LECTURE DAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18351, 23 August 1929, Page 12

LECTURE DAY.

FARMERS GO TO SCHOOL. INTERESTING ADDRESSES AT TEMUKA. Scientific farming is rapidly becoming recognised as an essential of the future, and the keenest of interest is being taken by the man on the land, in the work carried out by the Department of Agriculture. There was a large gathering of farmers. High School pupils and others interested at the Oddfellows’ Hall. Temuka. yesterday. to hear lectures given by Messrs R. McGillivray (Fields Superintendent ‘; A. M. Paterson. M.R.C.V.S., Mr E. B. Levy <Agrostologist >, and Mr J. Hadfield (Agronomist). The addresses were on the lines of those given the previous day at Waimate. and were interestingly illustrated by lantern slides. Mr A. J. Davey. president of the Temuka branch of the Farmers’ Union, occupied the chair, and said that it was very pleasing to see the High School boys amongst the audience, as it showed that they were taking an interest in agricultural affairs. He thought that this was only fitting, as 95 per cent, of the country’s exports came from the soil, and in view of this, it was necessary to have a better knowledge or farm work, and of how i;o keep stock. He had much pleasure in asking Mr McGillivray to ve the first lecture. MANURING OF CROPS. After tracing the history of the system of manuring crops, which commenced some 4000 years ago, Mr McGillivray said that the- application of animal manure was not taken in hand by the western nations until the year 1400. and from then on its use developed until it became a general practice. Eighteen hundred and fortytwo marked the beginning of superphosphate. For heavy and cold soils, basic slag was excellent, and last year the importation was a record. The reasons for the application of fertilisers were to supply plant food, improve the land, to return losses and for a crop stimulus. It was impossible to keep on producing if a proper system of manuring was not adopted. He instanced an experiment which had been made where a farmer had cut a crop of oats after a crop of swedes. One part of the paddock had been fed off. and the other part had been carted off. Where the swedes had been fed off, the crop of oats returned 68 bushels to the acre, and where carried off. 52 bushels to the acre. The explanation was that the sheep returned part of the fertility to the soil. Regarding the use of the New Zealand fertiliser, Mr McGillivray said that they were only on the fringe, and in a few years the figures would fee very much larger. As showing the gradual increase, he referred to the amount carried by the railway, and quoted the following figures:—March 31. 1926, 306451 tons; 1928. 586,007 tons; 1929. 713.000 tons. He believed that, in the majority of cases, the farmer toad a good return for his money. Referring to soil analysis, the speaker thought that the best plan was for irhe farmer to get out into the field ?nd carry out experiments. One of Jue most wasteful things to do was to 2pply superphosphate to land that was jiot in a state to respond to the fer-

tiliser. He knew of a farm in Southland. where a farmer had complained that he had used two tons of lime to an acre, and had got no results. The creditors sold the farm later, and after being properly drained, the grass responded amazingly, and the stockcarrying capacity went up. On heavy, wet land the health of the animals was seriously affected. In connection , with the use of lime, the speaker said that 105.410 tons were used in 1926, and 142.213 in 1927. Colour had no bearing on the quality. One of the whitest limes he had ever seen was the poorest in quality. Carbonate of lime was the most efficient substance for general use, in conjunction with superphosphate. Mr McGillivray dealt with the ploughing-in of green crops, and said that more attention would be given to this phase of manuring in the years to come. Good cultivation was most important in crops. For turnips, superphosphate was preferable to Nauru or ephos. Speaking of wheat production, Mr McGillivray said that the average yield in New Zealand last season was 34.5 bushels to the acre. The crops treated with basic and superphosphate had given improved yields, whilst the addition of nitrate of soda in the dressing had further improved the return. In potato crops it was not so consistent. From a theoretical point of view, superphosphate and carbonate of lime should not be mixed, but some of the geratest authorities in Britain thought it was a good practice, and when it was carried out in a practical manner, good results had been maintained.

