FORAGE FOR CATTLE

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16815, 5 June 1926, Page 8

FORAGE FOR CATTLE

ADDRESS AT FARM SCHOOL. Fodders and supplementary forage crops for dairy farmers formed llio subject of an address given by Mr E. Jenks (assistant agricultural instructor at To Kuiti) at ihc farm school at Hamilton yesterday. Fodder crops were necessary because it was impossible to run a milk herd on grazing all (lie year round, and in spite of the climate cattle could not be maintained in condition all the year on grazing. For the purpose of creating a food crop a great deal could he done by conserving the surplus of grass feed which the cows did not consume. If that feed was left standing it bc-

came coarse and unpalatable, and choked out the clovers, and as much as possible should be made into hay or ensilage. The amount of hay used at present (about iewt. per cow) was quite inadequate, and there should be given to each cow not less than S or lOcwt., which was barely sufficient.

By proper conservation of grass feed and liberal top-dressing and attention to pastures, there ws no necessity for fodder crops. A small area of the farm should be sown in fodder crops, however, because they provide a variety of succulent feed, and gave worn-out pastures a chance of renewal. A variety of foods was essential to the good cow, while the succulence was given a season when there was little in grass. Most authorities agreed that' a dairy cow needed juicy food in order to bo able lo produce efficiently. When cows were in milk the more succulent food that was given the better, and it was necessary to use fodder crops or ensilage for that purpose. So far as dairying, in the Waikato province was concerned, it could be said that the winters were very wet, in Hie early spring there was not sufficient grass for cows in milk, and a shortage of feed in the late summer, before the autumn rains brought the second llush of grass.

Root crops were depended on in winter. Swedes were not grown to such an extent as formerly, because they were subject to so many troubles, thougli in certain districts they were grown with a good deal of success., and provided excellent feed. lie advocated a manure mixture of 2cwt. basic superphospate and lewt. bonedust for applicatiou to the Waikato loam soil when swedes were planted. Value of Mangolds.

Mangolds were not nearly so,subject to diseases as swedes, and could be grown without a rotation of chops. A small area well planted would.prodticc enormous crops. Mangolds heeded nitrogen and potash as well as phosphates. Under average circum,stances, lie would recommend a manure sowing of 3cwt. basic super, Jowl, blood and bone, and Jcwt. sulphate of potash. The application of sail was nearly always profitable, but it should be harrowed in before drilling operations were carried out, as it was liable to injure Hie gerniinalion of the seed. In this province mangolds were mostly grown on the flat, but the method of ridging practised in Southland was finding favour, as it produced better crops. Ridging was not profitable in heavy clay, but was infinitely better than drilling in good loam on the flat. Much labour was attached to the process, and a horse hoe should be used for the work. Generally speaking, the richer mangolds were in sugar, the smaller the crop. Mangolds required a considerable time to ripen, and should he pulled and heaped for at least a month before feeding. If fed straight from the paddock they are liable to cause indigestion.

