SEASONAL NOTES.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXX, Issue 5, 20 May 1925, Page 340

SEASONAL NOTES.

THE FARM. CULTURAL OPERATIONS. Plans should be. made at this period for next season’s croppingoperations, and land required for spring sowing turned over. Where old pastures are to be broken up, skim ploughing in the autumn or early winter, followed by disking, especially on the heavier soils, as a preparation for the deeper spring ploughing, is . a good insurance against dry summer conditions, besides allowing the natural elements — frost, air, and sunshine — to ameliorate the soil and make fresh plant-food available. The relatively dry autumn experienced in several districts this season has had the effect of reducing to a great extent the usual autumn growth of pastures. . This has there caused an earlier and more extensive feeding of roots and other forages, which in many cases may involve a shortage in early spring. A June sowing of Algerian oats, combined (on the heavier soils) with winter vetches, will help to fill any such deficiency. AUXILIARY FEEDING OF DAIRY STOCK. Wherever it can be managed great saving results from pulling and feeding out roots in clean paddocks, rather than turning the stock on to the crop, and a . much smaller quantity of roots is required. Experiments go to prove that 60 lb. of roots per day fed to a cow in conjunction ' with good hay gives very much better results than where the cow is allowed to eat as much as she can. Tn the latter case the animal may eat i cwt. or more, and her system is not able to deal with the material satisfactorily.. The ideal ration is a medium quantity of good material rather than large quantities which the animal cannot digest. Great care should also be taken to see that stock eating roots have a liberal supply of good hay or a run-off on pasture with plenty of roughage. - The present is a good period for pulling the mangold crop, so as to give the roots ample time to mature before being fed. Such time should be at least one month, but two is much better. A mangold is not in proper condition to feed out in quantity until soft enough to allow a pocketknife to be stuck into it easily and drawn out again without lifting the root. A great many may have to be fed before reaching this condition, but full maturity is the condition to aim at. When starting cows on mangolds they should be fed lightly for a few days, commencing with 15 lb. to 20 lb. per day and increasing at the end of a week to 40 lb. or 50 lb., which should be the maximum for a day. In the milder localities the roots may be pulled and left in. the field to .ripen, but when there is danger of heavy frosts or the land is required for further cropping it is best to cart them off and store in a dry, warm, situation, according to the methods described last month. Carrot crops will still be making some growth, but may now be fed at any time. These roots are best pulled and fed straight out from the field. .

Where ensilage is available, cows that have not been used to this fodder should get a small quantity —say, 5 lb. to 10 lb. per head per dayfor the first few days, increasing up to a maximum of 40 lb. per day. Silage should be fed fresh each day and, as far as possible, straight from the stack to the stock. If exposed to the weather, deterioration is fairly rapid. The value of concentrates for dairy cows —especially where winter milking is practisedis being increasingly recognized as our dairying becomes more intensified. PASTURE-MANAGEMENT. The formation and maintenance of a pasture does not end with the selection of the seed-mixture and annual top-dressing. Subdivision, spelling, stocking, and cultivation have a far-reaching effect on the quantity and quality of herbage produced. Under the head of cultivation can be included mowing, rolling, harrowing, disking, &c. The mower is valuable for disposing of any rank growth neglected by the stock and allowing fresh growth to come away, particularly in fields grazed by cattle. Except for hay, it is a mistake ever to allow the grass to stand more than 5 in. or 6 in. high. Rolling is an operation seldom carried out, but does much good on light land, more particularly where a severe winter is experienced. It strengthens any grasses or clovers that have been lifted by frost or loosened by stock. Rolling, however, should never be done during frost or when the land is abnormally wet. Harrowing is one 'of the. cheapest and most profitable operations on the farm, and there are few better ways of utilizing days when other work cannot be undertaken. Stock manure is a fine topdressing, and its distribution by barrowing is a factor in the maintenance of a good turf. Chain-harrows will do this work well, but when the tripods are employed further benefits are derived from the cultivation of the turf, whereby moss and dead matter are removed and the grass-roots stimulated. In some cases, such as that of a sodbound turf, a good disking, followed by rolling, will put new vigour into the pasture. The subject of top-dressing with artificial fertilizers was dealt with at some length in last month's notes, but a reminder may be given that June is one of the best months for this operation. A few farmers appear to be afraid to apply phosphates in the winter,. having an idea that they will disappear in the drainage-water before spring. There is no reason for such fears ; it has been clearly proved that leaching of phosphates need not be seriously considered. GENERAL. Any necessary repairs to cow-sheds, . yards, &c., should be pushed on, especially where concrete floors are being put down. If these floors are allowed to harden properly before being used the uneven pot-hole surface so frequently seen is obviated. Bog-holes and bad crossings should have attention, as these frequently cause considerable loss in the spring when stock are weak. Arrears in drainage-work should also be attended to. Where the mouths of drains are consistently kept open full benefit of the drainage-system will be secured. -—Fields Division.