CEREALS ON THE FARM.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16780, 24 April 1926, Page 22 (Supplement)

CEREALS ON THE FARM.

VALUE OF OATS AND BARLEY. (By "Practical.!") Cereals are often neglected by dairy farmers and those whose chief occupation is grazing. In the agricultural districts one sees these crops, because they form an important, part of the work of the farm and bring in much revenue. In such cases they are used as cash crops, cither for chaff or grain. Oats and barley should be given more attention by farmers with a dairy herd or with a flock of sheep.. For late winter and early spring grazing short oats is excellent for dairy cows and sheep. Where pigs.are kept they can toe likewise grazed on oats. Any aftermath can be used for chaff or ensilage. 1

:r ' Oats in Walkato. The cool, moist climate of Waikato (Suits oafs. Good crops may ho oh--taincd whore earn and attention are. paid to their cultivation. If the-soil is a medium to a light loam, oats will grow well. In heavy soils the. crop often produces overmuch straw, usually coarse in nature, and moreover the grain suiters in yield. The ordinary loams met with on the undulating lands of Waikato are sidled to the production of excellent qualify in ,oat crops. It is found that oats is somewhat foolproof as far as cultivation goes. It is not uncommon to find that good crops are produced by rough and ready cultivation. Though such js the ease it must he remembered that the belter results got by good and thorough cultivation pay handsomely. The soil should he ploughed fairly deeply and worked up lo a good tilth. Before sowing, Ihe soil should be well packed. A judicious use of the roller is advised. Where a rotation is followed it is found easy to fit in oats. Sheep men will find that after rape, oais do well. On the dairy farm they will follow soft turnips or other roots lifted early. They may succeed a previous oat crop or barley. Where an old pasture is broken, oats provides a good starling off crop. Sowing.' ' If the ground is ready oats may be sown during this or next month. A sowing may be made in Juno, early for preference. . Drill in 2 to '2 J bushels per acre of Algerian or FUiakura oats. Increase the amount if broadcast. Many farmers favour Australian Algerian seed because of its freedom Troni rust. Farmers should treat all seed before sowing to destroy smut spores. Blucstone or formalin treatment is quite good. If 41b of blucstone is dissolved in a gallon of water and the seed is sprinkled with the solution on a concrete floor the results are found to bo satisfactory For formaline treatment use one* pint of formaline mixed with :>,O gallons of water. Soak the grain iii the solution for lon A K ood fertiliser is superphosphate at the rale of 2to :i cwt per acre. K the soil is below Hie average fertility add a cwt of blood and bonodust. 'fins will give Hie oats a green healthy colour and increase the yield. Barley. Barley is a verv useful catch crop to provide green forage. It grows uulcklY and is liked by cattle, sheep „, 1( | pigs . The Russian Black skinless is a popular variety: and produces well. The grain is good for pigs. Cane Barley stands IT-' holler,; and on this account shouK , ce.vc allof)Uon for late sowings. Drill lilo - bushels per acre and manure as for oats.

Combinations of a cereal with a legume or other crop is. useful when the object is to provide forage. Vetches or tares arc popular. A bushel to a bushel and a half of Scotch tares mixed with il to 2 bushels of oats is good. The forage which, results is richer in food, value than the cereal alone. Barley can replace oats with the vetch if desired. If sown in the spring, use Grey Spring lares. Made into hay, the oal-votch combination provides excellent fodder. Cape barley is, of course, unsuitable for this purpose, but is quite satisfactory is used before the barley comes into bead. Another combination which is used is oals. and Italian ryegrass, with a small sowing of crimson or red clover: Oals 1} bushels, Italian or Western Wollhs ryegrass 121 b, and crimson or red clover 51b. This provides fair grazing, especially after the oats are cut for chaff, green stuff or ensilage.

Barley and rape is a combination not widely used, but for sheep, especially ewes anil lambs, it is quite good. The sheep lake to the. barley first, and al the same time nibble at the rape. When they get used to the rape it does them little barm. The combination is not so popular as the mus-tard-rape crop, but where cereals arc concerned it is quite worth while.