has been circulated to members. It reviews an active year in work of great value to the farming community and throws to the farming community and shows that the society is holding its own in financially difficult times. Subscriptions collected amounted to £470 10s, compared with £504 15s last year, stated the report. At the close of the year, the actual number of members on the roll was 552, or 49 less than last year. The past four years had been difficult ones from a membership point of view. The profit and loss accounts revealed a loss for the year of £147 9s Id, to which should be added depreciation amounting to £92 Ils 6d. The excess of the society’s assets over liabilities had, however, been increased from £4546 10s Id to £5306 9s 6d. The autumn. show resulted in a loss on actual working of £lO6. The winter show produced a profit of £6O 17s sd, which was considerably smaller than previous years. During the year a further £lOO had been paid off the mortgage on the agricultural hall, £132 12s was spent in erecting additional horse stalls at the showgrounds and £lO3 6s Id in lining walls at the agricultural hall. Other expenditure totalling approximately £BO had been made on renovating buildings and additions to the plant. The returns from the sheep account had assisted the funds very considerably. The balance of income over expenditure in this account amounted to £123 19s 9d, while the value of the 229 sheep on hand had been set down very conservatively at £196 8s . SUCCESS OF SPRING SHOW. The 58th annual stock show was held at the society’s showgrounds in March, when the display of stock was undoubtedly the finest seen at any Taranaki show. Several of the judges said they have never seen a better exhibition, of stock in any part of the Dominion. The number of entries in several sections constituted a record. It was unfortunate that the weather „on the opening day was the worst ever experienced on the Waiwakaiho showgrounds. Fortunately for the society the second day was fine and there was a splendid attendance. Their Excellencies Lord and Lady Bledisloe, who had paid an unofficial visit to the show on the first day, arrived again shortly before the grand parade on the afternoon of the second day. Lord Bledisloe, in his address, said that during the four years he had had the privilege of representing the King in the Dominion, he had not seen in any show-ring a finer or more level lot of stock. The 25th annual winter show was held in the agricultural and coronation halls on June 6 to 9. It was many years since the society had continued its winter show over the Saturday, the usual practice being to end on a Friday night. The poor attendance on the Saturday proved conclusively that Tuesday to Friday is the period most suitable for local winter shows. The competitive sections, in most cases, showed an improvement on the past few years. The schools’ division in particular was good, while the poultry and kennel club shows provided special attraction for many people. The motor show, too, was a decided improvement on the past few years. Trade displays were not so numerous as formerly and for some unknown reason the side-shows area, which is usually taxed to capacity, was this year poorly patronised. EXPERIMENTAL WORK. The most important work commenced at the Katere experimental area during the past season was in connection with poatash as a top-dressing manure for North Taranaki. The results obtained on small co-operative trials, indicated the importance of potash in obtaining a high production dairying sward. The time had arrived for carrying out special trials. Already several series of potash and potash phosphate plots had been, put down to determine whether the general response would apply to the Katere area. Although the plots had only been down a relatively short time, there were already indications of a potash deficiency. When this deficiency was definitely established, in all probability detailed work would be undertaken. The standard experiments put down at various times in the past six years in connection with pastures and pasture management, have been continued and each succeeding season makes the trials more valuable.

One of the original experiments where six acres of the existing low-producing weedy sward was top-dressed with various manures and mixtures was to-day a good pasture, and indicated what can be achieved in a relatively short time merely by top-dressing. While admitting that as good a pasture and possibly a better one, could have been more economically obtained by ploughing, cropping and resowing, the trial' showed just what can be done to renovate a worn-out pasture in conditions where it would be impossible or inadvisable to plough. The. outstanding plots at present on this trial were: (1) lime (carbonate), %-acre, super 3cwt; (2) basic slag 3cwt; (3) burnt lime scwt, super 3cwt, and (4) super l%cwt and slag A disappointing feature had been the poor response over six years of the rock phosphates. It was generally considered that while these were slow in action the accumulative effect over several years was good, but it was apparent that under conditions existing as they are at Katere, there was really no place for the straight-out ground rock phosphate. With these exceptions, however, all plots had responded well. The portion of the paddock surface sown with a general grass mixture following a severe discing was still apparent at various seasons of the year, particu-: larly in the autumn. The system of strengthening up a weak sward, however, should only be adopted when the pasture was a relatively good one, but weak in one or perhaps two species. Where there was a general weakness the complete resowing after ploughing would in most cases prove most economical. The rye strain trial continued to demonstrate the advantage of using nothing but certified perennial rye for permanent pastures. Actually the differences shown at Katere between the good and the poor rye strains, where stock is with sheep and dry stock are not as great as those on pastures grazed only with dairying stock. CLOVER STRAIN TRIAL. Arrangements were in train for putting down a comprehensive clover strain trial in the spring. While the advantages of ’ certified rye and New Zealand cocksfoot w re now generally recognised by the farming public and taken advantage of, the position with regard to clovers was not appreciated. Situated in a natural white clover growing district Taranaki farmers were apt to overlook clover in pastures and allow the volunteer white to hold sway. To see the good white clovers growing alongside the ordinary white made one realise the advantages of the former. It was hoped through this trial to demonstrate this difference. Again with red clovers there were certain proved strains which were truly perman-

ent and these strains would be incorporated in the trial. The area sown down with various grass mixtures was beginning to show the differences to some degree. Grazing with sheep did not allow the same differences to develop as was the case where milking cows were being grazed. For one thing sheep developed a close dense sward, under which conditions the taller growing species did not develop to the same extent as on dairying country. _ However, under existing conditions it was not possible to do other than graze with sheep and dry stock, but the committee was alive to this weakness and should an opportunity arise to put the area under dairying conditions would quickly take advantage of it. The thanks of the committee were due to those who had assisted with the loan of teams, etc., to enable various operations to be carried out. The work of Mr. T. Wilson in supervising labour and in careful and efficient manipulation of the stock was deserving of special mention. Another successful year was recorded in the report of the executive appointed by the society to control the boys and girls’ agricultural clubs in North Taranaki. Teachers, supervisors and the boys and girls themselves had combined well with the executive in promoting the competitions, with the result that a record number of calves (350) were entered by 48 schools, and 139 plots were entered for the root-growing competitions. The task of judging such a large number of entries was no light one. The importance of the work demanded the services of highly qualified judges. In this connection the-executive had been fortunate in securing the services of a number of successful breeders and farmers, who took a keen interest in the work. The customary field day and championship judging took place at the showgrounds during December, when calves selected from seven groups of schools were brought together to contest championship honours in the different breeds. Field competitions, which were conducted by a committee representing the society and the Farmers’ Union, were an established institution with farmers in North Taranaki, and played an important part in farming operations. The “king pin’.’ of the competitions, however, was Mr. J. M. Smith, chairman of the competitions committee. Under his guidance the utmost value of the competitions, which embraced pasture management, hay and ensilage making, and root crops growing, was produced, and the farming community was deeply appreciative of his work. The work of Mr. D. Le C. Morgan as honorary secretary to the competitions committee was also much appreciated.