FARMERS AT SCHOOL.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18616, 11 July 1930, Page 10

FARMERS AT SCHOOL.

Agricultural Department's Lectures. AT GERALDINE. About thirty farmers “went to school” at Geraldine yesterday afternoon, when two most interesting iliustrated addresses were given by officers of the Department of Agriculture to members of the Farmers’ Union. The visiting officers were Mr R. McGiliivray. Fields Superintendent of the Department of Agriculture, who spoke on various ways '•* improving pastures; Mr C. C. ture at Christchurch, who outlined the Department’s scheme for the certification of various kinds of seed and the advantages derived from the scheme; and Mr K. Montgomery, Instructor of Agriculture at Tima^ru. Prior to the commencement of the lectures, the chairman (Mr J. McLeanl spoke of the good work being done by the officers of the Department of Agriculture in encouraging the farmers to use more scientific forms of production. He regretted that it had not been possible to hold an evening meeting, because if this h°d been arranged the attendance would probably have been greater. “Improving the Pastures.” “Pastures and Pasture Management” was the subject treated by Mr R. MeGillivray, who stressed the need of regarding pastures as a crop. Pastures in New Zealand were of tremendous importance—the better the pastures New Zealand possessed, the more stock t)ie farms would be able to carry, and these would be a better class of stock. In all parts of the world the investigation of pastures was going on, and it was taking a prominent part in New Zealand. Thirty-three million acres were in pastures in New Zealand, and real progress in economical production lay in scientific pasture production. Most of the improvement had been made in the sown grass lands, 'which totalled 181 million acres. The products from grass lands were very great. In 1901, the estimated value of primary products from this source was fifteen millions, in 1920 thirty millions, and for the period 1921-29'over forty-five millions. The greater part of our exports came from the grass lands. Topdressing had recently come to the fore, and it was a most significant feature in pasture development. For the period 1926- li million acres had been topdressed with artificial fertilisers; in 1927- 1,858.000 acres; and in 1928-29, 2,250.000 acres. For the year ended March 31. it was estimated that 3). million acres had been top-dressed. The increase had been very marked. These figures showed an increase of a million acres top-dressed in two years, and this showed that farmers were going whole-heartedly in for top-dress-ing. Top-dressing increased the carrying capacity, and built up soil fertility. It could therefore be viewed as capital and permanent improvements. Liming and top-dressing. Mr MeGillivray said, had altered greatly the value of “poor lands”; where stock hac: done extremely badly, they later die extremely well. To-day we had com to the turning point, when we had tc consider the improvement of our gras lands generally. The area top-dressed represented only 13 per cent, but tlr. was rapidly increasing—and the resul would be to increase the carryir capacity of farms and improve th health of stock.

Pictures were shown of the Roth amsted Laboratories where experiment:, with super-phosphate had first been carried out. Early settlers in New Zealand set out to grass all classes of country. Bush was cut down and attempts had been made to plant the back country. Inland plains, too, had been planted, all with varying success. It had been found that liming and artificial manures had made big improvements.

If the best value was to be obtained from liming and manuring, it was most essential to drain snow and waterlogged land. When conditions were made suitable, liming improved land to such an extent that better crops could be grown. Where lime had been applied to pastures, animal disease had disappeared. Soil acidity was the chief factor in limiting p / duction, for grasses of high-feeding value would not grow w'here the soil was sour. The action of lime on the soil was threefold: (1) Physical, (2) chemical, and (3) biological. When heavy soil had been limed, it often reduced the power needed for ploughing and cultivation. Lime had a wonderful influence in changing the physical texture and drainage of the soi.l Its chemical action set free plant food and had a most beneficial effect. The biological effects provided a base for most necessary bacteria. If the supply of lime became very deficient these organisms would die out.

The Department was constantly getting inquiries from farmers concerning the colour of limestone. Colour had very little bearing in the quality of limestone. If farmers were in doubt as to the v*lue of the lime they were using, the Department would be pleased to report on it free of charge. It had been found that the animals ate bare the pastures adequately supplied with lime—the grass and clovers being more nutritious and palatable, while unlimed portions of the field were left rough. Good crops and healthy stock could not be produced on land seriously deficient in lime. It was the top soil that farmers depended on for their crops, and it was the lime content that had to be attended to, to ensure nutritious feed and healthy stock. The speaker gave examples of how many troubles in stock had been overcome by liming. A slide was shown of a ryegrass pasture where too much land was to be

seen. Another slide was shown of a portion of the same field where there was a well-balanced clover-rye pasture which had been brought about by liming.

