CO-OPERATIVE EXPERIMENTS, NORTH ISLAND, SEASON 1909-10.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume II, Issue 3, 15 March 1911, Page 154

CO-OPERATIVE EXPERIMENTS, NORTH ISLAND, SEASON 1909-10.

The following is a summary of the experiments conducted in the North Island, and on the west coast of the South Island, during the season 1909-10 by farmers, under the direction of the Fields Instructor, Fields and Experimental Farms Division. As space does not permit of more than a brief outline of the work undertaken being given in the Journal, type-written reports giving details of the various experiments have been supplied to the organizations and individuals conducting the experiments, and copies of these can be obtained upon application being made to the Fields and Experimental Farms Division, Department of Agriculture, Wellington.

Swede Variety Trials.

A large number of plots were sown to test different varieties of swedes in various districts, some of the yields from which are tabulated below. Aphis affected almost all the experiment plots in nearly every district, and much damage was also done by the various insect pests, such as the cabbagemoth, &c., which feed upon the leaves. A certain percentage of the plots, too, suffered from “ rot,” but not to any considerable extent. Club-root was very prevalent in some of the crops grown in the Manawatu, Feilding, and Rangitikei districts, and, while some varieties were badly attacked, others remained almost if not quite immune. The following are notes upon some of the experimental crops :

Mr. J. Knight, Feilding— Garton’s Superlative : Free from club-root. Sutton’s Magnum Bonum : Only slightly affected. Sutton’s Crimson King : Considerably affectedSutton’s Elephant : Very considerably affected. Hurst’s Monarch : A good deal of club-root present. Webb’s Imperial: Considerably affected. Nimmo and Blair’s, Standard : Considerably affected.

Mr. H. Booth, Feilding Garton’s Superlative : Almost free from -root. Garton’s Monarch : Almost free from club-root. . Sutton’s Champion : Almost free from club-root. Sutton’s Crimson King : Much affected. Sutton’s Elephant : Much affected.

Mr. J. Balsillie, Kairanga (the percentage of the roots affected was calculated when recording

Sutton’s Elephant : 60 per cent, affected with club-root. Sutton’s Crimson King : 75 per cent, affected with club-root. Sutton’s Champion : 5 per cent, affected with club-root. Garton’s Superlative : 5 per cent, slightly affected with club-root. Sutton’s Magnum Bonum : 1 per cent, slightly affected with club-root.

Mr. Strode-Penny, Sanson, reports — Hurst’s Monarch and Sutton’s Elephant : Badly affected' with club-root. Garton’s Superlative and Sutton’s Champion : Only very slightly affected. The following table shows the yields :

• Soft Turnips. ■'

Some eighty-eight plots were reported upon from among the number put in. The object of the experiment was to endeavour to discover if there were any varieties immune from the soft-rot, or less liable to the attacks of leaf-parasites than other varieties. Among others were included the following varieties —Hurst’s Fosterton Hybrid, Garton’s Selected Old Meldrum Green-top Yellow, Garton’s Michaelmas Yellow Purple-top, Sutton’s Early Six-weeks, Sutton’s Long-keeping, Sutton’s Mikado, Sutton’s Waite’s, Eclipse, Challenge, Early Marvel, Hurst’s Purple-top Mammoth, Garton’s Lincolnshire Red, Centenary, Garton’s Pioneer Turnip Swede, Hurst’s Purple-top Yellow Aberdeen, Sutton’s Imperial Green Globe, Yates’s Pomeranian White Globe, Sutton’s Aberdeen Green-top Yellow, Hurst’s Imperial Green Globeand many others. None of the varieties proved immune from turnip soft-rot when rot was present in the paddock.

Some of the plots put in by Mr. J. Balsillie,. Kairanga, containing the following varieties—Sutton’s Long-keeping, • Sutton’s Mikado, Sutton’s Early Sheepfold, Sutton’s Aberdeen Green-top Yellow, Garton’s Centenary, Garton’s Inches Bronze-top, and Challenge Yellow Tankardwere left in order to see if there were any individual plants which would prove immune from the disease. At the time the record was made (14th June) not a single sound root was found in the fielda decided and conclusive proof that there were no disease-resistant plants among the varieties sown in that experiment.

