THE FARM.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XII, Issue 5, 20 May 1916, Page 392

THE FARM.

FIELD-WORK. During the. past few weeks, from date of writing, favourable conditions for field-work have been experienced in most parts of the Dominion. Autumn crops should have been sown with everything in their favour for rapid germination and vigorous growth. Continuance .of mild growing weather may be a temptation to some to push on cultivation for further sowings. Except in northern districts, however, there is no advantage and, on the other hand, considerable risk in putting in crops after the passing of May. Considerable breadths of both wheat and oats are, of course, sown in . June,. even in the South. As to whether it is judicious to do so in any particular case local experience must be the guide. But on cold clay soils, at any rate, seed confided to.. the ground .at the onset of winter is apt to rot, and if it does germinate it frequently fails to root properly, and the growth is feeble. If the land is in fit condition and it is decided to chance sowing, rye-corn is probably the best cereal to use for a crop. It is hardy, and if it gets a fair chance it will shoot away in spring and overtake the other - cereals sown some weeks earlier. One bushel per acre of good . rye-corn sown earlier on a good seedbed makes ample cover, but heavy perishing of seeds must be allowed for in late sowings, and in few cases will 2 bushels prove too thick a sowing in the beginning of June. ' Farmers intending to put down lucerne next season should start preparations now by selecting the land and preparing it for a catch-crop to. be turned under as green manure in the early part of the season. : .

The field-work proper to .the month, whenever field-work is possible, is the ploughing of old lea to be green-cropped in spring and summer. Be ready to start right in whenever the land is in good ploughing-order. If there is rough feed in the paddock crowd on the stock for a week, and then get the plough going. But every experienced farmer who is honest with himself knows that any grazing he may -secure in June or July is a trifle to what he will lose by not having the land mellowed and conditioned by weathering in the furrow through the winter. If the soil is light and the rainfall heavy, later ploughing is to be preferred, as the turf prevents a considerable amount of washing-out of soluble plant-food during winter, while it decomposes with sufficient rapidity under these conditions to render late ploughing practicable and yet provide good subsequent tilth. The heavier types of land are always more difficult to handle. They must be worked neither too dry nor so wet that the water spews out of the furrow as it is turned. Ploughing land in the latter condition is simply ruinous to the texture of the soil. Choose, therefore, the best time for ploughing, and to enable this to be done start at the first available opportunity. The kind of ploughing advisable will depend on circumstances. Very old tough lea should be skimmed with a wide flat furrow. Otherwise a narrower and deeper furrow set well up to the action of frost is better. Before these notes appear the land in many districts will probably be surcharged with water. If the hint given in last month’s issue regarding clearing away growths and debris from ditches has been taken the water will get away rapidly, and no harm will result. Careful note should be taken now of places where water collects on ploughed land, and an effort made to drain it off before the soil becomes thoroughly soured. Some lime scattered over the place after the water has been drawn off will react with the soil and enable it the better to work to a tilth in spring.

TREATMENT OF PASTURES.

Pastures should have been well harrowed before this, and . may be gone over again if . the droppings have not been well spread. The best cannot be got out of' pastures without this very necessary operation regularly performed. . Pastures should also -be limed. A very small application of lime now— as low as 5 cwt. per acre —if followed by an application of superphosphate in early spring .will give surprising, results. If-. winter manuring is practised, ground rock • phosphate, Ephos phosphate, or any phosphatic guano