Continuing. Mr McGillivray said he would not deal at length with cultivation—another very necessary factor for good crops. A good tilth was necessary, and rolling gave a firm seed-bed. The sowing of seed and the methods employed changed with varying conditions.

Under poor conditions it was often necessary to plant, such crops as Yorkshire fog and brown top, which would give place, as the land was brought in, to better class of pastures. When they set out to sow their lands they had first to consider their class of land. In its place Italian ryegrass was very important as a short period crop. However every farmer had to think out his own problem, and if necessary obtain advice individually. Sometimes farmers were heard to say their land was cropped out, and they would put it down in grasses. Where land was seriously improverished it was necessary to improve the fertility of the soil, or it would not prove a success even for pastures.

“You can’t take away, and take away, without putting back,” the speaker continued. Farmers had not all come to regard grass as a crop as yet. It was important to recognise that the root system of most grasses was only a temporary structure. When pastures were properly covered, it prevented the loss of moisture, and the advent of weeds. There were four important facts regarding the use of fertilisers: (1) To supply plant food; (2) to return losses; (3) to improve soils, and (4) to stimulate growth. Nitrogenous fertilisers were often looked on as purely a plant stimulant, but they were also an important plant food. Each year in New Zealand, 250.000 tons of meat, 70.000 tons of wool, and 140,000 tons of butterfat were taken off the land, and it was necessary to put something back. A good dairy cow, it was estimated, would remove annually nitrogen equal to 4501bs of sulphate of amonia, phosphates equal to 1501bs of super, potash equal to 87Ibs of potash salts, and 461bs of lime. The field experiment in manuring was the only reliable test for practical farming.

The following was the percentage of phosphates in the various phosphate manures: Superphosphates 44.46; basic slag 39.77; Seychelles 57.55; ephos phosphate 60.90, and Nauru 84.08. Many farmers were very disappointed in the slow action of Nauru phosphate, but it had a high quantity of phosphate and was especially good where there was a high rainfall. Well-made phosphate —despite certain popular belief—did not cause the soil to become sour, but its action was much better when applied with lime. In this country farmers were quite safe in applying super at any time in the year without fear of leaching. Sulphate of ammonia and nitrate of ammonia were extremely useful where early feed was required. The application of these manures to land that was in good heart meant rapid results. He did not advise anyone to go in for these manures ad lib at the present time.

Grassland management was another important feature the lecturer said. This included the application of lime and fertilizers; close and systematic grazing, and systematic cultural operations If pastures were kept short they would be more nutritious, and possessed of a higher feeding value. The result of systematic cultural operations—although it was a new development—was proving magnificent, and quite a good deal was A going on in the development

of plant for this work. Under close glazing, grasses of the lower order like fog, bent, and vernal, contributed materially to the nutritive value of the pasture and a high content of protein was maintained throughout the entire season. The farmer should aim on the one hand for the production of niutritious grass and on the other for its economical utilization. They should aim at the utmost utilization, and where the grass was getting away on them they should run the mower over it, so that they could use it for hay. The clover content of a pasture was quite important for several reasons There were many strains of clovers and grasses and extensive experiments were being made in finding out what strains were best. The mineral content of grasses was an important factor in the feeding of stock. Concluding, Mr McGillivray stressed the need of scientific pasture management to increase production, and stated that the new lime w’orks would shortly be starting in Canterbury, and superphosphate was expected to drop in price toward the end of the year. If the farmers produced their pastures by these methods they would increase both the carrying capacity of their farms and the health of their stock. “Crop Certification/* “Crop Certification and Improvement” was the subject taken by Mr C. C. Leitch who dealt extensively with true and false types of grasses especially relating to perennial and Italian ryegrass. After explaining the uses of the two classes of grasses, he showed slides of the ideal pasture—the “ryewhite” pasture made up chiefly of ryegrass and white clover. One of the slides illustrated a pasture that was carring twelve sheep to the acre. In order to ensure that the farmers could buy their seed true to label, the Department took the greatest possible care with their certification scheme which he outlined with the use of an interesting series of lantern slides Following a talk on the certification of ryegrass, Mr Leitch spoke on the certification of potatoes and wheat, pointing out how yields \ ere bring increased and diseases eliminated by the certification of the seed. 1 he elTc els of disease on the various oror?, and the increase in yield by the planting of the better quality strains, were excellently illustrated by lantern slides. He stated that if these diseases could be eliminated and healthy high yielding strains encouraged, it would mean a great deal to the farmer and New j Zealand as a whole. After a large number a oucstions had been asked and answered, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to the speakers.