RUAKURA FARM OF INSTRUCTION.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume VI, Issue 1, 15 January 1913, Page 24

RUAKURA FARM OF INSTRUCTION.

A DIGEST OF THE WORK OF THE YEAR.

Primrose McConnell.

This is not meant to be a report of the results of experimental work —that will follow in due coursebut is merely a sketch of Ruakura Farm of Instruction for the information of those who have not visited it and who are justly entitled to know whether the expenditure on the farm is justified by the work that has been undertaken and the results already achieved by, or reasonably expected as following on, the year’s operations. . . . .

It is perhaps not sufficiently recognized that the main work on this farmuntil recently, that is—could not be otherwise than in the direction of improvement; as a matter of fact, there still remains a great deal to be done in this direction. Every credit is due to those who have shared the initial reclamation. work. Much correct experimental work could not be expected from a poor kahikatea swamp in its unimproved state. The whole conditions are now rapidly changing, and on no estate I know of is there such scope for the experimentalist.

, It is a gratifying. fact that if the whole . estate were put up for public sale to-day it would realize nearly a cent.-per-cent, profit on the original purchase-money and all expenditure on the farm up to date . combined. This .is quite apart from the value .of the experimental work that . has been carried out.

There is so much variance of opinion as to what an experiment farm really l is or ought to be that this question may be briefly referred to. ' The ordinary farm is ■ operated on purely commercial lines, with profit as the main object. The objective of the experiment station is to increase our knowledge of all branches of agriculture. As soon as the fiat goes forth that an experimental station must be a directly ■ paying concern its real object 1 is lost sight of and it ceases to exist as an experiment station in the correct sense of the word. Such' a • conclusion does not infer that expenditure on an- experiment station ' should be unlimited or lavish, but it is not sufficiently recognized that careful experimental work must of necessity be expensive; ' in fact, the outsider has little idea of the amount of labour —expert and other—that is necessary in this connection. In

my own opinion the main features of an experiment station should be animal and plant selection and animal and plant pathology, although there are many . other things which an experiment station must of necessity deal with. I also think that it is not sufficiently recognized that a failure in experimental work may be as meritorious as success, and that a pat on the back under the former circumstances may be appreciated more than fulsome praise under the latter.

Perhaps the most pleasing feature of the past year is the fact that the interest exhibited by the farming community in the work of the farm has increased by leaps and bounds, and . also that numerous appreciative encomiums have been received, by letter and in person, from farmers who have visited this station, and who have admittedly derived valuable information from inspecting the various experiments in progress. ■ During the past twelve months, roughly ■ speaking, over three thousand visitors have inspected the farm. These came not only from all parts of New Zealand, but from all parts of the world. Moreover, visitors are still .on the increase, so much so that this phase, of the farm-work is becoming a difficult matter to cope with, and, of necessity, is a tax on my own time and that of the overseers of the. different divisions. Last month. (November) upwards of two hundred visitors inspected the farm, and this does not include a large number who investigated either the apiary, poultry, or dairy divisions only. ' .... ■ .

During the past twelve months over a thousand queries from farmers in connection with all branches of farming have been replied to by letter, and many more have been replied to verbally. I may state that these queries do not include any in connection with veterinary work, all of which are invariably passed on to. the local veterinary officer of the Live-stock and Meat Division. It is not pretended that all replies to inquiring farmers are without flaw, but it is trusted that, generally speaking, they will be a help to those seeking advice and information. In this respect also I have found that inquirers are invariably appreciative of information, as evinced by the numerous acknowledgments received.

Plant-selection work has been considerably developed. Over and above the work in the nursery proper, a 14-acre paddock has been set aside for this purpose, one-half of which is devoted to cereals, of which there are 60 varieties, the other half being utilized for potatoes (220 varieties). and . -forage crops. The cereals are not only valuable from a plant-selection standpoint, they are useful as a demonstration of the suitability :or otherwise of the different varieties for this district. They are also of utility from the fact that they demonstrated the extent to which each variety will overcome the various diseases.