should be used in preference to superphosphate and in the absence of basic slag. But even with these the addition of a few hundredweights of lime tells. The lime may be mixed and sown with them. HARVESTING MANGELS. ■ The lifting of mangel crops should now be undertaken as soon as possible. The practice of feeding off mangels still obtains to a considerable extent, although it has been found a very risky proceeding, and mortality among stock thus fed has been frequently reported. Apart from the risk, there is a large amount of waste in feeding mangels in this way. Growing mangels contain appreciable amounts of nitrates and oxalates, which , have a scouring tendency when fed to stock. This characteristic disappears after ripening in storage. The roots also become more nutritive, organic compounds, such as pectin and pectose, becoming changed into sugar, and amides into albuminoids. This, process of conversion requires some timeat least two months — it is . fully completed. ; In harvesting, the leaves are twisted off by hand, or, if cut, the cutting should not be done close to the crown. The leaves, although occasionally fed to cows, are of little feeding-value and are better left on ■ the ground to plough under and restore humus. Care should be taken not to injure the roots in removing adhering soil, as the mangel “ bleeds ” freely from a damaged surface. It. is . better to carry a little soil with them than to injure the root in removing it. The roots can be most expeditiously taken up by two workers each taking two drills and placing the roots, as they are lifted, in the middle space between the four rows. There will thus be a space of four drills between each pile of roots, down which a dray can pass easily when the roots are carted to the site of the proposed pit or clamp. The mangels are best built up on an 8 ft. base to an apex, which will be about 7 ft. high, the pit thus presenting a triangular section. A covering of dry straw should be provided as a protection against frost, but the pit should be left uncovered along the ridge for a fortnight or so while the preliminary sweating is taking place. The c is, in fact, more risk from fermentation in covering over the top at all than from frost when left uncovered. As a further protection in frosty localities, soil may be placed over the straw, being dug out from around the pit,' thus at the same time providing for drainage. . The soil should be put on to a depth of 8 in. at the base of the pit, but easing off the thickness of the soil blanket until there is only- an inch or two near the top, the ridge itself being left uncovered for ventilation.

FEEDING OFF ROOTS. —CLUB-ROOT.

Considerable breadths of turnips have been already cleared off by lambs, but the larger part of this crop and the great bulk of . the swede crop have yet to be consumed. Before stocking either of the crops, a careful examination should be made, in order to discover whether any small patches of club-root are present. If such is the case the diseased roots should be netted off and a heavy dose-at the rate of, say, 3 tons per acre —of quicklime dressed over the patches. Only thus can this insidious disease be prevented from becoming general on the farm. In feeding off roots the main points are to feed in comparatively small breaks, and not to feed too close to the ground before grubbing up the shells. The breaks should be of sufficient size to maintain the mob from ten days to a fortnight. Grown sheep which have also a run of pasture will consume | ton to 1 ton of roots per 100 head per day according to grazing available. Any old ewes still on hand may be made to turn an extra profit by giving them first ' run 1 over the tops. It seems likely that a considerable part, of the turnip and swede crops will, owing to the high price of stores for fattening, be used up by ewe flocks. Turnip stocking . with ewes should as far as possible .be delayed while the grass is fair. When ewes are .started, on turnips care must be taken that, they are moved about periodically. They should be taken off every afternoon and returned- next day only, aft the frost has lifted. A few hours per day on the turnips is . all that. is necessary to keep ewes in good thrifty condition. If restricted to this . amount of feeding and regularly moved about there will not be much risk of paralysis or protrusion of the vagina. Rock salt and an allowance of good hay are essential for ewes on roots. The hay may be supplied bn the pasture" when' the stock is run off the root break. In moving in-lamb ewes ■ about no driving or harassing should be allowed. Regularity and quiet handling will make matters much easier at lambing-time. CRUTCHING OF SHEEP. Reference was made last month to the desirability of clutching. There are good reasons to support this practice. Especially on better-class land failure to crutch results in an exceedingly dirty condition or necessitates frequent dagging. If crutched early the crutchings help to pay for the work, but dagging is out-of-pocket expense entirely. In crutching, ■ however, there is no need to half-shear the hind quarters, and the ewes require to be handled in a way considerate of their pregnant condition.

.. REPAIRING OF COW-SHEDS. . Now. that the cows are dry ..for. the most part, some attention can be given to cow-sheds. Where it is intended ,to put down concreteand this is always advisable— work should be done at once, .so as to . give . the concrete f a chance to get thoroughly dry . before the new season. begins. If the floor of the shed is made thoroughly firm, . 4 in. of concrete will be found sufficient, and this should be made of 4 parts clean shingle, 1. part sand, and ■ 1 part cement. If the, surface is finished off with a wooden trowel the cows will not slip. Gutters should have rounded edges, and should not be more . than 4 in. deep. Where gutters are deep and square, injuries . from slipping are apt to occur and manure gets splashed about. ....