A CHANGED ASPECT

Waikato Times, Volume 87, Issue 13270, 28 August 1916, Page 7

A CHANGED ASPECT

RUAKURA OF TO-DAY.

VALUE OF EXPERIMENTS

INFORMATION FOR -FARMERS

Mr Edmund Clifton, the New Zealand Commissioner at die Panama Exposition, spent a couple of clays at tho Ruakura Farm of Instruction last week. Jt is nearly three years since Mr Clifton's last visit, and the changed aspect of the farm very much surprised him. Although he saw it at the worst season of the year and in had weather, the marked change for the better was beyond his expectations. What impressed him more than all was the appearance of the grass paddocks. Grass was. he said to a Times representative, the chief essential to the progress of agricultural New Zealand. The paddocks at Huakura laid down many years ago still retained their luxuriance of growth anil contained a great variety of plants. The hill behind the homestead had not been ploughed for 35 years, yet i: was improving yearly in its condition, and in the texture of its grasses. This result had been attained by careful top-dressing, with the added fact that roots and hay were carried on to the paddock and the stock fed on the ground. Win n Mr ( lilton fir-t know Ruakura it was largely under water for a good part of the year, but a large area has been so efficiently treated that many of tho ditches originally made to carry off the water tioni the covered drains were now practically dry. It might be asked, said Mr Clifton, why such drains were ever constructed. The answer was that the drainage of Ruakura was on a comprehensive scale, and the whole water level had now been lowered, with magnificent results to the farm. Improvement of Herds.

.Mi' Clifton was delighted with the great improvement in the herds ft Huakura. If there was such a tiling as a dual purpose cow, lie said, no better typo could Ijo found than tin 1 milking Shorthorn, and tho animals at Huaktira wore equal to any in Xow Zealand. Tlii- small herd of Jerseys was also <lllO which any Jersey breeder yould lie proud to possess. Several of the older cows were from Ibe well-known herd of Mr ('. Day, while others were from Taranaki, hut it was from the progeny of ihese, mated with selected hulls, thai (ho present magnificent standard oi the herd was due. Commenting oil the flocks, Mr Clifton said the Southdown was now the only pure hrod sheep maintained at Huakura. He was advised that last year tlit 1 whole of the Southdown lambs were sold before they leit tlje farm. 'Hie main (lock to be seen was of the Komney strain. The animals wore, he remarked, in excellent condition, and the average of lambs promised to be very high indeed. Speaking of the plantations, the Commissioner said tlie growth of the hedges and trees had completely altered the whole aspect of Huakura and it would be difficult to imagine a more attractive farm. The estate had now emerged from the preparatory stage. For many years the first interest was to drain the land to secure a foundation for grass for stock, and while all efforts were devoted to this purpose, it was difficult to proceed to advantage, with any elaborate schemes of expenditure. In later years, however, such schemes wore undertaken and many experiments with fertilisers both for top dressing, crop-growing, methods of tillage, and means of dealing with stock diseases were conducted. Such experiments would, no doubt, occupy a far more prominent position in the programme of Huakura in the future. There wore many plots under investigation at present, from the sowing of grasses in different mixtures, the test of the result from feeding off, the value of fodder plants, and indeed a list too long to recapitulate, were there for the information of the farmer.

The King of Fodders. The area in lucerne was one to which the attention of every farmer should be directed. In the United States, lucerne was definitely enthroned in the position of the king of fodder plants, and it might well take up the same position in Now Zealand. Every farmer, declared Mr Clifton emphatically, should make himself acquainted with the methods of producing lucerne, and the results and means of feeding it out to the animals.

The division of the farm and the apiary section had now achieved the success they sought ,and were beyond the efforts of the captious critics oi; former years,

<hl£ feature upon which Mr Clifton found cause for regret was the lack of provision for cadets. The number accepted many years ago was twelve, and Jlli s had not since been increased, despite 'lie fact that there was room on the farm for" lour times that number, and there had Of.t-'i more than four times that number (it applications for positions as learners. There was no course in practical agriculture pssonessential to the boy who would become a practical farmer, that could not lie provided at Huakura. New Zealand should, he said in conclusion, he more equipped with farms of instruction.