A new wheat-introduction from Australia promises exceptionally well. I may state that the experiments in this field have been especially appreciated by visitors. In the mangel-paddock2o acres —experiments are in being to determine the results from ploughing ..at. different depths and at different periods of the year. In this .field sulphur and lime are also being experimented with from a disease-preventive viewpoint. The manurial value of sulphur is also being tested. Selections from disease-resisting varieties of mangels and swedes have also been made, , and grasses have not been overlooked. In' this respect I must state that some . thousands of grass - plants of suitable varieties have been raised in the nursery, and despatched for regrassing denuded lands both north and south.

A large number of forage plants are being experimented with, and include several mixtures of the legume and -legume. These crops are fed to the dairy herd, and, apart from the valuable information obtained regarding the nature and capabilities of each variety, they afford a practical demonstration, and one of the utmost importance to the dairyman, with respect to their feeding-value for milking-cows, and their resultant effect on the milk-yield. Here, again, I. may mention that the practical farmers visiting the farm express unqualified appreciation of these experiments. In connection with manurial experiments a set has been instituted to determine the influence of manures on the feeding- of pastures. This should prove of great value to the Waikato. . Green-manuring experiments (12 acres ; legume versus non-legume and versus bare fallow) are also in being. A new set of manurial experiments (14 acres) has been instituted to determine results when a manure or mixture is applied to the same plot year after year. In all there will be fifty manurial plots in this paddock, and I can, safely state that the work -in connection with these acres alone will be greater than that necessary in cultivating the ordinary farm of 200 acres. As far as I know, Rothamstead is the only experimental station which has carried out similar experiments long enough to be of much value. If carried out for some years they should be of great value to this district. Numerous variety and manurial experiments are in being in all root and forage crops, and new varieties of forage plants are under test. There are also a number of top-dressing experiments.

Areas of swamp ' land of similar quality, recently reclaimed, are undergoing different .systems of cropping in order to determine the most economical- way to bring such land into profitable cultivation; and, as there are some thousands of acres of similar land now lying dormant and adjoining this station, he may be reckoned a public benefactor who will evolve a system of bringing this apparently almost sterile land into a profitable state of cultivation in a reasonably short

time. The fact that a lucerne-paddock has been successfully established on this swamp soil is something of which the farm may justly feel proud, and the indirect benefit derived therefrom can only jbe estimated by many thousands of pounds. ,

A rust-resistant oat has been raised by Mr. Green, Horticulturist at this station, which, so far, more than justifies its name. The value of this introduction can scarcely be estimated, as it is certain to spread over the whole oat-growing world.. Already supplies of it are being eagerly sought by one of the Agricultural Departments of the Commonwealth.

An effort is being made, by selection, to raise the standard of the stud stock. Important experiments in fat-lamb breeding have been carried out during the season, and in this connection the necessity .for some succulent feed other . than grass just before and after lambing has been clearly demonstrated, and its production, even at a considerable outlay, amply justified.

In connection with. calf-rearing, an experiment has been made with feeding the raw crushed linseed, instead of the boiled or scalded linseed, with the separated milk, and this has proved an unqualified success. . Calves do equally as well on the raw meal, and much time and labour is saved. . .

In connection with , the stomach-worms in sheep, tobacco-feeding has been . continued. At present there is no evidence of this parasite. I do not believe this is a cure, but it is a preventive to a considerable extent if placed within reach of the lambs as soon as they are born.

In the orchard numerous spraying compounds ’ and blight specifics have been tried, and visiting orchardists have exhibited keen interest in, and appreciation of, the various experiments for the control of orchard pests.. ' '

The poultry and apiary divisions are always an attraction, and prove of interest to. those visiting them, and these have been exceedingly numerous.

