SEASONAL NOTES.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 49, Issue 3, 20 September 1934, Page 174

SEASONAL NOTES.

THE FARM.

A Neglected Phase of Grass Farming.

Often in practice the utilization, as distinct from the production, of feed on grassland does not receive as much attention as its importance justifies. Production of feed is only one phase of farm-management, and, if production of feed is not linked suitably with utilization, it can be said with certainty that the fullest possible returns will not be obtained from such measures as top-dressing, harrowing, and subdivision. Indeed, it may be stated correctly that measures intrinsically judicious, such as top-dressing, may be made practically futile by inefficient utilization of the additional growth of grassland which results from the top-dressing. Typical of the instances which could be quoted in illustration of this is the case of sheep-farmers who have increased their top-dressing programmes without increasing their flocks commensurately with the increased feed available in late spring' and early summer as a result of the increased top-dressing. Such farmers have bewailed the detrimental influence of top-dressing upon fat-lamb production, although they have often been faced with the fact, rather difficult to explain satisfactorily, that the same type of top-dressing has given distinctly profitable results on adjacent essentially similar farms. Usually 1 such farmers should condemn not the direct influence of top-dressing, but their own imperfect utilization, in respect to which inefficiency has been intensified by the top-dressing. In some districts last year favourable weather conditions in the spring and early summer brought about the result. that has been attributed at times to top-dressing : because of the excessive amount of feed on hand some farmers in such districts could not satisfactorily fatten their lambs The corresponding result in dairying is a premature unduly rapid decline in butterfat production ; at times because of ■deterioration in the quality of feed, consequent on a surplus supply, • the decline in butterfat production which commonly characterizes the latter part of January has been recorded in early December and even in late November. Both in sheep-farming and in dairying the undesirable results cited have occurred because the feed available has been unsuitable for milkproduction—while more than ample in quantity, it has been deficient in quality. A further important phase of the same matter is that the results of inefficient utilization of grassland are not confined to poor returns from the feed produced, but under certain circumstances may readily bring about deterioration of the sward and a consequent decline in its productive capacity. This is because poor utilization of grassland normally consists of both undergrazing in the late spring and summer and overgrazing in the winter. and early spring—-a type of grazing management which tends to a weakening •of the species which produce feed early in the season and a strengthening of those which make relatively late growth. In the mixed swards characteristic of very extensive grassland areas, it leads quickly to the suppression of perennial rye-grass and to the dominance of species akin to brown-top and sweet vernal. Stated briefly, the trend of modern thought relative to grassland is that generally soil and climatic conditions do not govern the botanical composition of a sward so completely as is often believed, and that frequently the stock-grazing conditions are the real directing factor This .generalization is not valid in respect to extreme conditions of soil or climate, when the influence of grazing management may be offset or masked by the .greater influence of other conditions. But it is so widely valid as to justify more attention by farmers to the utilization in contradistinction to the production of the growth of pastures.

Many seem not to realize that poor utilization of pastures leads frequently to stock being badly fed at two critical periods annually, whereas under a system of good utilization the same number of stock could be comparatively well fed with an equal amount of feed ; under poor utilization the feed is likely to be ample in quantity but lacking in quality in early summer, and lacking in quantity in winter and early spring. This is primarily because frequently 70 per cent, or more of the feed directly available from grassland is produced during the spring and early summer. In the absence of good utilization the general result is the adoption, in respect to stocking, of a half-way course which brings about an unsatisfactory feed position both in the period of high production and in that of low understocking in the former period, overstocking in the latter. .

To sum up, poor utilization not only has an undesirable influence upon the swards, but also leads readily to much poor feeding that could be avoided largely without any increase in the amount of feed produced. The essential facts as stated above seem so obvious and simple as to be scarcely worth mentioning until it is remembered that these facts, important though they be, often are not reflected in our farm practice. Fortunately, even in times economically difficult when occasionally it is necessary to abstain from outlay that is well justified there is no real reason why a general improvement in the standard of pasture-utilization cannot be effected—often greatly improved utilization may be brought about without either the introduction of difficult practices or the expenditure of much money. Unsatisfactory utilization arises largely from allowing pasture growth to become too rank, mature, and stemmy during spring and summer, and also from continuously grazing closely during winter and especially during early spring.

The Role of Ensilage relative to Utilization.

