Young Farmers Hold Field Day

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIV, Issue 6074, 9 July 1947, Page 2

Young Farmers Hold Field Day

SOIL FERTILITY STATION PEOBLEMS OF THE LAND A most interesting day was spent by the combined Young Farmers' Clubs at a district field day held at the Soil Fertility Station, Ohaupo. The station is the land that was used by the Government for : growing vegetables during the war and lies a few miles out from Hamilton. In welcoming the young farmers, Mr Elliott, the station manager, explained the idea of the station and where it hopes to help the farmers with their soil problems. Dr. Annett, a well known authority on soil and grass land farming, ex-1 plained the irrigation .section and brought up some important points in relation to moisture requirements of grasses. Transpiration, that is the process whereby plants take in soluble solutions and give off the moisture, is responsible for incredible uses of moisture from the soil and during the summer months when the level of moisture is greatly reduced, the plant, unable to get these necessary requirements is unable to maintain its growth, causing shortages of feed at that period. For one ton of dry matter 200-300 tons of moisture are needed. It ii with this information that the station has installed an irrigation system and is conducting trials, to see if'there is a way to increase pasture production I during the dry months.

A strict check is made of water used and result received and there seems justification for irrigation in the Waikato. It was suggested that a 10-acre section on a 100-acre farm would alleviate feed problems on most farms during summer.

Inside the glass house were shown the new hormone treatments to stimulate* plant growth. It was explained that these hormones are veyy selective and do an excellent job. At present investigation is being made on a disease of the Kerikeri lemon trees and although no cure is guaranteed the utmost is being done to find the cause, which is believed to be of a mineral deficiency nature. From the glass house the party was shown • the meteorlogical plant and the new instrument being constructed to record the exact amount of the annual rainfall that is lost through the soil from drainage, the only one in New Zealand. Next were seen the grass plot trials. These are also strictly recorded and each plot has its use. Varied applications of manures and methods of grazing are tried. One of the clover plots covering a square chain, was from the one clover plant, this to ensure trueness of type. Some of the results of the hormone weed killers were very effective, the surprising feature being their selectiveness allowing the plant with some special root or leaf feature to be de- 4 stroyed and not everything. In the afternoon a short lecture was gifen on soils and tests for

phosphate and potash in soils and grass were shown. Although the tests are done chemically it is hoped that a service' will become available to farmers so they can, have their soils tested and thereby know of any deficiencies found in them. In reply to the Y.F.C. district secretary's thanks for the instructive day. Mr Elliott mentioned his disappointment in seeing so few young farmers as he felt that the work being done was well worth inspecting. MONTHLY MEETING. CAMBRIDGE YOUNG FARMERS The chairman, Mr. T. Moore, presided over an attendance of 17 members at the monthly meeting of the Cambridge Young Farmers' Club. Reports were given on the debating competition district committee meeting and the field day at Ohaupo. It was decided to try and have Mr Neilsen, of the Dairy Board, to lecture at the next meeting. The club received a comprehensive assortment of bulletins from the Department of. Agriculture to be used by members for reference.

Enough manure for one fertiliser trial was received and it is hoped to, have it set down at an early date.' The Rev. C. MacKenzie showed some very interesting films taken in Palestine, one of pigmies building a bridge and Karapiro. The evening closed with thanks to Mr MacKenzie and supper.