In answer to questions, Mr McGillivray said that, speaking generally, j potatoes benefited by an application I of potash. He could not say which of the Canterbury limes was best. Any of them w T as good. The chairman said that they had all realised that the haphazard application of lime was a thing of the past, and it had to be carried out in a systematic manner. He paid a tribute to the work of the officers of the Department, and said that they were all specially indebted to Mr Calder for the manner in which he interested himself in the problems of the farmers of the district. (Applause). “STOCK DISEASES.” In welcoming the second lecturer, the chairman said that Mr Paterson was well and favourably known to every farmer in the district, and there was no necessity to introduce him to the meeting. At the outset, Mr Paterson said that they had all heard a great deal about soils and manuring, and Mr McGillivray had old them that it was difficult to find healthy stock on chemically deficient land. The soil had to be properly drained before one could get proper results from manuring, and he had given this advice to a farmer 30 years ago. There was absolutely no danger in mixing superphosphate with carbonate of lime. The. soils in New Zealand had been robbed for the past 60 years, and the farmers had not begun to return to the soil the things that had been taken from it. Millions of tons of the product of the land had been exported, but no systematic effort had ever been made to return these things to the soil. To-day, New Zealand soil was like a man in his old age, it required rejuvenating. The thank:; of the farmers of New Zealand were duo to the man who had formed the idea of creating the Fields Division of the Agricultural Department. The officers of this Division were striving to teach the farmers how to return these things to the soil, which it had had taken from it for so many years. Passing on to the produce from impoverised soil, Mr Paterson said that he had often seen cattle starve on what was to all appearances a fine crop, but which was lacking in food elements. The application of superphosphate in many instances remedied this trouble.

In connection with the diseases of animals, Mr Paters m dealt with parasites which affect horses, namely, bots and worms. The bot did not actually kill the horse, but it so weakened the animal that it was an easy prey for the worms. Drugs were dangerous to

use, and he knew of an instance when five horses were lost in this manner. The best method was to singe the eggs off the hair of the animal. The two varieties of worms did kill horses, and the best remedy was iron. At this time of the year, it was a good plan to administer iron, even if the animal was not affected, as the drug would act as a tonic. Once the animal was toned up, the worms were not so liable to affect him. Referring to the diseases in sheep, Mr Paterson said that the two complaints would be in evidence this season, namely, ante partem paralysis in ewes, and pulpy kidney in lambs. Farmers should keep a keen lookout, and the flocks should be exercised every day, and given a run over green feed. As soon as the lambs are seen , to become lazy, the exercising should begin. He knew that this would cause work, but if the farmer did„not go to > the trouble to do the right thing, then • he was sure to meet trouble. Mr ! Paterson then dealt with mammitis in the dairy herd. He said that the | machines were getting blamed, but if this was so, it was only because of neglect in some form or other. Surgical cleanliness, not ordinary cleanli- i ness, was necessary to success. Too ; much attention could not be given to ; breeding the right sort of animal, and i too many farmers bred from rubbish, j If vigorous stock was desired, then j the farmer must breed from young, 1 vigorous bulls or rams. Most farmers required initiative. What Mr McGilli- I vray said that day, he (Mr Paterson) s had said thirty years ago; and each j seemed to be waiting for the other to ; take the lead. -We are in a dreadful position in New Zealand to-day,” added Mr Paterson. “It was said the other day that 90 per cent, of the farmers in New Zealand were going back, 5 per cent, were holding their own, and 5 oer cent, were making a success of it. ; It was not a nice state of affairs. Mr McGillivray and I are doing our best. Now it is up to you to do your bit.” j (Applause). Mr W. J. Lyon said that some years I. ago he lost ten horses, and he inter- I viewed Mr Paterson, who had advised him to use sulphate of iron. He had not lost a horse from the same complaint since, and he was very much indebted to Mr Paterson for the advice. ; Mr Paterson agreed that turpentine ■ was a splendid thing for scour in | sheep. On the motion of Mr J. A. Paterson, | a hearty vote of thanks was passed to j Mr McGillivray and Mr Paterson for ] their addresses. CROP CERTIFICATION. ‘‘The certification of plants means that we are giving some sort of a guarantee in regard to the performance of the seed,” said Mr J. Hadfield (Agronomist), in opening his address on “Crop Certification.” The question was, what to certify to. There were three main aims of certification: (1) The determination of the economic value of different strains; (2) To see that the growers got their particular seed certified, and rapid and accurate distribution at a reasonable price; and (3) The propagation of better, and still better, strains for distribution, to be followed up by certification. To ensure the accurate carrying out of this work, a Certification of Seeds Division had been formed.

