FARM AND GARDEN

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15272, 23 June 1923, Page 17 (Supplement)

FARM AND GARDEN

AGRICULTURAL EVENTS FOR WEEK ENDING JUNE 30. MONDAY. Stock Sale at Ohinewai. Stock Sale at Cambridge. Clearing Sale at Motumaoho. • Clearing Sale at Ohinewai Yards. Clearing Sale at Cambridge Yards. TUESDAY. Stock Sale at Hamilton. Clearing Sale at YVaerenga. Clearing Sale at .Matamata. Clearing Sale at Maihihi. Gearing Sale at Morrinsville Yards. WEDNESDAY. Stock Sale at Hilcutaia. Dairy Sale at Hamilton. Stock Sale at Otorohanga. Stock Sale at Matamata. Gearing Sale at Pirongia. Gearing Sale at Hamilton Yards. Clearing Sale at Waihou. Gearing Sale at Maungatautari. THURSDAY. Stock Sale at Tirau. Gearing Sale at Te Aroha. Gearing Sale at Walton. Clearing Sale at Newstead. Gearing Ssde at Tirau Yards. FRIDAY. Stock Sale at Ngaruawahia. Stock Sale at Waihou. Dairy Sale at Ohaupo. Gearing Sale at Waihon Yards. Clearing Sale at Otorohanga Yards. Gearing Sale at Olraupo Yards. Clearing Sale at Brentwood. SATURDAY. Stock Sale at Te Awamutu. Gearing Sale at Te Awamutu Yards. NOTICE TO FARMERS. V' -—— • Recognising the importance of giving the farmer highly scienti-, fio advice, we have made arrangements for articles to appear weeki ly from the pen pf a recognised authority on agricultural matters. Farmers are invited to address any queries on farming matters to “Practical,” care of Waikato Times, and they will be answered in the succeeding week’s, issue. ANSWERS to correspondents. **Horse Collar,” Waitoa. —If the paddock is covered with tussocks and patches of long grass, crowd on the i dry dairy cows, or some sheep if you have them, and feed it down hard. Then run the chain harrows over the pasture and apply the slag. ‘ Select a calm day if possible. Early in the morning is usually less windy than later in the day. dodder,” 1 Te Awamutu. —I would advise you to delay sowing the oats until spring time. Get the paddook (which as you have stated is now a worn-out pasture) ploughed up without delay. Work up the area ready to sow three bushels of Algerian oats in August. Use super at the rate -of 2 to 3 cwt per acre with the seed. 7EED FOR NEXT SEASON. * WORK ON A SYSTEM. ADWCE for dairy farmers. (By “Practical.”) IHre resting period of winter is with V tas how, and we are apt to forget past experience and leave the future to luck. It is a bad policy. Farmers who have a herd of cows to provide •“Tor during next season shouhTsit down and work out a scheme which will make adequate provision for fodder lother than the grass pasture. Grass Is the sheet anchor on the farm, but it will not provide feed all the time. Early spring feed is necessary. Ryegrass, clovers, green oats, mangolds, hay and silage provide a list from which may be selected supplementary fodder until the pastures begin to again throw good growth. Mangolds and grass hay in which clovers are well mixed are hard to beat as spring fodder. About January and February soft turnips sown in October are ready. (Maize, sorghum, millet and paspalum also should be fit to feed. Green lucerne, where it can be grown, is not to be excelled for milk production. Bilage, from almost all crops but roots, can be made In December from grass pasture, the first cut of lucerne, paspalum, or later from the other crops just mentioned above. This will be ready to feed in March and April, and late in the season. Maize is excellent late autumn feed, especially as it pots cows in good - condition to face the winter. If hay is cut, swedes or mangolds . should be grown for the Winter supplement of hay. A variety of fodders is always preferable to a dependence on one or two special crops. Seasonable variations upset one’s plans if all the eggs are in one basket. A spell of drought in the middle or late summer may cause turnips and maize to fail, but 6orghum in sheltered situations in Waikato will do well. Lucerne, if well established and top-dressed with soluble phosphates, will likewise provide feed. Stock, moreover, prefer a change of feed. Variety is the spice, appreciated toy “her majesty the cow” as well as by “the lord of creation." We should remember this when feeding her. The point to realise fully is that failure -often is the lot of those who suddenly get an impulse that feed must be provided. They give a field a rough and ready treatment and sow the crop chosen. Tho result is a poor return or complete failure. My advice is: Sit down quietly and coneider the problem, and set out to provide the crops which will carry your herd and other live stock successfully through the coming season whether it be good or bad.

TOP-DRESSING OF PASTURES.

IN AUCKLAND PROVINCE.

