FARM MACHINERY.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17220, 1 October 1927, Page 22 (Supplement)

FARM MACHINERY.

USE AND CARE OF IMPLEMENTS. KNOWLEDGE ESSENTIAL. (By “Practical.”) On the average Waikato farm attention to grass is the main concern of the farmer as. far as crops go. In spite of the dependence on grass, other cropping does call for attention at certain seasons of the year. Moreover, the use of implements in the management of grass pasture is increasing each year, where farmers are adopting the most up-to-date methods. Recently Mr P. W- Smallfield, of Ruakura Farm, gave Waikato farmers some practical points concerning the use and care of the principal implements employed on the dairy farm. The mower is certainly a field implement which needs attention if the best results arc desired by the grass farmer. It is one of the most important machines in the management of ordinary pastures, it is used principally for mowing for hay, ensilage, and keeping down grass Rial would otherwise “get away.” It has, of course, a wide use with other crops cut in the ordinary way, sucli as sheaf, oats, lucerne, etc.

The contract mower is still largely used for cutting grass for hay and ensilage, although its use often results in the hay or ensilage being cut at the wrong stage. For the summer mowing of the rank pasture giowth, which often requires the immediate attention of the mower once the grass has got away, a grass mower available at any time is necessary. On account, then, of the intimate relationship between pasture mowing and the rational feeding of cows, it should be realised that a grass mower —one-horso for a small farm, two-hrrse for a large farm —is an essential implement on every dairy farm. Many mowers on farms are badly neglected, and after a few years’ work cut very badly. In many cases the machine is allowed to get out of adjustment through lack of appreciation of the principles on which a grass-mower works. Many people are under the impression that the knife does all the cutting, and coniine their attention to the grinding of the knife. In such cases, to enable the knife to cut when the other parts of the mechiyiism are out of adjustment, it is necessary that the horses be yvorked at a %ery rapid pace, w'hich is both tiring to the horses and the driver.

Pasture Cultivation.

Unspread droppings 'cause a rank, uneven growth, which is neglected bj stock, and weeds usually occupy the spaces left by the droppings. Glovers and grasses are greatly stimulated by organic manures, and frequent chainharrowing greatly stimulates the glass and clover growth. In general, pastures on dairy farms are not harrowed frequently enough, most people being content with one harrowing in the autumn and another in the spring. On progressive farms, where very close sub-division is practised, there can be no doubt that harrowing the pastures after every spell of grazing is very beneficial. Ordinary chain-harrows are not very ellicient for spreading hard droppings, and in general the combined chain and tri’pod harrows arc the best form to use. A harrow of this type is an essential on every dairy farm. It frequenly occurs that an old pasture may need the stined. There is really no very efficient implement to do this except a weighted tine harrow 7 . In connection with straight tines, it should he remembered that the depth of penetration depends on the weight of the harrows; the force of draught will not cause the lines to go deeper into the soil this can only he accomplished by having the tines inclined forward or by weighting the harrows.

The Top-dresser.

The general adoption of the P l ’®®" lice of top-dressing pastures with phosphatic fertilisers has been one ot the greatest advancements _ made m dairy farm management in this country. Its value in pasture improvement is too well known to require any comment. As far as implements are couponed, there is a very large variety of difteren machines on the marxet, and there is little difficulty in setting or operating any of them. Naturally, the mam faults in management are careless handling of manure, so that string and wire get into the feed gears, and the effect of weather on the machine \vhen it is left in the open. Top-dressing has this advantage over other pasture management methods—ih'i* the period for the application of fertilisers is not fixed to any specified time, and the top-dresser is one of the implements that could quite well be bought in common by a number of f Tis%ery necessary, of course, that each of the shareholders look after the top-dresser with the proper care.

Loss Cropping.