Chou mocllicr bad come into prominence in recent years, owing to the manner in which its virtues hud been extolled, and was a line crop, but entirely dependent on circumstances. It required -a fine peaty or good loam soil, and was rather a slow-growing crop, taking six or seven months to mature. For winter use it should ho sown in September. Heavy frosts would cut back Hie crop, but when well matured it could be fed right through the winter. There were two ways of growing chou moelUcr. One was its intercullivation in wide rows, and was Hie best method, having beenadopted first in Southland. The average dairy farmer had not much time to spend, and in that case sowing in i iinch rows was recommended. It would not produce the same weight per acre, but was a cheaper crop. .It was exhaustive in its drain on the soil, and required liberal manuring. Carrots the Most Nutritious. Carrots were not grown a great deal, but were always worthy of consideration. They were most suitable for a light, free-working soil, and required a good deal of attention. They were the most nutritious of all food crops, and a small quantity had a much better feeding value than a large amount of turnips. The seed should be mixed with sand when being sown, in order to get it to run more freely through the drill. The grecu cereals were very useful for providing feed when pastures were being developed. Algerian oats sown in the early part ol' April provided good feed till the end of August, but their one serious objection was that they were liable to rust. Cape barley was another standard spring feed,, and a mixture with Algerian oats was once very popular in Taranaki. The recently introduced black Russian skinless barley was Hie most valuable spring feed perhaps, and was sown early in autumn to be fed down in May. It was not so palatable to cows as oats. Rye-corn was very suitable for bleak, exposed situations, and grew right through the winter, being the hardiest of Hie cereals. Both rye and barley would not make hay. Another valuable spring feed was Italian rye grass or western wollh, which did splendidly on drained swamps and well farmed land in good condition. A mixture of Italian rye grass and cow-grass would give useful spring grazing, after which it should be shut up for a hay crop, and opened again for feeding in Hie autumn. Willi regard to summer feed in the months of January and February, Japanese millet was looked on with favour as a good grazing proposition, but would not stand cold weather, and should bo sown by the end ol’ November. Willi proper spelling and management it would provide two or three feeds. The usual sowing was 161 bof seed per acre, with 3cwt. of basic super. Japanese millet and red clover had been found lo bo quite a good mixture. Jf grass was sown after millet had been grown on the land, Hie surface should be harrowed and Hie seed broadcasted.

Maize, more properly an autumn Ilian a summer crop, was splendid l'or ensilage, and not much used now in any other way. It did not stimulate the milk (low as did turnips or millet. A fattening rather than milk-producing food, it was, used chiefly io put cows in good condition for the winter. There was a great difference of opinion concerning turnips, but if suitable precautions were taken to allow them to wilt for 24 hours before feeding limited allowances to the cows, there would be no taint in the milk. Turnips were the best root crop for butter fat production, with, perhaps, the exception of lucerne. Lucerne a Fine Crop. Lucerne was not a seasonal crop, and interested practically every funner. Not many made a success of this line crop, probably owing to the bad conditions under which they planted it and expected it to nourish. In wet climates weeds grew round tho roots and arrested the growth, and development of the plant. Lucerne lhri\ed best in a light soil or even texture, and would not grow well in slifl' clay or loam with a clay subsoil. Lnder ANaikato conditions lucerne needed a considerable amount of attention. Land free from weeds was necessary for its

successful establishment, and it was greatly dependent on lime, half a ton of carbonate to the acre being not too much lo give to the preparation of the crop. A good method of growing it was to broadcast the soil from an established lucerne paddock. Uucerne required phosphate manures and an annual top-dressing, while in Hie average Waikato soil the addition of a little potash would pay. It responded to intensive cultivation, and Hie use of the cultivator was essential when growing it. The ideal time lo cut lucerne was when it was practically in full bloom, because by that lime the young shoots which produce Hie next season’s crop have formed at the base of Hie stem. To cut earlier might reduce Hie succeeding yields. The ideal ration for pigs was a mixture of skim-milk, green ciops, and a little concentrated food in the form of grain or meal. Uucerne in the summer and artichokes in the winter were the best green foods for pigs. Artichokes were similar to potatoes in their starch content, and required much potash. They should be made a permanent feature" of a part of the farm, as they were difficult to eradicate afterwards. It was best to level off the plots each spring, after the pigs had been there, and put in a little more seed. Artichoke tops were not suitable for fodder, being too coarse and heavy. Artichokes had suffered from a lacterial disease lately, which roiled the base of the stem, but a preparation was obtainable to counteract that. For the preparation of llic ground a mixture of 1/10 formalin and 1/30 blucstone was used. Pig farmers on a large scale should arrange for a succession of feed all the year round. Peas, chou mocllicr, rape, and swedes were good crops for pig feed, while a mixture of rape and tares was good for topping off the spring farrows.