Farm Practice and Management

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 61, Issue 1, 15 July 1940, Page 51

Farm Practice and Management

Contributed by Officers of the Fields Division

Useful Home-made Saw Bench

BY cutting his own timber out of old logs found on his farm, Mr. W. D. McKay, Makokomiko, has saved many pounds in building a new house. In country recently cleared from bush there is usually a fair percentage of sound logs left after a bush burn. These are usually well seasoned, and, although too short for milling, can often be economically used for private purposes. Like most farmers, Mr. McKay had a small circular saw which was used for cutting firewood for. the kitchen. This saw-bench was improved by the addition of a sliding platform to carry the logs, and has proved very useful for cutting much of the heavier timber used in the' construction of his house.

The sliding bench is built of 3in by -Jin T. and G. match lining, strengthened with a frame and stays of 3in by lin timber and mounted on small rollers set on top of the original bench. With.this bench the rough timber is broken down and squared as in larger mills. This bench has been improved to enable straight lengths of timber to be cut from the squared log. Small holes have been bored in the bench at accurately-measured distances' from the path off the saw, and 6in. nails placed in these make excellent gauges, which allow several different widths of timber to be cut with little adjustment. —W. T. BROWN, Fields Instructor, Taumarunui.

Extending the Life of Form Buildings Without Heavy Costs

A JOURNEY through almost any farming district will reveal wooden farm buildings in many stages of repair and disrepair. While good durable timber has been used in erecting a fair proportion of these buildings, many are constructed of poorer and cheaper grades of timber. Much of the disrepair and deterioration can be directly traced to the lack of painting or other treatment of the woodwork. It may be argued that buildings of cheap inferior timber, so commonly used by the farmer, are only temporary structures. Further, it is sometimes stated that such timber is not worth the expense of painting. But such temporary buildings have the habit of becoming permanent, that is, as long as the timber will last.

Making Woodwork Last No doubt exists that all woodwork of farm buildings, especially where exposed to the weather, will last considerably longer if preserved by paint ’or other suitable material. Untreated timber dries out, splits, and ■ opens up under a hot sun, while in wet weather the moisture penetrates deeply, and subsequently the timber quickly rots. The necessary two or three coats of paint may prove costly, but with farm buildings, where utility counts for more than beauty, substitutes are available. Gates and railings have been successfully treated by coating them thoroughly with used engine oil. Further, used engine oil from the milking motor, tractor or car could no doubt be applied to the exterior woodwork of buildings. Already, clean

mineral oil is used as a dressing for the interior woodwork of milking sheds. ' Tar Mixture Tar, the by-product. of gas works in the towns throughout the farming districts, is quite reasonable in price. In the past its use has been objectionable because it was necessary to heat the tar to enable it to be brushed over the surface. A more easily applied and suitable dressing consists of a mixture of two-thirds ordinary tar, one-sixth creosote oil, and one-sixth kerosene. Some farmers have used a simple mixture of two-thirds tar and one-third creosote oil with good results. The oil and kerosene are . simply poured into the tar. The mixture is then stirred thoroughly and applied with a wide brush. The addition of the creosote oil and kerosene makes

the tar run more freely, results in deeper penetration into the timber, and does away with the necessity of heating the tar. The mixture should not be used unless the timber is bare and free from oil paint, as it dries very slowly, and it is essential that there should be no film to stop penetration. Further, it is most essential . that the timber be thoroughly seasoned and free of moisture. If the timber is wet when the

mixture is applied, rotting will begin inside the timber, although the surface may appear sound. In addition, it must be remembered that such a mixture of tar is ■ unsuitable where the buildings are likely to be painted later with oil paint, as it will prevent the paint from drying and will cause discolouration. • Examples of the value of the simple tar-creosote oil mixture can well be quoted. Pig houses constructed of

white pine timber and treated some six years ago are still in good condition. : Gates and railings where the surface is rubbed by stock require treating only once in three years, while with the better class of timber ’ a thorough coating resulting in deep penetration will last at least eight years. —E. H. ARNOLD, Intsructor in Agriculture, Dargaville

