ON THE FARM

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23083, 23 December 1944, Page 2

ON THE FARM

WINTER FEED CROPS Replacement Problem During the last month the weather has been against the sowing of pasture, rape and winter feed crops. The result is that it is becoming too late to consider such crops as chou moellier and swedes, while the land intended for these crops and pasture and rape has become so infested with spurry that re-working even to ploughing will have to be considered. With crops that were just in before the weather broke the strike has been poor and, under the existing waterlogged conditions, the plants will not thrive even with an improvement in the weather. Should the weather improve rapidly it will be the middle of January at least before the ground can be made fit again to sow. From this period on the number of crops suitable for winter and early sprmg feed become more and more restricted and, in the case of lamb fattening requirements, there is no crop when sown as late as the middle of January that can satisfactorily replace rape. The amount of rain, however, will have assisted pasture growth and if pastures can be mown, the aftermath of clover will materially assist in taking the place of rape. This practice has become increasingly popular with those farmers who have taken ryegrass or white clover seed in previous seasons and good results have been obtained. Mowing should not be lower than two and a half inches, and it will be found in many cases that the stock will, under present conditions, not only pick up the mowings but will do well on them. Little reseeding of the grasses will take place from now on, and if the field is spelled for a fortnight before the lambs are put on, the aftermath of clover will provide good lamb feed which will in some measure make up for the lack of rape. The Early Feed As far as winter and spring feed is concerned, this can be still provided for in several ways. Where early feed is required to finish off old ewes, the sowing of Lincolnshire red turnip is the best means of providing this. The variety is early in maturity and will provide a large bulk of feed in a shorter time than Imperial or Hardy green globe. They are poor in keeping quality but as a special purpose feed they can be profitably used to a greater extent than they are at present. In fact, when considering any crop, farmers would do well to realise that within all species of agricultural plants are strains which have been evolved to suit particular and peculiar conditions. For the main fodder crop Imperial or Hardy green globe turnips can be sown up to the end of January in a season such as this. While they do not keep as well as swedes or chou moellier or give such a bulk of feed, they will provide a sufficient amount of feed not only to get the stock through the worst of the winter, but also to give pastures the necessary spell before lambing. Both varieties can be sown every coulter of the drill at from 12 to 16oz an acre with as much reverted super as is allowed under the rationing scheme. Permanent Pasture The second method of providing winter and spring feed is by the autumn sowing of permanent pasture and also Italian ryegrass. This method has become so popular that many farmers to-day rely solely on this means of providing their winter feed requirements. Italian will do well on land that has been previously prepared for swedes or chou moellier and should be drilled at from li to li bushels an acre with 1 cwt. of superphosphate. The sowing of some of the foder varieties of oats and barley can also be carried out to overcome probable feed shortages. Duns and Algerians are probably the best oat varieties, while black or white skinless and cape are the best fodder barleys. The sowing of these cereals was popular a few years ago, but they have been largely replaced to-day by permanent pasture or Italian ryegrass since these two provide not only feed but the further promise of seed.

The provision or feeding of hay or chafi has not been mentioned, because this article is only intended to cover the replacement of those cr.ps which are usually sown up to the present as fattening or feed crops.