"PASTURE PROBLEMS."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20056, 20 September 1920, Page 7

"PASTURE PROBLEMS."

A LECTURE ON ORASSESS DR HILGENDORF AT ASHBURTON. Dr Hilgendorf, of Lincoln College, ga,ve a. lecture in the Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s rooms on Saturday afternoon, taking or his subject “ Some Pasture Problems.” Mr'lV. J*. Taylor, the president of tho association, occupied the chair. Dj* Hilgendorf said that grass was easily Jhe cheapest food they could grow _ tor the reeding of stock. At care time ho thought the perennial rye grass was the one- grass be would grow, out if h© was going to grow one grass .only he would grow cocksfoot. The next grass ho would grow' was Italian r.vo grass, but it grew out after about the second year and loft a number of bare spaces in the paddock. Cocksfoot Was a. grass of great permanence and it resisted, the grass grub. But it had certain weaknesses. Its tufty habit was largely owing to thin sowing. Curleel doßsiail vras another good grass to grow as a mixture, but it ran" to seed easily. It should bo sown with the cocksioot, as it formed a good sward and filled up the bare spaces between the cocksfoot. Timothy was another good grass to grow, though it did not give much feed in the winter. Is T o one would think of growing Danihonia. except on poor land. TA'liito clover was another good mixture. The seed of diw grass would pass through a sheep undigested, and they could often get seed which had passed through to gerurinate up to about 50 per cent, and this was one reason _ why there was always plenty of white clover to he seen in the paddocks. Alsyke was a good grass, .but as most of the seed came from California it was never free ■from Californian vhistlc. Dr Hilgendorf went on to say that tho different grasses might be grown in separate paddocks, and by this means they would have more food for their stock all through tho vear. He did not suggest _ that they should sow cocksfoot or Italian rye pure, but they might sow mixtures which harmonised and whose period of feed was about the same. It was tho hare spaces in the paddocks which were the weakness or many of tho methods of the present mixture of grasses. They should have their mixtures of grasses of similar types. Putting down grasses with! Deas and clovers would bo a good idea. The addition of white clover with the cocksfoot was more beneficial and they slum Id do all they could to grow clovers. Another important point was the sowing down of the grass in tho autumn, as it would then absorb tho nitrates, which were at their maximum m March, and art the minimum in December. It was a practice to sow down grasses with the oat crop, but if the grass grub was bad it would he worse with the grass which had been sown with the oat crop. Sowing grass with rape, as a rule, was satisfactory practice, provided' the season, was not too dry. The weight of grass seed sown per acre was $ matter they wanted to carefully consider. Dr Hilgendorf gave figures showing the number of seeds which were usually sown per acre. His own impression was that, as a rule, the seeds were sown too deep, and in soil which was too free and open. He 'believed that if the soil was more and better compacted they would get a much higher percentage of germination. In reply to a number of questions Dr Hilgendorf said he did not think that rolling a paddock in October would kill the grass grub, but it would hate a good effect in compacting the soil round the roots of the plant,, and thus assist the growth. There was very little difference in what was known ns cow grass and red plover. • His opinion Was that Donthnnia could be replaced by a very much better pasture in such land as tliey had in most parts of the Ashburton district. The land was too good to carry Danthonia. and much better results could be attained with rye grass and cocksfoot. Generally he had heard that the grass grub was not so bad after rape as it was after another crop. Ho suggested show of bauds in the room on tho matter, and the result was that the majority were of tho opinion that tho prnh was less after rape and turnips than after any other cron. A hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer .was carried hv acclamation.