The general adoption of the practice of top-pressing pastures has led to a reduction in supplementary cropping on dairy farms; this is illustrated m the following data regarding Waikato

This reduction in supplementary cropping lias been brought about- on account of the fact that, well topdressed pastures dp .not- need breaking up and renewing

On dairy farms in this district there are really two types of supplementary feed provision:—(a) Where a good deal of the pasture land is relatively poor. Annual forage crops are often an important phase in farm feeding whilst the pastures are being improved. (b) Where the pastures are in good condition, closely subdivided, regularly top-dressed, and carefully managed. Under these circumstances, it is generally considered unwise to break up good grass land for supplementary crop production. Winter, spring, and summer supplementary feed is usually provided either from permanent forage crops, such as lucerne or paspalum, when the conditions arc favourable for their cultivation ; or by conserving the surplus summer production of grass as hay and silage. This practice is becoming increasingly common, and provided sufficient food can be conserved by winter spelling part of the farm for early calving cows, it is quite satisfactory. There is, however, a tendency to rely too much on hay for winter feeding, and cows fed almost exclusively on hay, without roots, grass, or ensilage, frequently suffer from digestive troubles, and often winter badly. The provision of more succulent -winter feed could on most dairy farms be most conveniently provided by sowing an acre or. two of mangolds in rotation with small areas of green and root crops for spring, summer, autumn and winter feeding of pigs. Probably one important reason why many dairy farmers do not maintain breeding sows is that no roots are grown.

We come, then, to the following conclusions regarding cropping on dairy farms. There are two types of cropping:—(a) (i) annual forage crops as a phase in pasture improvement: (2) total reliance on grass, with little or no cropping, (b) Type (la) requires considerable outlay in horses and implements, whilst if these are retained for the small amount of cropping in (lb) the cost of production of these small areas of crop is very high. Consequently little or no cropping is done.

It seems probable that the most feasible method of crop production on dairy farms w'ould be to work a small area on the lines of a market garden. At Ruakura about 21 acres are in vegetable garden, and all the work is done with one horse and the following implements: —A one-horse plough, a wooden clod-crusher, a oue-horsc cultivator, a one-horse tine and chain harrows.

A Fundamental Implement.

One of the most frequent causes of low crop yields is poor preparatory cultivation, and in most cases this is due to faulty ploughing. The plough is such a fundamental implement in farming that it may seem out of place to detail the principles on which it works, and the important points in its adjustment, when it is generally considered that every farmer knows how to set' and work a plough efficiently. Apparently, however, many diary farmers have not had the benefit of a training in arable farming, and it may not be waste of lime if some of the principles involved in the construction and working of different kinds of ploughs are given.

A plough consists essentially of a vertical cutting edge, the coulter, a horizontal cutling edge, the share, and a twisted wedge, and the mouldboard. The coulter and share together sever the furrow slice which passes back to the mouldboard, being first raised, then turned on its edge, and finally pushed over, till it lies against the preceding furrow slice. Although the many different types of ploughs vary considerably in details of construction, there are certain features in the arrangement of the coulter, share, and mouldboard which are common to most ploughs, and an understanding of these points will enable one to easily grasp the setting and manipulation of any particular type. Most farmers are fairly familiar with the working of the plough, and to go into details here would be quite supoiiluous. Good ploughing is economical, giving pleasure to the ploughman, and in all points has everything to recommend it. Except perhaps in the South Island it is becoming a lost art. Bad ploughing, especially on grass land, accounts very largely for the great amount of discing done in the preparation of the seed bed in. dairying districts. Small dairy farms will not stand a large outlay in horses or implements for cultivation work, and I think that a wider recognition of the fact that the plough is the best pulverising implement that we have would improve cultivation methods. Two ploughings are often real economy of horse labour. , For instance, in cultivation of such crops as mangolds, pumpkins, etc., the only implements required are a onehorse plough, tine and chain harrows, a .wooden clod-crusher, and a horsehoe The wooden clod-crusher is probably the most efficient implement we have for working down really hard clods —it will break clods that the discs or harrows will not touch. Whatever implements arc, however used one should aiirv for a deep, moist, .well-consolidated sc.cd bed, with the small clods on the top and the fine soil at the bottom, where it will make a conliuous layer with the unmoved subsoil, through which water can iisc to the surface from the moister la>ei b °As V one goes round the farms of Waikato and elsewhere ho must be impressed with the need for greater attention to points in cultivation. To get the greatest efficiency out of farm machines and implements they must, be used with knowledge, care, and with expert bauds. _

County Horses . ... Dairy cows .. Other cattle . . Sheep ..•. 1905 .. 4,000 8,750;:i 7,000 , . 25,000 3,300 1925 5,7'50 42,300 32.750 43.750 1,100 Fodder crops Sown grass .. llav 8,300 .. 107.250 2,roo 8,000 173,250 10,500