PASTURE AND PADDOCK.

Thames Star, Volume LXII, Issue 17390, 30 March 1928, Page 5

PASTURE AND PADDOCK.

INFORMATION FOR FARMERS. COMMENTS ON*LAND. NOTES AND "SKIMMINGS.? February and March are the best months to plant rape, one of the easiest and safest crops the farmer ,;' can grow, and yet one generally neglected. It is without doubt the.quickest maturer of all farm crops, being fit for grazing in six to eight weeks, under ordinary conditions. Pigs and _...- sheep relish it when it is about twelve " \ inches in height, if left to grow to maturity, two to four cuts can be obv '.-[. tained, as being of the turnip family j it does well until the hot weather. . checks growth. Rape is one of the Vj best feeds for fattening pigs, sheep "/■, and calves, and chaffed with other ( ;,; feeds for dairy cows is a great milk -■"• producer. Poultry-farmers regard it . £ as the best green crop for their special needs, as being full of the he- .-'4 cessary vitainines it is so soft and - succulent that fowls can eat ever,y bit • V of stalk and leaf, and it has the "ad-../'.i; vantage of coming to maturity when '* there is a dearth of other green stuff.* ~'v£ Drilled in, 31b. to 41b. of seed per acre <•."' i.s required, and broadcast. "Jo. to 81b. In young -orchards where young growth has been phenomenal, -it is . wise' to rub off about 15 per*, celit. of the shoots which are keeping the light and air from the centre of the treses. *' This will put strength into the bearing limbs for next year. Alsd all suckers . at the trunk base should he removed ."/; to mitigate the spread of aphis. '' A•,,;...;'-;; spraying of black leaf' "40 (according to formula) on the trunk of the; trees is .';:;J a great cleanser in autumn time. A correspondent says that the best time for cutting lucerne is when the ; plants are "about to flower." The right time to cut is when approximately 10 per cent, of the paddock ia in bloom. The Americans, .however, who have made a very exhaustive - study of growing the stuff—they call it alfalfa—contend that the grower should watch the crown of the plant-! and, immediately the second' gro>% f -. shows above the ground, out before < the young shotso are high . enough to be damaged by the ■ mOwer blade. Their experiments, show that the following crop will much more "than compensate for cutting .., the standing crop when perhaps,. by our standards, it is not ready. When sowing lucerne don't stint' the superphosphates; 2cwt. per acjre is ... M little enough and will pay for itself many times over. . . , "|; SOME TRUCKING STOCK DON'TS. Don't bring your stock to the rail- -;■ way hungry and thirsty; a, good feed and a driiik will help them over, the -,; train journey. J ■ g Don't think the station-master is .joking when he asks you to have the stock""loaded by a certain hour to enable him to get- the stock-train away on time. By complying~ v ym-I-_gain Jus respect; and will receive- attention."— Rub him the wrong way and you Strike ■ a snag.' Besides, rushing your stock into the trucks at the last moment knocks them about, and causes them to take longer to get their "train • legs." •: .'•"■ Don't overload your stock in hopes / of saving the expense of another truck. " '' It is false economy, especially if a > drover is not employed to escort the stock to their destination. Once' a weak sheep or beast gets down in an overloaded truck it i.s practically value- ;_ less; even drovers have a difficult job .- in watchinc overloaded trucks. " '; Don't be'bashful in wiring ahead to give warning that you want- a truck (or trucks) of weak stock run into - the trucking-vard loop so that you attend to the animals. The railways are always willing to assist the stocky { owner in this respect. mm Don't imagine that the driver, fire- , man and guard of the train will insult { \ you should you offer them a trifle for <. extra care and attention, so that your • -• stock mav have an "easy" trip. Ten bob may' be very well spent in this manner. v.;,'-.,.;