The Poultry Overseer has carried out important ' experiments in incubation. His advice and the benefit of his experience have been in frequent request, and many appreciations of the - information supplied have been received. The poultry supplied has been much in . excess of the operations of previous years, and the number of orders received for eggs during the season was simply abnormal. So unprecedented was the demand that the Overseer found his supplies taxed to the utmost. Just 845 settings were supplied, and, these being from valuable birds of carefully selected strains, their distribution should do much to improve the poultry stock throughout the Dominion. The increased general interest exhibited in ' this industry, in so far as the poultry

division at this farm is concerned, may, I think, be assumed as a fair indication of confidence in, and appreciation of, the work being done at this station.

The dairy section is always an object of much interest to the majority of visitors, and much favourable criticism of our operations has been expressed by the many practical dairy - farmers who have called. In our Jersey cows there is the foundation of a good herd, and last season the demand for sires far exceeded our supply. All we had were sold at satisfactory prices, the careful record that is kept of the performances of the several dams being of value to, and appreciated by, the purchasers. Numerous inquiries are to hand for Shorthorn bulls of the milking strain, and, as showing the confidence that is now. being, placed in this breed, I may mention that a newly dropped calf from' one of our best cows was sold for £35. It is hoped that our small herd of non-pedigree Shorthorns will be improved by the importation of a few of the best that can be purchased.

Perhaps it will be permissible to mention one other item of the year’s operations which is shared in common with the other experimental stations and which has entailed no inconsiderable thought and labour. I refer to the preparation of authentic exhibits and information for the various shows throughout the Dominion. In this matter this station has performed its due share in imparting to those farmers in every part of the Dominion who have not been able to personally inspect the various experiments in actual progress the results achieved after the work of the season. Those whose duty it is to be in attendance at the shows know how. keenly the work of the experimental farms is appreciated by the practical farmers in whose interest the several experiments are carried out, and how these exhibits are the source of hundreds of inquiries regarding the proper methods of cultivation, and the capabilities of the’ various crops. J Only those who have the responsibility of preparing the exhibits can -have any idea of the mental and bodily work entailed in assuring that they shall be absolutely authentic.

It may be of interest to note the number on the staff of the New York Experimental Station as compared with this or any other of our ' experimemtal farms. The New York station is not by any means considered to be the best equipped in that quarter of the globe, and yet the staff consists of a Board of Control of eight members, one president, one secretary and treasurer, two agriculturists, five bacteriologists, three botanists, nine chemists, one dairy expert, one editor and librarian, four entomologists, six horticulturists, one soil-investigator, two special agents, one director’s secretary, six clerks and stenographers total of forty-three, not counting the Board of Control or the outside working staff. The annual grant towards

conducting this station is £36,800. I can only state that if results are in proportion to the number of the scientific staffs of the American stations all agricultural problems should soon be solved. As the New York station is only one among many others in North America, the total expenditure in experimental work there must be very -great.-

This article is not meant to be an apology; it is intended, as a plain statement' of facts. We are still in the initial stage, and there is enormous room for improvement and development. It is not even put forward that the management is as it should be — may not be as it could be — I have no hesitation in stating that the hearts of all those in authority at this station are in the work allotted to them, and for anything that may have been accomplished I am deeply indebted to the loyalty and esprit de corps of the whole managing staff. It will also be easily realized that with the introduction of the cadet system the management of this station has developed into something that is no sinecure. Keeping in view the fact that the successful farm of the future will be comparatively small and highly cultivated, all cultivation-work at this station is being carried out on intensive lines. It may be asked, “ Does the work of the year justify this farm’s existence ? ” This report is the only reply I can make.

A National Dairy and Cold-storage Congress will be held at Ghent during the forthcoming international exhibition in August. Two of the subjects to be dealt with in the main section will be “The Obtaining and Preservation of Raw Milk ” and “ Rapid Methods for the Control of the Purity of Lactic Fermentation.” In the cold-storage section one of the subjects set down for discussion is “Laboratories for Research on the Subject of Cold Storage.” The secretary of the Congress is M. 0. Andre, 59 Avenue des Arquebusiers, Brussels.