THE FARM.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XII, Issue 6, 20 June 1916, Page 472

THE FARM.

CULTIVATION. As a rule July is one of the wettest months of the year, and very little in the way of cultivation can be attempted on the arable farm. Up to the time of writing in June, however, the rainfall in most districts has not been so heavy as to really saturate the land. A thorough soaking followed by good hard frosts would, in fact, be an all-round benefit, and should such conditions ensue farmers would be well content to keep the teams off the land during July. If, however, conditions are favourable for work, the .ploughing of lea ■ for - green or root crops in < districts of good rainfall, for spring cerealsmay go on. It is too late now to break lea for cereal crops in the' drier districts. Towards the end of the month the sowing of spring cereals, particularly oats, may be commenced; but, except from the point of . view of having work well . forward, there is no advantage to be derived from July sowings. On the contrary, heavier seeding is necessary, and, except on light'land, much of the seed may fail to germinate.

FIELD-PEAS. . One of the most suitable crops for sowing from July onward is field-peas. This is a crop which in recent years has become very popular for fattening in parts of Australia where dry weather, aphis, and other troubles make rape altogether too uncertain, A similar state of affairs, unfortunately, is all too common in New Zealand also, and it is a point worth Considering'whether.,it would not be worth while to try field-peas on part, of .the rape break.

The advantages of this crop will not be exhausted by the- fat stock turned off it, for the good effects of peas on succeeding crops and on grass are invariably most marked. As a grain crop in suitable localities peas usually pay well. They are not a crop, however, which will stand feeding off at any stage and afterwards produce a seed crop. Peas are a crop which no pig-raiser should neglect; and by getting them in as early as possible there-will be more time available to devote to other pig crops, such as rape, mangels, pumpkins, &c., which will be due for' sowing in: the following months. -' .

LIMING AND MANURING.

It is opportune to press the urgency of top-dressing pastures. Probably the most general need in this direction is for applications of lime. Free-working soils in the drier plain areas may fail to give any appreciable response to limings, but on all cold, heavy land there. is hardly room to. doubt that applications of lime would increase the value of the land many times the cost of the application. The soundest advice that can be given , this month to farmers so situated is to get a supply of lime by hook or .by crook, . and see to its application as soon as possible. All things considered, ground limestone is the best form in which to apply lime, and. an application of even io cwt. per acre will seldom fail to work . wonders. Probably the greatest benefit would be derived from liming by applying, from io cwt. to i ton on grass just before breaking up for rape or turnips. As the plough-furrow is . deepened in subsequent . cultivation by turning over the rape or turnip break, the lime becomes thoroughly distributed through the soil; and if a further similar dressing is then applied on the surface and harrowed in before sowing grass-seeds there should result a pasture which would gladden the heart of any farmer, whether his mainstay be cows or sheep.

While the importance of lime is stressed,' let it not be thought that it is the one thing needful to remedy inferior . crops ■ or sickly grass. Phosphates are needed superphosphates after liming, or, if liming has not been done, basic superphosphate, rock phosphate, Ephos phosphate, or phosphatic guano. None of these, however, will produce their greatest effect if applied to a soil lacking in lime. • v-.,,- '

With regard to the paddocks to be treated, those that are to be closed up later on for hay should not be neglected. Hay costs much less per ton to produce when it is the product of a heavy crop. Therefore lime and manure , now, graze lightly during . the

next month or two, and close up early, if . you would get good cheap hay. . Calf - paddocks certainly require ,to be dressed with lime, and in this case, for obvious reasons, preferably with ground burnt lime. ,

SEASONAL PREPARATIONS.

The lambing season and the beginning of the milking season are close upon us, and common-sense suggests that suitable pastures should be cleared of stock, thoroughly harrowed, and allowed to freshen for the purpose of starting off cows or lambs, as the case may be, in good style.

CARE OF DAIRY STOCK.

T Amongst dairy herds some extra attention is advisable as the calving season becomes more imminent. Particularly is this the case with ' heifers . coming to their first calving. It is unfortunate that with a definite milking season the dairy-farmer is often compelled to choose between the least of two evils—mating heifers at a rather immature age, or retaining them as heifers for an extended unprofitable period, during which they are liable to develop beef tendencies, and perhaps eventually to prove barren. The former course is the one invariably adopted, and every effort should be made to minimize the evil of early • breeding by good treatment prior and. subsequent to parturition. This cannot be too strongly emphasized. Roots and good clover hay, at any rate, should be forthcoming during July on all but the best pastures; and where roots and hay are not available the grass should be supplemented by an allowance of good oaten chaff. -

This recommendation does not arise out of any theoretical consideration of the nutrition of dairy stock. It is a statement of fact that such treatment will pay handsomely in higher yields and better progeny. It has been proved by careful experiment that condition at calving-time in true milking - strains is essential for satisfactory production during the milking season. In the case of mature cows, however, especially with those which are deep milkers, high condition before parturition is well known to be conducive to milk-fever. The customary preventive of this trouble—r lb. Epsom salts and 2 oz. ginger in a drench, given about a week before calving—should not be neglected in such cases.

Injudicious feeding of roots and green fodder to dairy cows during the winter and early spring is the cause of considerable losses annually. At this period large numbers of the animals are. in an

advanced state of pregnancy, and thus especially liable to dietetic disorders. Most of these feeding troubles can be avoided by ordinary care in management. The safest and most economic method of feeding such crops to dairy cows is to cart them on to clean pastures and feed regular rations in conjunction with a liberal ration of dry feed—the dry feed first and always.

Cows that have run on close pasture during the night and are then given an unlimited supply of roots or green feed on practically empty stomachs will invariably gorge, with more or less bad results. But if given a half to three-quarters of an hour on hay first, this will not only take the sharp edge off the appetite and prevent gorging, but will also supply at the proper time the bulk necessary to allow the digestive system to deal with the other food to the best advantage.

Fresh-pulled mangels are dangerous at all times, and particularly so in the late winter and early spring when they are sprouting. While pitting or clamping improves any kind of roots, it is most essential in the case of mangels, which undergo chemical changes for a period after pulling, making them not only much safer to feed, but also improving their food value to an appreciable degree. When they have not been stored in the desirable manner they should at least be pulled and allowed to lie in the weather for ten days before feeding.

In the spring, when the pasture provides ample feed of the best and safest variety, dairy cows are in many cases used as scavengers by being shut into cultivation paddocks to clean up the surplus roots at a time when the latter are generally, at the best, in a dangerous condition for feeding. Every year numbers of farmers pay dearly for learning that this practice is false economy, and that it is better management to waste the surplus roots than to lose good cows in full profit.

When dairy cows are grazed on turnips or green fodder they should have access to the pasture and a plentiful supply of dry feed. They should also not be permitted to eat out the roots below the surface of the ground. During wet, cold weather, when the danger of loss from digestive troubles and premature parturition is greatest, cows should be shut off the roots, and the latter carted on to the pasture.

HORSES.

As the foaling season draws near, draywork and heavy chain work should be abandoned for in-foal mares. Every care should be taken to get teams into good fettle for the heavy work of spring ; sore shoulders must have special attention.