(ADDRESS BY MR T. 11. PATTERSON

Mr T. H. Patterson, Instructor In Agriculture, Auckland, delivered an address on the above subject to the farmers attending the present Winter School at Ruakura. In his introductory remarks he stated that pasture was the main crop of the New Zealand farmer. This was particularly so of the North Island farmer. Our climate, with its well distributed rainfall, twothirds of which it is estimated fall at night, and therefore allows of plenty of sunshine, was the biggest factor in producing such excellent pastures as We possessed. Our soils were variable, and those of the Auckland Province, though .not on the whole very rich, were productive because the moist conditions with sunshine and mild temperatures (in' other words, a long period of warm weather) make up for the comparative poorness of the soils. With these favourable natural conditions we could make up soil deliciencies by manuring. Without further neology therefore he stated that lie would draw their attention to the subject of improving the main crop pasture, by means of the application of manures. He would ask them to con-

sider: (1) The important part taken by pasture in New Zealand farming; (2) How manuring was essential to maintain the pastures , in a profitable condition; (3) That to use the right type of manures requires attention to several important considerations, (a) the class of soil (b) the type of country, (c) the rainfall and its distribution throughout the year, (d) the class of stock to be depastured, (e) whether the pasture is to be used for grazing or cut for hay or ensilage. The last two, viz. (d) and (c) were of less importance than the first three. (4) That top-dressing was a business proposition, and must be treated as such.

N.Z. Agriculture—Some Statistics. Two-thirds of the area of New Zealand is occupied, onc-third is unoccupied. 'There are 20,000,000 acres of Crown property. Surface sown grass: North Island, 9,000,000 acres; South Island, 2,000,000 acres; total/ 11,000,000 acres. Ploughed land: N. 1., 2,500,000; 5.1., 3,500,000; total, 6,000,000. Tussock grass: N. 1., 1/500,000; 5.1., 13,000,000; total 14,500,000. Crops (grain): N. 1., 100,000; 5.1., 800,000; total 900,000. Crops (supplementary): N. 1., 230,000; 5.1., 470,000; total 700,000. Fern and second growth (gum lands, pumice): N. 1., 3,000,000; 5.1., 1,000,000; total 4,000,000. Forest: N. 1., 2,500,000; 5.1., 2,500,000; total 5,000,000. Barren: N. 1., 250,000; 5.1., 1,750,000; total 2,000,000. Totals: North Island, 19,000,000 acres; South Island ' 25,000,000 acres; total, 44,000,000 acres. Grass pasture it will be seen occupies about 17,000,000 acres of land. Cropping.—North Island:. 250,000 acres (1 acre to 50 grass); South Island, 500,00 J) acres (1 acre to 10 grass) ; that is of crops in the North Island they occupy i-50th of the grass area; and crops of the South Island l-10th of the grass area. Percentages to Grass. —North Auckland, 100 grass, supplementary crops 2J per cent; Auckland, grass 100, supplementary crops 7 per cent; Southland, 100 grass, supplementary crops 18 per cent. The increase in the area devoted to grass was shown by the following: In 1872 there were 800,000 acres of grass; 1882, 4,000,000; 1892, 7,500,000; 1902, 11,500,000; 1912, 14,250,000; 1922, 17,060,000. Grass produced its main crop during flush. The farm products produced in New Zealand are mainly grown during this period. Therefore it is necessary:— (1) To make the grass as nutritious as possible, is well as increase the bulk; prolong its period of usefulness —say two top-dressings per year may be made instead of one. This could be done in the spring and in the autumn. Cut hay and ensilage for lean periods such as winter and spring, and for droughts. (2) How manuring was essential to maintain pastures; change of fanning and grazing to dairying during recent years showed that the type of farming had altered. Our exports and their comparative values illustrated the change.

Exports:—lß72, wool 18,000 tons, grain 22,000 tons, butterfat 200 tons; 1882, w001'32,000 tons, grain 140,000 tons, butterfat 200 tons; 1892,, wool 50,000 tons, grain 150,000 tons, irozen meat 50,000 tons, butterfat 2500 tons; 1902, wool 68,000 tons, grain 120.000 tons, frozen.meat IQO,OOO tons; butler fat 12,000 tons; 1912, wool 85,000 tons, grain 100,000 'tons; frozen meat 130,000 tons, butterfat 30,000 tons; 1922, wool 77,000 tons, grain 40,000 tons, frozen moat 200,000 tons, butter fat 100,000 tons. Money basis values: Wool £12,000,000; grain, small; frozen meat, £10,000,000; butterfat, £14,000,000; extra animal products, £4,000,000.