Mr. J. A. Macfarlane, Ben Lomond, reports that upon some weedy and badly cultivated land Garton’s Selected Pomeranian White Globe and Sutton’s. Imperial Green Globe did fairly well with him under unfavourable circumstances.

Under similar circumstances Mr. G. L. Marshall, Turahina, found Sutton’s Aberdeen Greentop Yellow, Sutton’s Centenary, Sutton’s Mikado, and Sutton’s Early Sheepfold made better growth than other varieties in the trial.

In order to still further test the resisting-power of different varieties of soft turnips to soft-rot, the following varieties, being recommended by the growers as most likely ones to prove disease-resistant, were obtained : King and Co’s Invincible Hardy Yellow Turnip, Sutton’s Favourite Purple-top Aberdeen, Vilmorin’s Yellow Aberdeen Purple-top, Carter’s Champion Greentop Hybrid, Garton’s Green-top Scotch.

This experiment was undertaken by Mr. J. Knight, - Feilding. On 2nd June, 1910, there had been a very large percentage of loss through soft-rot in all the plots, Vilmorin’s Yellow Aberdeen Purple-top being perhaps slightly less affected than the others.

Although it may be advisable to test still further varieties with a view to discovering such as may be slightly less susceptible to disease, it would appear that the remedy lies rather in giving attention to the health of the soilby early ploughing and frequent cultivation, so as to expose the soil to atmospheric influences as much as possible ; by liming, so as to render the soil less congenial to the many low forms of life which spread plantdiseases in the soil ; by keeping up the balance of fertility in the soil, so as to promote a quick and healthy growth in the young plant ; by avoiding the growing of plants belonging to the same order upon the same land except

at judicious intervals ; and by cleaning the land from weeds during the winter months, so that such parasites as pass the winter in various forms and are dependent for food upon the weeds in their immediate neighbourhood may be in this manner destroyed for lack of food.

Mangel Variety Trials.

The following experiment among others was conducted by Mr. Hugh Burrell, Feilding : Sown on 6th December, 1909, in drills 28 in. apart, and manured with 2 cwt. Japanese superphosphate, 1 cwt. bonedust, 1 cwt. kainit, J cwt. ammonium sulphate, and | cwt. salt. The crop weighed on 16th June, 1910

Variety... . Sutton’s Crimson Tankard . . . . . . .. 42-4 Nimmo and Blair’s Long Red .. .. .. .. 50-3 Nimmo and Blair’s Champion Yellow Globe . .. .. 51-5 Sutton’s Prize-winner Yellow Globe .. .. .. 62-1 Garton’s Gatepost Large Yellow Intermediate .. .. 56-8 Garton’s Improved New Sugar .. .. .. .. 42-4 Nimmo and Blair’s Prizewinner Yellow Globe .. .. 42-9

Mr. F. S. Mcßae, Palmerston North, obtained an average yield of 87 tons of Sutton’s Prizewinner. Yellow Globe and 64 tons of Garton’s Mammoth Long Red, while Golden Tankard Variety yielded 57| tons. Many growers recommend the globe and tankard varieties for welldrained dry country, and prefer the long varieties for land of a wetter nature.

Early versus Late Ploughing.

To test the benefit derived from early ploughing, Mr. Strode-Penny, Sanson, carried out the following experiment : Soft Turnips.— Plot 1, ploughed on 27th September, yielded 20 tons, while plot 2, ploughed on 10th December,’yielded only 11 tons. Both plots were sown on 15th December.