In many instances both of the conditions which lead to poor utilization of pastures, though radically different, can be corrected to a valuable extent strangely enough- by the one —ensilage. Ensilage enables the summer surplus feed to be held for use during the customary period of shortage in winter and early spring. Though ensilage grows in popularity — the latest official figures, those for 1932-33, disclose the greatest area yet recorded— is still much room for profitable expansion in the area harvested annually for silage in most districts in which grass dominates farming. Ensilage seems too often to be viewed merely as a means of building up reserves of feed. It is a valuable means of doing this, but it is at the same time possibly more valuable as a means of controlling and modifying the natural development of pastures in summer. To be as effective as possible in this latter role, ensilage as a rule should be carried out at an earlier time than has been adopted commonly. Ensilage usually should be carried out before the time favoured for haymaking, which itself is generally too late. If ensilage is carried out at a suitable date there will be, firstly, the possibility of silage of better quality, and, secondly, the greater likelihood of a satisfactory vigorous, leafy aftermath, providing highly digestible feed when often it is sorely needed. In addition, ensilage, properly exploited, has a beneficial effect on all other pastures on a farm- disposing of surplus growth it minimizes the development of mature growth on the farm as a whole, and the pastures tend to be more productive and leafy in the latter part of the summer than they would be otherwise. •

Systematic Grazing desirable.

For the fullest efficiency in pasture utilization, it is necessary usually to link ensilage with well-planned grazing, which at times should be supplemented by the topping of any growth which, without such treatment, tends to run to seed-heads. As a rule, highly effective grazing management may

be achieved on farms on which nine to twelve fields of fairly even carryingcapacity are in pasture, and remarkably good results are being obtained on such farms. Full particulars about effective grazing and other aspects of pasture utilization may be obtained from local officers of the Fields Division, whose advice, based on a consideration of local conditions, is likely to be more helpful than would be the generalized guidance such as is possible in these notes. ..' - \ • . To enable grazing to take place at the most suitable -stage of growth it is necessary at an appropriate time to drop from the grazing programme any paddocks in excess of those required to meet the current feed requirement of the stock. . Much of the poor utilization that is tolerated is due to not dropping enough. of these paddocks or not dropping them soon enough. And it is the appropriate dropping of these paddocks which provides the scope for ensilage, for usually .it is desirable to drop from the grazing more paddocks than could be utilized- effectively for haymaking. Early closing of fields for ensilage is valuable in that it favours the possibility of early mowing, which in its turn gives greater probability of a good aftermath. A top-dressing with superphosphate at closing-time of fields intended for ensilage or haymaking is often advisable, especially in the case of fields not recently top-dressed.

The Potato Crop.

It is probable that annually more disappointments are experienced in respect to the potato crop than to any several other crops grown in the Dominion. Because of these disappointing crops the average potato yield is much lower than it need be. The average Dominion yield is between 5 and 6 tons an acre, and, when it is remembered that much of the land sownin potatoes yields io tons or more an acre, it is obvious that there must be many crops of miserably low yield. There is abundant evidence that much of the occurrence of these “ scrub ” crops is due primarily to inferior seed. . To remedy the position an official system of certification of seed potatoes was inaugurated a few years ago. The need for certification arises from the fact that the essential characteristics of good potato-seed fall into two principal classes. One class includes characteristics which may be judged from the appearance of the tubers, such as the purity and maturity of the seed, the size and shape of the tubers, and freedom from such diseases as scab and late or Irish blight. . The other class includes a very important characteristic about which the appearance of the seed tuber tells nothing in practice. This is the presence or absence of obscure troubles which are known as virus diseases, and which can be detected in the field only by personal inspection of the growing plants. The virus diseases may be looked upon as a primary cause of the so-called “ running out ” of potato varieties. The association between virus infection and yield was well illustrated in a trial carried out last season at the Plant Research Station, Palmerston North. This trial primarily was designed to give growers information relative to complaints that had been received about the table quality of certain potatoes grown in the North Island. The complaints related particularly to the condition generally known as brown fleck. The trial not only clarified the brown fleck question, but also exemplified the connection between virus and yield. In considering the yields obtained in this trial, it is important to remember that the only variable circumstance was the productive capacity of the seed. In all other matters of consequence such as soil, manuring, and cultivation there was uniformity. Hence particular significance attaches to the range in yield. The comparatively early strain of Sutton’s Supreme, known as Aucklander Short Top, varied from 14 tons to 5 tons per acre. In the 14-ton crop there were 4 per cent, of diseased plants. In the 5-ton crop there were 44 per cent, of . diseased plants or misses. Virus trouble. was almost wholly, if not wholly, responsible for both diseased plants and misses. The late strain of Sutton’s Supreme, known as