Here the lecturer showed a slide giving a graph showing the report of butter for New Zealand from 1883 to 1922. In the last year 25,000 tons out of 50,000 were exported from the Auckland Province. The figures were those usc\ t recently by toe New Zealand Co-oiferative Dairy Company, and published in the graph form in the Waikato Times, *

The lecturer also pointed out that there were 73,000 dairy cows in New Zealand in 1916, and 1,250,000 in 1922.

Grazing for beef, mutton, wool, etc., does not make the same demands on soil as dairying. Butter does not make the demand on the soil as cheese, etc. Separated milk is returned to the farm. The excreta from pigs and calves returns, much of it back to the soil. From beef and mutton exported it is estimated that 36,000 tons of bone phosphates go out of New Zealand each year. This phosphate must be returned, which shows the necessity for manuring. The original fertility of our virgin soil is not there to-day, which shows the necessity for manuring today as opposed to the old station days. In the grazing days of the colony the amount of stock was not carried; the stock had more frequent change of pasture, and virgin fertility was available. There was not the export trade with consequent depletion of soil. The presence of malnutrition shows depleted fertility, and that bigger demands are being made on the soil. The farming practice of New Zealand shows that phosphates are the chief form of manuring. Take 'importation of manures to the port of Auckland. From April, 1922, to March 1923 (12 months): Phosphates 40,000 tons; bonedust, 2600 tons; slag, 13,000 tons; total, 55,600 tons, most of which are used in the Auckland Province. There are probably 40,000 tons used for top-dressing in the province. One merchant estimates it at over 30,000 tons per annum. Cows in milk take -a good deal of the nutriment from the feed they consume. Succulent and easily digestible food is what they require, with very little indigestible fibre. They do well on concentrated foods in addition to ordinary forage. The manure they drop is very poor in consequence.’ It should, however, be distributed over the land will! chain harrows. The effc*ct of the urine is seen in the dark green dense patches on pastures, especially when the pastures are eaten down bai'e. This is more particularly seen on soils not rich in humus, such as poor clay soils, or light sandy soils. The effect of dung pats on pastures, if not distributed by the chain harrows is bad. This is obvious to the least observant. The clovers are maintained in pastures by application of the right type of fertilisers. The grasses also directly and indirectly benefit by receiving nitrogen from the clovers. They benefit by the shading afforded to the roots of grasses such as rye grass, cocksfoot, etc. By this means therefore Liiese high-grade grasses ' are maintained in the pastures. The shading keeps Hie surface of the ground moist during dry spells. The opposite effect may be observed on pastures where the land

Is understocked and the grasses got away into rank growth. The pasture is unpalatable to stock, and the cover, if too great allows parasites to flourish. This coudition should be guarded against, because parasites cause stock disease. Top-dressed pa*tures allow heavier stocking, ant gi is eaten down because the forage_prodneed is palatable to stock. SP ' can discriminate between dressed undressed They P some instinct for doing so. Evidence of Experts as to Right Kind