Swedes. — Plot 1, ploughed on 27th September, yielded 18 tons, while plot 2, ploughed on 10th December, yielded 10 tons. Both plots were sown on 15th December. The take on the early-ploughed land was about 75 per cent, better than on the late ploughing, and the roots on the early ploughing were about double the size of those on the late ploughing. '

Turnip Manures. A few manurial experiments with turnips and swedes were carried out, but, owing to the ravages of blight and rot, especially among the soft turnips, it was difficult to' obtain very definite results, as in all cases the crops were damaged, and in many completely destroyed. Among many other trials were the following :

Mr. Brechin, of Pahiatua, applied small dressings of the following manures by themselves when sowing turnips, with the results stated : No manure yielded 48 lb. of roots per plot. Basic , slag yielded 781 b. of roots per plot. ■ Sulphate of potash yielded 70 lb. of roots per plot. ■ Bonedust yielded 101 lb. of roots per plot. No. 3 manure yielded 78 lb. of roots per plot. , Complete turnip fertilizer yielded 104 lb. bf roots per plot! Nitrate of soda yielded 22 lb. of roots per plot.

This experiment shows the benefit derived from .the use of a complete fertilizer adapted to the requirements of the plant grown. . Mr. Fagan, Sanson, experimented with patent turnip fertilizers, as shown in the following table :

This experiment is of value, as it confirms the results of Mr. Brechin’s trials, and shows a large increase whenever a complete fertilizer suited to •requirements of the crop and soil is made use of. In plots where potash has been omitted and the phosphoric acid given in an insoluble form, the .same return was obtained (viz., 12-3 tons) as in the case of plot X, where •2| cwt. per acre of superphosphate was used, containing a very large proportion of soluble phosphates and only a very small proportion of insoluble, no potash, and no nitrogen. The largest increase is obtained in plot 2, where the nitrogen in an insoluble form is 2-37 times the amount of dipotassic oxide used, the soluble phosphoric anhydride is 2-5 times the amount of insoluble nitrogen, and the insoluble phosphoric anhydride is 1-8 times the amount of the insoluble nitrogen. Any mixture with a percentage composition at about this ratio . would probably give excellent results upon this .and similar soils. ' y

Mr. Basillie, Kairanga, conducted an experiment with swedes upon a ■soil where, according to analysis supplied by him, there is an excess of magnesia over lime. Slag and bonedust here gave better results than .superphosphate and gypsum, and when gypsum was added to the slag and bonedust mixture still better results were obtained. A deficiency of lime, .as indicated by the analysis made, is clearly borne out by the results of the ■experiment, and an application of lime to this soil would be highly beneficial. A very large number of soils in the North Island would be greatly benefited by the occasional application of lime in the form of lime-carbonate ; in many •cases no very satisfactory results will be obtained by the use of artificial fertilizers until this want has been supplied.

Forage Crops.

In addition to other experiments, some 33 experiments with maize were •carried out, 2 with sorghums, 13 with lucerne in different parts of the country, 1 with millets, several with kale and rape, and some 8 or 10 with mixed forage crops. Below are tabulated a few of the experiments .and results :

Many farmers are unaware that there are a very large number of varieties of maize, some of which are supposed to take only fifty days to mature from the time of sowing, while others will take 180 days or longer. As the maize only attains its best feeding-value when the cob is formed and the corns are in the milk stage, it is very necessary when growing it for dairy feed to select a variety whose period of growth is suited to the climatic conditions of the district, and which will mature about the date at which it will be required for use. The varieties tested last season included, among others, the following :

Short season varieties : Cinquatino, North Dakota White Flint, Brunning’s Red Hogan, Ninety Day, King of the Earlies. Medium season varieties : Funk’s Yellow Dent, Somerton White, Motiti, Select Moruya, Eclipse, East Coast Horsetooth. Long' season varieties: Hickory King, Red Cob Ensilage, Brazilian Flour Corn.

Sorghum : Early Amber Cave variety, which probably requires a somewhat longer season than an average variety of maize. Millets : Japanese Barnyard, Golden Millet, Foxtail Millet, all of which should be available for feeding purposes before the maize crops are ready. They are only suited to good-quality light soils, or to well-drained clay loams.

