IMPROVING PASTURES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18071, 8 January 1921, Page 10

IMPROVING PASTURES

From his recent survey of grass land experiments, Professor Somerville drew the following conclusion: —l. That the quality of a pasture is not primarily dependent on its botanical composition, though, as a rule, the presence of white clover and other leguminosae is generally indicative of high feeding value. 2. That poor pastures, especially on clay soil, can be rapidly and profitably improved by the use of phosphates, especially basic slag. 3. That, as a rule, phosphates alone are sufficient to effect and maintain the improvement and that, of supplementary substances, potash and lime are occasionally worthy of attention. 4. That the improvement of poor pasture is very dependent on the presence of leguminosae. and especially of white clover. 5. That renovating with the seed of wild white clover may, in the absence of natural leguminosae, be necessary preliminary or con-current operation. 6. That cake | can rarely be used at a profit, and. that, as an agent in improving poor pasture, it occupied an unsatisfactory position. 7. That nitrogen, whether in the form of artificial manure or as cake residues, when added to phosphates for pasture, is always unnecessary, and frequently ;detrimental. 8. That in the case of hay permanent grass land, equal weights of produce may have very different feeding values. 9. That few forms of agricultural expenditure are n ore certain in their results than the judicious use of manures on grass land, and that the meat and milk producing capacity of the country can be largely and rapidly increased, with great pecuniary gain to the farmer, and still greater economic advantage to the nation.