of Manure. Experience of farmers indicates that phosphates and lime are the cliicfncM. Experimental evidence helps to dcl ° mine the' right kind of phosphate to give the. greatest monetary return. Super and bonedust were us<u manures in the early days. Sla,.>JS. first imported in 1892. Slag and lcamit Were used because ■ tho farme s not like the slag. , th The lecturer then referred to the numerous experiments earned out Y the Department, which indicated tha in considering a top-dressing the class of soil, situation, climate and other factors must determine the kind oi manure to apply. The results so far at Te Kuiti on the undulating fe country showed that on a cost covering two years, results on the ' the hay cut were as follows. Kuiti, £1 spent on superphosphate, cash return £4 5s 4d, gam £3 os 4 a , £1 spent on super and lime cash re turn £2 17s 3d, gain £1 1H JJ* £1 spent on Nauru phosphate, casn return £1 17s 9d,.gain 17s 9d; £1 spent on basic slag, cash return £1 13s 9d, gain 13s 9d; £1 spen Nauru lime, cash return 15s Bd, loss 4s 4d. At Pukekohe, - however, the results on the volcanic soils were different. The results were as. follows:—£1 spent on Nauru phosphate returned £1 13s, a gain of > spent on basic slag returned £1 lis 7d, a gain of 11s 7d; £1 spent on super phosphate returned £1 6s Sd, a gam of 6s Bd. As only limited evidence was available, generalisation of a conclusive nature could not be made as yet. u appeared from tho data to hand that super and lime were from the grazing and hay point of view nicer combined, the host dressing for the higher country, naturally well drained, while for the most flat lands basic slag, ground rock phosphate (Nauru-Ocean) was good. It was improved by the addition of i-3rd to 4 of the weight by super. It was long known that super and bonedust vgas a good mixture- for Waikato down lands, but men bonedust was considered by many farmers as too dear. As the economics of nitrogen and potash manures were not yet properly worked out, he would not deal with them. Experiments were needed to settle the question. MILKING SHORTHORN ASSOCIATION MEETING OF COUNCIL. At a meeting of the council of the New Zealand Milking Shorthor Association, held at Hamilton, Mr J. Parkinson, president, was in the chat . Also present: Messrs E. Law, Thornton, Bay of Plenty; J. Hodges, Wanganui- A. J. Melville, Franklin; A. W. Green, J. M. Ranstead and A. Fisher, Waikato; J. Bateman, Southland; T. Bloor, Christchurch; R. Brown, Levin; J llearsey, treasuror, Palmerston North; N. Paton, Marlborough branch. Twenty members, principally visitors from North Auckland, Thames ai)d Waikato, were present by invitation. Apologies were received from Messrs J C. Wright, J. R. Anderson, D. Buick, A. Vickers, H. Brown, and S. G. Morgan. - The president extended a .welcome to the visitors. Mr A. W. Green, on behalf of the Waikato branch, also extended a cordial welcome to the Waikato, and stated they had arranged for a tour of inspection to visit the herds of several prominent breeders in the district. Mr E. Law, on behalf of the members of Bay of Plenty, presented the application for a branch to be formed for the district, which was unanimously 'granted. Resolutions of sympathy were passed and recorded with Messrs J. C. Wright and J. Bateman in the bereavements they had recently sustained. The president pointed out that all recommendations for appointment as -judges and inspectors should first come through the branches. Mr J. T. Cole, Darbalora, New South Wales, acknowledged the congratulations forwarded by the council on the world’s record achieved by Melba XV. He hoped the victory for the good old dual purpose Shorthorn would encourage members of the New Zealand Association to pay greater attention to the official testing of their heavy producing cows, and thus keep the old breed to the front. The secretary of the Dairy Shorthorn Association, England, acknowledged receipt of Volume IV. Herd Book, and cohgratuwted the council on the excellent progress the Milking Shorthorn were making in New Zealand. The secretary of the Shorthorn Society of Great Britain forwarded a copy of Coate’s Herd Book and a copy of the Shorthorn Breeders Guide. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the English Society. An application from the Greymouth A. and P. Association for a donation for the next Show was referred to the committee to be set up to consider tbe allocation of show prizes. Mr Lowrie, Mahurangi, wrote with reference to the proposal to do away with the inspection of entries. He thought it would be a mistake to dispense with inspection. The question was referred to the general meeting. The Marlborough branch wrote urging more publicity as to the work of the Association, and records or the semi-official tests, and stated they were calling a meeting in Blenheim to form a Herd Testing Association for Marlborough. Mr A. W. Green spoke with reference to the great success of the Farmers’ Union Herd Testing Association in the Waikato, and explained its working. It was already proving of immense value to the breeders ,and was costing only about 6s per head. It was also of great assistance to the Government in their semi-official testing as the owners were enabled to practically test every animal in the herd, and find out the animals worth putting under the semi-official test. He strongly urged the formation of Herd Testing Associations wherever possible. An application from a member to enter non-pedigree cows under the returned soldiers’ privilege was not granted. A motion was passed that the council cannot re-open the question, having definitely decided to cease taking such entries with Volume V. • Mr Law brought up the question of tiie increased fees charged for semiofficial testing. lie considered the high cost to test was preventing many small farmers making use of the Government’s officials. A general discussion took place during which it was pointed out that the Department,coul’d not obtain sufficient capable men to do the semi-official testing now required, and at present, owing to - the heavy travelling expenses of inspectors, iliey could not make any reduction. it was resolved that this Association endorse the proposal of the Waikato .Herd Testing Association that a Gov-

ernment subsidy of 2s 6d per head be paid for all certificated cows tested by Herd Testing Associations.

On the motion of Mr J. M. Ranstead it was resolved that any records of registered Milking Shorthorn cows under Herd Testing Associations be. published at the. request of owners in this Association’s herd books, such records to be compiled from samples and test taken by the officials of the Herd Testing Association.. Considerable discussion ensued with reference to the outstanding fees and subscriptions, and it was resolved that branch secretaries be allowed a commission of 10 per cent on all monies collected, the amounts earned to go Into the branch funds, and be at the .disposal of the local branch. .The question of cost of inspection of entries was discussed, and branches were urged to keep expenses down, otherwise the council would have to materially reduce the amount voted for A. and P. Show prizes. In_connection with tile allocation of show prizes it was resolved that branches send in particulars of the shows held In their districts, with reports of number of entries received in Milking Shorthorn classes at these shows and recommendations as to the classes for which the Association prizes should be awarded. The opinion was expressed that it should be a condition that the special prizes be not awarded unless at leas! there were five entries in the class. Branches were urged to collect donations from local breeders to supplement the amounts voted by head office.