Lucerne : Several small trials were put in, with a view to testing the suitability of soils and climates to the various districts for lucerne-growing. Successful results were secured by Mr. J. J. Dalrymple, Bull’s; Mr. Hector Booth, Feilding ; Mr. J. G. Brechin, Pahiatua ; and Messrs. Ellis Bros., Bull’s, all of which were on sandy or alluvial soils. Many other plots were likewise put in, but it is as yet too early to report upon the permanency of lucerne in these districts. As a rule farmers do not pay sufficient attention to the preparation of the land before sowing, or to the cleaning of the crop after sowing, especially during the winter season. Liming, and working same' well in, is likewise necessary on most soils, and, until these points are attended to satisfactorily, stands of lucerne are not likely to be obtained, even on soils well suited to its growth.

Top-dressing- Pastures.

These experiments may be classed into two divisions —those upon which the grass is cut and weighed, and those upon which the records are made by the number of sheep depastured thereon.

Mr. G. L. Marshall, Turakina, in the winter of 1908 dressed 5 acres at the rate of 4| cwt. slag per acre, costing about £1 Is. per acre. Average number of sheep carried per acre, from 18th February, 1909, to 14th January, 1910 (330 days), 4-29. Unmanured plot, same period, 2-11.

The sward of the manured portion was vastly improved, both in density and in composition, and the sheep grazed thereon were in better condition than upon the unmanured land. The experiment is still being carried on, and, so far, the 4| cwt. of slag given in the winter of 1908 has continued to double the average carrying-capacity of the 5-acre paddock upon which it was distributed.

A somewhat similar experiment upon a totally different class of country is now being conducted by Mr. Hector Booth, Feilding. Several areas of J acre each of old pastures were dressed in different districts. Many of these experiments were in their second year. Separate reports of these have been prepared, and are available for circulation.

Wherever a suitable mixture has been used considerable benefit has resulted. At Porewa, for instance, slag alone gave little return, but when potash was added a very large increase was obtained, and in two seasons a heavy dressing of slag and potash has proved considerably more remunerative than a dressing of .superphosphate, bone, and potash', costing the same money. Exactly the reverse has taken place on Mr. A. H. Russell’s plots, at Tunanui, where the greatest gain has. been from the combination of bone, superphosphate, and potash. These two instances serve to illustrate the need of discovering what mixture to use when top-dressing a pasture. As a general rule, on heavy land where the rainfall is abundant and well distributed, basic slag will be found most suitable, and the probability is that potash will not be required. On very light lands it will probably be found advisable to add some nitrogenous manure, to the fertilizer used. Upon medium-light land in a fairly dry climate, or on land subject to long spells without rain, a mixture of superphosphate, bone, and potash will most likely give the best results.

Very few soils in the north are well supplied with lime, and a periodic dressing of the same would not only stimulate the growth of the clovers, but also assist to keep the stock in a healthy condition. Where cloversand the better grasses are notably deficient, some means of partially reseeding the pasture must be adopted, if it is hoped to obtain the best results from the use of artificial top-dressings for worn-out pastures.,

Experiments upon Barren Lands.

Several plots were put in on the yakahi area at Westport known, as “ Waite’s Pakahi.” On these soils the rush is burnt off and grass-seed sown upon it. “ Nothing ”is the result obtained. The same occurs if the land is ploughed up and sown down. After a heavy dressing of lime and a further dressing of slag, superphosphate, and sulphate of potash, and abundant cultivation, a mixture of grasses was sown down upon a plot half an acre in extent, and this resulted in an abundant crop of hay. Subsequently a very fair stand of grass was secured by ploughing, liming at the rate of 1 ton per acre, fallowing, and the addition of 2| cwt. of basic slag.

Some further experiments have been begun on Mr. Gibbs’s property, near Takaka, where somewhat similar soils exist, results of which will be tohand shortly.

