DOMINION FARMING

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1607, 14 February 1925, Page 3

DOMINION FARMING

IMPRESSIONS OF AN EXPERT. After a month’s tour of inspection through most of the North Island, Mr E. Breakwell, 8.A., B.Sc., principal of the Yanco Agricultural High School, returned recently to Sydney from New Zealand. IHis impressions were briefly cabled. Mr Breakwell was previously agrostrologist to the New South Wales Department of Agriculture, and in that capacity was familiar with most of the coastal and central portions of the •State. He is therefore well fitted to make adequate comparisons between the agricultural methods of the two countries.

Interviewed on his return, Mr Breakwell mentioned that he was much impressed with the luxuriant pastures to be. seen everywhere throughout the North Island. Paspalum is generally excluded, even in localities where it can be successfully grown. Its place is taken by cocksfoot, rye grass, brown top, and red clover. The cooler climate and adequate rainfall render such pastures superior to most of those of New South Wales. In districts with first-class soils, such as Taranaki and Manawatu, an annual carrying capacity of two cows per acre is quite common, and forms the basis of the highlyefficient dairying industry. DAIRYING AND STOCK-RAISING. The dairy holdings, he found, are quite small, but the most is obtained from them by the sub-division of paddocks and utilising any excess of the growth by making grass hay. Grass and clover hay stacks are dotted all over the countryside. Such a form of fodder conservation could, he considers, with advantage be more widely adopted by our own dairymen, where such grasses and clovers thrive. Giant fescue is not looked upon with favour in New Zealand, but tall fescue is common.

Stock everywhere are in first-class condition, and Mr Breakwell noted that the Friesians appear to be gaining in popularity. In the more hilly parts the combination of sheep and dairy farming is producing good results, the Romney-Merino cross being evidently adapted to such districts. While on the flat country, especially at Ruakura Farm of Instruction, footrot is very prevalent, the physical condition of this cross among the hills is excellent. IHe failed to see why there is not more scope for such a combination of dairying with this or a similar cross of sheep in the hilly coastal and tableland districts in New South Wales, where the rainfall is sufficient for good pastures.

Owing to the fact that carcase development in New Zealand takes precedence of wool growing, the quality of the latter appears to be deteriorating, judging from the recent public controversy. Wool classers in Bradford have drawn attention to the presence of hair in the crossbred wool and this is causing no little concern.

FARM TRAINING.

The Ruakura Farm of Instruction,

Mr Breakwell considers, is very inferior in most respects to Hawkesbury Agricultural College, or to such State farms as Wagga or Be thurst. Great credit is due, however, to the manager of that farm for his efforts in reclaiming the tea-tree country which was previously considered useless by the ordinary farmer. The pastures he has laid down, chiefly with lotus major, a leguminous plant, ore simply remarkable, and such an achievement alone has justified the existence of the farm. It has been stated that 300 head of large stock and 2000- sheep were carried on the 900 acres of the farm (mostly pasture) last year, with no supplementary feeding apart from the crops grown on the total area men-’ tioned.