Aucklander Tall Top, ranged from over 16 tons to under 7 tons per acre. ' The 16-ton crop had 2 per cent, of diseased plants, the poor yield was associated with 78 per cent, of diseased plants or misses. The Iron Dukes, which are also called Aberbrothock, ranged from 151 tons to under £ ton an acre. In the crop of heavy yield there was little virus trouble, while in the failure every plant was diseased. It seems worth stating again that the only variable factor with which these striking differences in yield can be associated is the virus incidence in the seed. From this it follows that the influence of excellent judgment in respect to soil and cultivation and judicious expenditure in respect to fertilizer can be completely neutralized by neglect relative to seed. The information yielded by the trial in respect to quality is also well worth consideration. Ten lots of . seed were wrongly entered as Iron Duke: they really were Northern Star. In other lots Northern Star occurred freely as an impurity. ' The point of importance in this confusion relative to variety is that Northern Star is lacking in quality because of brown fleck,-whereas good seed of Iron Duke is quite satisfactory in this respect. Hence, if the growers were using the variety they believed they were using the complaints regarding quality would not have been received. The question of practical importance is, “ How can growers make sure of obtaining seed satisfactory in respect to virus trouble and true to name ? ” The answer is, “ Use certified seed.” The great body of those who grow potatoesthat is, those whose crops are designed primarily to meet their own private needs— well give more attention to the use of certified seed. To facilitate this, certified seed is being sealed for sale in small lots —from 14 lb. upward. The cutting of seed potatoes at times leads to , misses in the rows, due to the rotting of the cut portions. Rotting is greatly minimized when conditions are suitable for the healing of the cut surfaces. Dry conditions are particularly unfavourable for healing. Hence, while it is good practice to cut and plant seed immediately into a moist soil it is not good practice to leave cut, potatoes in sunlight or to plant them at once into dry soil. If cut seed are to be kept for a day or so they should be spread out loosely— air facilitates healing of the cut surfacesand covered with wet sacks. Of popular varieties, Aucklander Short • Top, Aucklander Tall Top, Majestic, and King Edward do not heal readily after cutting, and so need special care.

Treatment of Cereal Seed.

It is very inadvisable to omit treating cereal seed suitably for the prevention of smut. For many years wet pickles such as solutions of bluestone or formalin were widely used for this, purpose. These, while definitely useful for holding the smuts in check, have at times led to injury to germination or to checking of the growth. Because of this, the modern tendency is to resort as far as possible to. the use of various chemicals in dust form. The chief advantages of the dusts are the elimination of the danger of seed injury and the ease of treating and subsequently handling the seed. Disadvantages of the dusts are extra cost and the danger of injury to workmen carrying out the dusting. . Regarding these disadvantages, it is well to remember that the extra cost is at most under a shilling an acre, and that dusting either can be done at home by suitable machines costing under J/2 or be undertaken by seed-cleaning plants at a cost covering little more than labour and material. Unless seed-treatment is carried out properly, it is very likely either to cause serious injury to the seed or to be ineffective as a means of reducing disease. Mistakes may relate either to the material used or the methods followed. As an example of this, copper carbonate dust, while

normally effective in wheat, is not effective with barley or oats. On the other hand, organic mercury dusts are effective for all smuts of cereals, except loose smuts of wheat and barley, which are controlled only by suitable hot-water treatment.

General Cropping Work.

/ As September is often a suitable time to close up lucerne areas, any delay in doing this as a rule should now be avoided. Early closing assists greatly in obtaining a comparatively early cut which generally is saved suitably as silage followed at about new year by a second cut which , is valuable either for hay or green feed. A common result of early closing is an extra cut annually from the lucerne. A further important result in lucerne crops which are invaded by plants that outgrow lucerne early in season is the removal of the harmful competition of these plants which normally lucerne outgrows in the summer. ' It is often worth while to sow in October an area of quickly-maturing soft turnips, such as Purple-top Mammoth, for use early in the new year. The yield from such an area may not be heavy, but it is likely to be particularly useful in obviating unduly rapid falling-off in milk-production. Shortly after the sowing of the early variety the remainder of the soft turnip area may be sown in late-maturing varieties such as Imperial Green Globe. Kales, including chou moellier, or marrow-stemmed kale, have been sown with good results in October, when they have provided feed towards the end of January or the beginning of February. Later sowings of kales may well be made to yield feed for use in the autumn and winter. Strictly because of its merits, chou moellier has increased in popularity in recent years. A suitable sowing is i| lb. to 2 lb. of seed an acre sown broadcast or | lb. to | lb. in drills 2 ft. to 3 ft. apart. Chou moellier demands and deserves high fertility and usually responds very profitably to a dressing of 2 cwt. to 3 cwt. an acre of superphosphate on good land—a dressing which on land tending to be poor may often well be supplemented by 2 cwt. an acre of blood and bone. Thorough preparatory cultivation should be the keynote of all cropping operations. Year after year much evidence is provided that potential returns from judicious action and outlay in respect to all other phases of cropping are far from fully realized because of inadequate cultivation.

R. P. Connell,

Fields Division, Palmerston North.