CD CD c 2 ' o o' a? K J. Balsillie . J. Beamish 0 •oT W Booth | S 02* g Marton Kairanga £ & gT . ,2 gT (jq District. . to 5 — to to Garton’s Superlative. LO . ’ ’ to Garton’s Monarch. CD to to to . ot . 6i to co to Sutton’s Champion. 5 to s s CD to co o Sutton’s Crimson King. 18-5 £ to ? Sutton’s Elephant. 5 £ CD o Nimmo and Blair’s Standard. 18-75 CD CD S to co, 22-8 Webb’s Imperial. to Sutton’s Nero Hardy White. 15-25 CD IO to Sutton’s Magnum Bonum. CD CD 27-2 Hurst’s Monarch. co 6i tO to Sutton’s Queen. to ; ; ; to • ; Garton’s Perfection. CD Garton’s Pioneer. 16-6 1 Garton’s Green Tankard Monarch. 14-25 Hurst’s' Champion. .. •• 17-25 Garton’s Keepwell. ■ : 5 : : : Garton’s Cropwell. '' to • • • . • Hurst’s Magnum Bonum. £ to E. 0 i 1 s? d r 99 'C p £b’ § pj Pj g £ £ a, dq Sto to co to to co to Garton’s Superlative. to to Garton’s Monarch. 18-0 to to to to Oi (X On LO Sutton’s Champion. 0 S 0 g to Sutton’s Crimson King. <» X to Sutton’s Elephant. | 16-5 E p Ci <35 Nimmo and Blair’s Standard. Ox 9 X to LO 0 to 0 X Webb’s Imperial. to Sutton’s Nero Hardy | White. to c© to Sutton’s Magnum Bonum. 14-75 01 0 Hurst’s Monarch. 5 to to Sutton’s Queen. to * ’ i to : : Garton’s Perfection. ■ ■ • 2 ■ ■ Garton’s Pioneer. Garton’s Green Tankard Monarch. : to ■• • CH Hurst’s Champion. to • • • ’ Garton’s Keepwell. :£:::: Garton’s Cropwell. £2 : : : . : Hurst’s Magnum Bonum.

SWEDE VARIETY TRIALS, 1909-10.- Weight of crop, roots only, in tons.

Plot. Yield. Manure per Acre. Soluble Phosphoric Anhydride per Acre. Insoluble Phosphoric Anhydride per Acre. Insoluble Nitrogen per Acre. Soluble Dipotassic Oxide per Acre. Cost per Acre. Tons. cwt. lb. lb. lb. lb. s. d. 1 16-8 2i 9-24 20-7 6-75 5-85 11 4 2 20-4 2| 18-5 13-37 7-4 3-12 ■ 13 9 5 12-3 2| ' 24-72 14-82 11 4 6 18-3 2i' 16-11 9-85 5-98 . 2-94 13 4 X 12-3 2J 37-12 3-15 ' • • 11 3 11 3

EXPERIMENT WITH PATENT TURNIP FERTILIZER.—FAGAN, SANSON, 1909-10.

— Manure. Cost per Acre. Yield per Acre. Palmerston Hospital— £ s. d. Tons. - East Coast Horsetooth Maize Bonedust, superphosphate, sulphate of ammonia, sulphate of potash, kainit 1 10 0 30 Japanese Barnyard Millet .. 2 cwt. superphosphate, cwt, blood and bone, J cwt. sulphate of potash, | cwt. gypsum 0 19 0 28 P. Anderson, Rongotea Motiti maize .. 2 cwt. superphosphate, | cwt. 2f cwt. per 44 sulphate of . potash, | cwt. sulphate of ammonia 2j cwt. per acre cost 1 0 0 44 J. Campton, Masterton Funk’s Yellow Dent 2 cwt. superphosphate, -J- cwt. sulphate of potash, | cwt. sulphate of ammonia 1 8 0 40 J. 0. Batchelar, Palmerston• 2 cwt. superphosphate, | cwt. sulphate of potash, | cwt. sulphate of ammonia 1 8 0 40 Motiti maize .. 1 cwt. superphosphate, f cwt. bonedust, J cwt. sulphate of potash, | cwt. sulphate of ammonia 1 3 0 33f

MANURIAL EXPERIMENTS WITH FODDER CROPS, 1909-10.