Dealing with the certification of perennial ryegrass, the speaker said that they were taking certain “mother seed” from specially selected crops, which would be known as "mother seed areas.” The first crop, the progeny of the “mother seed,” would be known as “maiden seed.” This, in its second year, if it proved true to test, would be certified as known as New Zealand perennial rye certified permanent pasture seed. They would certify seed from that area for six years running, and then it would become known as a “mother seed area.” In the near future, no doubt, they would develop these “mother seed areas” in the South Island, as well as in the North Island. They hoped to evolve the best strain offering by aiming at purity, freedom from disease, and the general high quality of the seed. Mr Hadfield dealt also with the certification of wheat, which would be dealt with by the Department, working in close touch with the' Wheat Re-

search Institute. The farmers would j be paid for their seed the price ruling for good milling wheat on March 31. | They hoped to stimulate the export ! trade of white clover by certifying that ; the seed had been produced on the i same pasture for the fourth season, or ! longer. They had exported fifteen tons of certified clover seed this year, as an experiment. However, it would be unfair for the grower to expect higher values for his seed until the market had opened up. Dealing in detail with the certification of potatoes, Mr Hadfield said that this had been going longer, and they knew more about it from results. He explained the system of certification, stating that it was performance that they were aiming at. He pointed out the vicious circle that had been in vogue, when poor seed strains had been sown and multiplied. It was not always the soil, but the strain, that was responsible for a poor crop. The Department of Agriculture wanted to stimulate the distribution of good lines. The question the farmer had to ask was not: “What variety shall 1 I grow?” but "What strain shall I grow?” He pointed out by a graph that the average yield of different, varieties was very similar, but the different strains differed greatly in yield. A considerable portion of the lecture was taken up by a highly interesting description of the many potato diseases that it was hoped would be eliminated by certification. In Canada, said the speaker, they could guarantee, after thirteen years of certification, that there was less than 2 per cent, of disease in the certified potatoes, and they had just about doubled their yieM all over. The certified seed would oe ‘ uhe only satisfactory seed in the long run. Their work was to eliminate the poor seed which was unproductive.

At the conclusion of this, the final lecture, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to the speakers. BUILDING FARM TRACTORS. The afternoon session commenced with the screening of “A Day With the Tractor Builders,” an interesting film depicting the manufacture, forging, assembling, and testing of that useful addition to farming machinery—the farm tractor. PASTURE MANAGEMENT. “Pasture Management” was the subject of the first address in the afternoon session, and this was given by Mr E. B. Levy, agrostrologist, who said that the name of his subject was rather a misnomer, as he was going to i deal in the main with perennial ryegrass and its different species. Whatever pastures they dealt with, they j would find that perennial ryegrass was ; the most important of the lot. The ! ideal pasture was 30 per cent, white : clover, 60 per cent, ryegrass, and 10 per i cent mixed grasses, such as timothy, cocksfoot and crested dogstail. Farmers should aim at the ryegrass ideal because of six reasons:—(l) j When they kept ryegrass and white I clover dominant, they knew that their I soil fertility was nearly perfect; (2) l When ryegrass and white clover I throve, and when the pasture did not | open up in the winter, they knew that 1 their soil was adequately drained; (3) With ryegrass and white clover domini ant, they knew that the utilisation of > the herbage produced was correct. J Ryegrass and white clover would not ■ tolerate dense shade, and if the util- | isation was faulty, shade-making and shade-loving grasses like cocksfoot and paspalum might soon come to dominate the ryegrass and white clover and smother these out; (4)With ryegrass and white clover, they knew that virtually all the food consumed was milk-producing food, whether it be 1 with the dairy cow or the ewe; (5) With ryegrass as the dominant grass, | there were possibilities of stimulating S late autumn, winter and early spring , I feed by nitrogenous of other quickI acting fertilisers. Probably they might say, too, that the value of the nitrogen depended on the ryegrass; (6) With white clover and ryegrass as the dom- , inant grasses there was little fear of ,; weeds. It was only when ryegrass ! > weakened that they got weeds. I The various points were explained j by a remarkably fine set of slides, the j speaker stating that one of the main i ! things was the modification of soil ■ j types by manuring, draining and other ■ methods. The presence of danthonia ; and brown top was an indication that | the soil fertility was not good enough i for ryegrass and white clover to thrive, , and it was mainly a matter of building . : the soil up to encourage the better [ species of pasture. Manures would i J stimulate the clover, cocksfoot, dogs- . I tail and perennial ryegrass. The > ideal, however —and the modern ideal , tended toward simplicity—was the ; dominant pasture of ryegrass and ; white clover. A wet, water-logged ■ pasture drowned out the ryegrass and » : clover, while if cocksfoot was allowed l ; to grow rank, and was not properly fed l off, it smothered it. There was the ) ( other extreme; if pasture was fed to ) close it encouraged weeds of the planE tain variety. The running out of per--5 j ennial ryegrass had a lot to do with I the introduction of Scotch thistle.

