SEASONAL NOTES.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXX, Issue 4, 20 April 1925, Page 270

SEASONAL NOTES.

THE FARM. a .’ . TOP-DRESSING OF PASTURE. - dressing should be carefully considered at this period, and arrangements made for the necessary supplies. Most grassland will greatly benefit by judicious top-dressing, but'if the pasture is very deficient in clovers and contains much weed-growth it will be better, if possible, to renew it before spending money on top-dressing. As a general principle it is better to start top-dressing while the pasture is still in good condition, and thus preserve the good plants, rather than let them get weak and then try to restore them by means of manure. Nevertheless it must be recognized that even weak pastures are greatly benefited by top-dressing.. At one time it was generally considered the correct practice to apply heavy dressings and then let the land stand for several years, but recent experience goes to show that better results are obtained from lighter and more frequent" applications, the ideal being to get the pasture in good heart and keep it in this condition by annual light dressings. If this practice is followed 2 cwt. per acre per year is ample, but if no top-dressing has been done for a few years, or if the pasture is very much run down, from 3 cwt. to 4 cwt. should be applied the first year, and followed up by lighter annual dressings. Basic slag continues in great popularity in many districts, and at. present prices is quite an attractive proposition under conditions favourable to its use. It suits heavy soils rather than light, moist conditions rather than dry, and old pastures rather than new. It is rather slower in action than super, but, given sufficient moisture, will take effect in a few weeks. Super is now used in increasing quantities for top-dressing, and is remarkably efficient' on the lighter soils in particular, though valuable on clay soils also. In certain cases, however, it is found that to obtain the best results from super the soil must first have been limed; and where super is used it is a good general rule either to lime at regular intervals or to employ a mixture of lime and super. Various proportions may be used ; it is best to mix three or four days ahead. Ground rock phosphate (Nauru, &c.) does well under certain conditions, but appears to depend for its effectiveness very largely upon a good supply of moisture and a certain amount of soil-acid. Hence it is unsuitable for dry soils, dry weather conditions, and land recently limed. A mixture of super and the ground rock in equal proportions is generally better than the latter used alone. On the poorer classes of land blood - and - bone gives excellent results,, as also does bonedust on light open soils, but the cost of these two fertilizers is at present high,, and money is better invested in super or slag, except under special conditions. I , On certain soils, notably light sandy loams and peaty land, potash is generally a useful supplement to the usual phosphatic dressing. Kainit is often used for this purpose. It is a low-grade manure (14 per cent, potash), and. is rather awkward to handle, but it has the virtue of

containing a large proportion of salt, which has a sweetening effect on land, and most pastures will benefit from an application of 2 cwt. to 3 cwt. per acre. When kainit is applied in conjunction with phosphatic fertilizers it is best to mix just before top-dressing. Slow-acting phosphates (ground rock) should be applied in May ; slag is best applied in June or July; and basic super or super in July or August. Before top-dressing, the pasture should be fed down fairly closely, and thoroughly tripod-harrowed afterwards. In order to obtain the maximum benefit from top-dressing, proper drainage must be provided. This also applies to liming. . There are reports of stock being injured by feeding on grassland immediately after it has been top-dressed, and for this reason it is better to keep the animals off for a week or so, or until there has been a good shower of rain. . ROOTS. • (•••••■■. The mangold crop should be stored in May or June before frosts become severe. The usual method is to hand-pull the roots, twisting the tops off by a sudden jerk, while at the same time throwing the roots into rows four drills apart.' They are then left to ripen for about a fortnight to three weeks before carting to the clamps. . Pitting improves the feeding-value of mangolds ; unless pitted they frequently cause scouring in stock. The heap should be covered with straw or piled under a plantation as a protection against frost. The roots are best arranged in shaped clamps, with the best-keeping varieties, such as Long Reds, at the end where they will be fed last. Where large areas are to be handled an implement made of two planks fixed together on edge in the shape of a V and drawn at the apex between every four drills facilitates harvesting. Although the mangold resists light frosts while standing in the ground, very little frost may cause considerable injury if the roots are left lying on the surface too long, as that portion of the root previously under the ground is tender. Where necessary, or where the crop is showing signs of disease, the feeding-off of swedes can be commenced, together with a hay ration, using the poorest hay first. On heavy clay soils stock. should be removed from the root breaks after heavy rain, otherwise the soiltexture may be spoiled. On this account swedes growing on heavy soils should not be fed off by cattle. ' OAT-SOWING. The coming month is a good period for sowing. oats, . especially crops intended for chaffing later. Sown then they provide considerable green feed during the late winter and early spring and ripen about New Year. In some districts this is an important point, as they can then be harvested before Californian thistle ripens its seed. Tn most spring-sown crops the thistle, where present, ripens about the same time as the oats. Algerians are generally best for autumn sowing, a suitable amount being about 2-J- bushels to the acre, with 1 cwt. to 2 cwt. of super, according to the nature of the land. Both oats and wheat should be treated with some reliable smutpreventive. Formalin or hot water treatments are those generally used in this country. Both hasten germination and cause the seed to swell and run slower in the drill, which requires setting ; to sow a larger quantity.

•POTATOES. , .. . Any mature potato crops still in the ground should be lifted before the land becomes sodden with winter rains. Digging should be done in good weather, and the tubers left on the ground for a few hours to dry before being placed in sacks. Corticium disease has been prevalent in some localities in the South. It has been present for many years, but appears to have become more virulent of late. , -Fields Division.