Variety. Grower. Date sown. Date Seed per Acre. Fertilizer. Yield per Acre. Remarks. Triumph Garton Tartar Rival . Algerian Masters, Greatford R. Wardner, Oct. 15 .. 15 „ 17 Sept. 17 „ Jan. 20 „ ' 14 „ 10 „ 12 „ 8 Bushels... 21 2i 2 2 2 • ■ 1 cwt. No. 3 . . . . 2 cwt.' blood and bone .. Bushels. . About 50 About 40 19 30 49 Stood well ; plump and good quality ; no blight. Triumph variety preferred. Rusted badly. Liable to rust; lean and light. Strong and clean. „ 17 . . Jan. 20 „ 14 „ 10 „ 12 „ 8 Bushels., 2'2 21 2 2 1 cwt. No. 3 . . 2 cwt. blood and bone . . Bushels. About 50 About 40 19 30 49 Stood well; plump and good quality ; no blight. Triumph variety preferred. Rusted badly. Liable to rust; lean and light. Strong and clean.

Oat Trials. Variety And Manurial Experiment With Oats, 1909-10.

Variety. Grower. | . ■ Bate Seed, per Acre. Fertilizer per Yield per Acre. • Remarks. Vandina King D. Crabb, Marton Sept. 2 Aug. Jan. (end) Jan. 6 Bushels. Cwt. Bushels. Red Tuscan Federation . D. Crabb, Marton 2i 20 36 Badly rusted. R. Chambers, Havelock N. Sept. 2 Aug. Jan. (end) Jan. 6 Bushels. ■ Cwt. Bushels. 20 -36 Badly rusted. Yandilla King „ 6 38 Dead-ripe. JJ . . ■ „ 6 38 . Bead-ripe. White Tuscan }} • . „ 6 30 72 ,, 6 30 Comeback ” • 6 „ 22 Federation . .” D. Fraser, 6 18 36 35 Dead-ripe. Stands well, and matures eight . sowing 36 35 Bead-ripe. Stands well, and matures eight Marshall’s White days earlier White. 1 •n , 26 More affected by rust than Power’s King 26 More affected by rust than 0. Oct. 14 14 2 and . 12 Federation. Red Chaff John 2 2 19 18 I All varieties badly affected by f blight. White Federation . 2 2 19 ■18 ' [All varieties badly affected by | blight. ' ■ • T. Sept. 13 Jan. , 17 2 2 ■2 2 1 cwt. of No. 3 13 33 25 ) Good quality. Stands well; not subject to .2 1 cwt. of No. 3 ' 13 33 25 Good; quality. Stands well; not subject to White John Brown H. . Oct. 11 Feb. ' ■2J 17 blight. ■ Comeback G. Greatford • Sept. 2 „ 2J 1| bone-super. • .. 27 ' "3 40 (Yield is computed.) Much im•Tan 15 2 J 27 bone super. 40 (Yield is computed.) Much imRiver Shaw and .. Late proved. 23 blight. Tuscan 2 24 Rather lean. McGregor Bros., Masterton 2 24 Rather lean. Farragan 22 2 . •• ■ 27 Good quality. McGregor Bros.,' Masterton ” • • : * J 27 Good quality. Comeback 22 ; John Brown 2 26 Farragan preferred. . » 18 2 26 - Farragan preferred. White 4 „ 18 2i ■■ 24 26 Inclined to lodge. „ 18 2i ' . 24 26 Inclined to .lodge. —' - ■ »

The following tabulation give result for the most part of the first year;s trials of the Australian varieties of wheat under test. It is too early at present to report definitely upon them, but it is anticipated that among the varieties certain will be found well adapted to some of the soil in New Zealand, and will be extensively grown in the near future:Variety And Manurial Experiments With Wheat, 1909-10.