Harrowing of Pastures

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 61, Issue 1, 15 July 1940, Page 12

Harrowing of Pastures

Benefits Depend on Type of Harrow Used

MUCH has been printed from time to time in these pages dealing with the very important and controversial question of the treatment of grasslands by Harrowing. In this matter there is a good deal of misapprehension among farmers as to what is and is not correct grassland harrowing. Few pastures need severe harrowing. In fact, the reverse, but some harrows sold to-day have a placement and design of the tynes which even if adjusted for the lightest stroke are still far and away too severe for grassland use. The design is such that a distinct groove is left behind each tyne and at times large tufts of good pasture are ripped completely out, making a nice seed bed for weeds. Naturally, a pasture so treated suffers, and farmers start the old outcry about harrowing being detrimental for grassland. The trouble is not with harrowing, but with the type of harrow used, for exhaustive experiments by the Department of Agriculture have proved conclusively that pastures gain great and lasting benefit from proper harrowing.

The Harrow that is proving ideal for use on 95 per cent, of our pastures is the Fertility Harrow. The lightweight job has short knife-edged spring steel teeth which give a clean surface and do everything necessary, from the point of aeration. On the remaining 5 per cent, of pastures which require a good deal of scratching about, this

same harrow can be weighted down and the paddock given a double “stroke.” ' ' .

It is probable that during the War, we shall experience extreme difficulty in obtaining supplies of artificial nitrogen. It is, therefore, more important than '. ever that full use be made of natural organic nitrogen by the careful spreading of all animal droppings. For this work, the Fertility Harrow has probably the most efficient manure spreading device ever built; it is set behind the tynes and enables the complete job of surface harrowing and manure spreading to be done in one swift operation.

The Fertility Harrows are sufficiently light in draught and the New Zealand distributors, Messrs. Wright, Stephen-, son & Co. Ltd., announce that in the meantime they are available AT PREWAR PRICES. Any farmer who is interested, is invited to fill in and mail the coupon below when he will be sent illustrations and further particulars of this harrow.

would not greatly alter the position), but because of the deficiency of humus and consequent lack of essential bacteria that breaks down humus and mineral matter into available plant food.

In other words, a soil as the agriculturalist knows it is a live thing, whereas a soil such as that of a desert is dead, and will remain so until natural or man-created agencies give it life by making possible a sufficiency of moisture, humus, and living organisms.

Essential Practice

Thus it will be seen that, all things considered, the efficient harrowing of pastures—not necessarily of the drastic type really a most important and essential practice if farm fertility and productivity is to be maintained or increased. * But to secure the maximum benefit the work requires to be done thoroughly and at the proper time. This involves the regular use of the harrow at comparatively short intervals. If the job can be done just before rain, or even during a shower, so much the

better, as the pastures are not contaminated for long and the plant food contained in the excreta is made more readily available to the plant. On no account should dung pats be left for weeks, as by this time they are not only far too hard to distribute evenly, but, worse still, most of their fertilising properties have already leached into the small surrounding

area of the soil. This results in over, manuring of some parts of the field and under-manuring of the balance, the latter normally representing the larger portion, as illustrated in Fig. 1. In such circumstances the farmer is definitely the loser, for firstly his pastures suffer, then his stock, and lastly himself.

Harrows Pay a Dividend

Therefore, resolve to rectify this position by adopting a different outlook towards the dairy cow. Henceforth consider her not only as a butterfat producer, but give her full credit for what she really is—a producer of butterfat, plus 3cwt. or more of a complete fertiliser, plus a great quantity of vital humus.

And do not fail to remember that just as manure stacked up in a shed is of no . use to pastures, so also are animal deposits left undistributed. Therefore, use your grass harrows, and use them regularly. They pay a definite dividend, as many a successful farmer knows.

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