I There was no doubt that ryegrass was the most important grass the farmer had, and it behoved him to see 1 that he sowed the right type. The methods of producing ryegrass for the past 30 or 40 years in New Zealand had evolved particular types of ryegrass suitable for particular types of farming, but not suitable for general i pastures. The annual, or Italian, rye- . | grass was the most suitable where J rotation of crops was in force, or in ’ j districts that experienced a crucial | ! part of the year through drought or ■ | cold. In permanent pastures, however, , | they wanted plants that could stand i perennial grazing, and to obtain this, it was essential that they use peren- [ nial ryegrass. They needed grass that L had a vegetative spread, and tillerated L | from the crown. Longevity was one of j the main essentials of the permanent » pasture, while earliness of maturity ; and cheapness of seeding were the r ' main features required in the rotation ! ! or annual pasture.

j All the types of ryegrass were especI ially suited to particular types of J pasture, and the following table would i be a guide:—Western wolths, h- year ; pastures; Italian ryegrass, one year; j pseudo-perennial and Italian mixture, j short rotational pastures; perennial ! ryegrass, long rotation and permanent j pastures. This was the outcome, more I or less, of farming practice the world , over. The seed trade should be in a ; position to give the farmer what he wanted, but there was practically no , true western wolth on the market in ; ; New Zealand to-day. Out of fifteen ' ; lines of western wolths sown, two (im- ] ported lines! proved true to type; two were a mixture of Italian and western wolths, and eleven proved to be Italian ryegrass. Giving further details, he said that they had nearly a thousand lines of ; ryegrass under test. The following table showed that samples of seed : sown as perennial ryegrass were in , i most cases not absolutely true to type. The Hawke’s Bay sample proved the j best, 118 lines being pure perennial, and only two, out of the 173 lines | tested, Italian ryegrass. South Canterbury ryegrass was the worst ryegrass ‘ on the market, although he regretted very much having to say it. Out of 83 lines tested, only three were per- ; i ennial ryegrass, and 43 lines—over 50 per cent.—turned out dominant Italian.

H.B.—Hawke’s Bay; M.— Manawatu; S.C. —South Canterbury; S. —Southland. Each district produced its own particular type of ryegrass. It had been pointed out that in order to make nitrogenous manures a paying proposition, it was necessary that there should be a good ryegrass. The Department of Agriculture had a scheme for certification. They wanted to get pure perennial ryegrass grown and distributed as quickly as possible at a reasonable price. Dealing with other grasses, Mr Levy said that the Akaroa cocksfoot was far superior to the Danish. There was more leaf and less stem on the Akaroa type, which was multi-tillered and dense-crowned. There was a big tendency with the Danish cocksfoot to lie down and to grow in clumps, while the Akaroa cocksfoot tended to make a thrf. New Zealand white clover was as good as any the world could offer. The imported lines, with the exception of Kentish white, were no good to the New Zealand farmer. As was the case with ryegrass, there were many types of red clover, and all had their particuler uses. With the aid of manures, selection of best strains of certification, proper utilisation and drainage, would ultimately find for the New Zealand farmer the ideal grassland sward.

Type H.B. M. S.C S. Pure perennial 118 55 3 71 Dominant per. with trace of Ital 27 17 40 Dominant per., some or much Italian .... 24 35 15 132 Mixed per. .and Ital.—£ and i. . 2 16 22 49 Dominant Italian 2 2 43 10 Total lines . * . . 173 125 83 303