Soil Consolidation Is Necessary In The Western Bay of Plenty

Z~\NE of the most common causes ONE of the most common causes of poor pasture establishment in the Western Bay of Plenty is sowing the seed on a poorly consolidated seed bed. No matter how much fertiliser is used or how good' the quality of the seed, a greater part of the value may be wasted if the seed bed is loose and unconsolidated. y It is commonly thought that one rolling before sowing the seed is all that is required to give a proper seed bed, but such is often not the case. Many instances of poor pasture establishment can be traced directly to the fact that seed was sown on a surface so loose that one could easily sink in two or three inches. Here, it is quite obvious that one rolling will have very

little effect in making the soil compact. Rolling Not Sufficient Rolling, in itself, is not sufficient. Every operation from the initial ploughing to the final working should be aimed at producing that. firm, fine seed bed so essential on our light pumice soils. Ploughing should be done early within reason, the earlier the better. Allow the paddock to lie fallow until a few weeks before sowing the seed. Then roll on the furrow to help ' fill in any air pockets at the bottom. Give the paddock at least two double cuts and the finer soil tends to move to the bottom of the furrow, thus further helping to fill any air pockets. Discing must be deep to be satisfactory, and discs, should be in good condition. An old, worn-out set of discs will do but an indifferent job of work. After discing, several strokes with the tine harrows will help to break down any surface clods and also give a further measure of consolidation. Finally, give the ground a thorough rolling just before sowing the seed. If no roller is available, driving a mob of sheep or dry stock over the paddock will give comparable results. Value for Your Money Thus can a firm seed bed be obtained.' Whether the seed bed is for grass, lucerne or crops, a consolidated seed bed is essential.

■Why spend £3 or £4 per acre on seed and manure, only to lose half the value through sowing on a poor seed bed? If only the land received a more thorough working, one would hear it said less often that it takes four or five years for ryegrass to show up in a new pasture in the Bay of Plenty. —A. V. ALLO, Instructor in Agriculture, Tauranga.

See For Yourself Better Pastures Will Carry More Stock

IN continuation of the series in which some outstanding feature of farming is selected for comment in different sections of the Rangiora district, this article emphasises the value of good pasture. Our attention is being continually drawn to the need for increased production, and by the use of better pastures we can carry more stock, do them better, and so help in the national war effort. There is no doubt that we can compete successfully with other countries in the production of wool, cheese, butter and meat, but this has been largely due to our favourable climate and soil. Grass, ■ our cheapest food for stock, is too easily produced and is, on the whole, not grown as efficiently as our root and cereal crops. How many farmers devote as much preparatory cultivation to grass when sowing down as they would to a crop of turnips? Very few. And yet the pasture is expected to last three years or more, while the turnip crop is in the ground only ’six months. Poverty of Pastures Not Realised Perhaps it is because a partial failure with a root or cereal crop is easily measured with the eye, while poor pastures are so common that they attract scant attention. Many farmers do not realise just how poor their pastures are until they see what can be done with the aid of certified strains of grasses and clovers together with liming and manuring. In North Canterbury the recently inaugurated pasture competitions are fulfilling a long-

felt want- in this respect. Interest is being stimulated in grass, our most important crop, and the scope for improvement is just beginning to be realised. Trial plots laid down by the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture are used to demonstrate ,the good and bad qualities of the different strains of grasses and clovers in various localities. One of these plots in the Waiau district is well worthy of inspection by farmers in the vicinity. Revealing Trials Situated on the right-hand side of the road just over the Lottery Bridge on the inland road to Kaikoura, the trial is on the farm of Mr. A. C. Brustad. There are 40 plots sown with

the different strains of grasses and clovers. The land was' previously in rough swamp, and has been drained, limed, and sown down with superphosphate. ' , Although the seed was sown as recently as January, . 1939, already differences can be clearly seen. For anybody still sceptical of the value of sowing the persistent strains, the 'opportunity is there, and all they have to do is see for themselves. The latest selections of pedigree ryegrass, white clover, red clover and cocksfoot are included in the plots both on their own and in mixtures. A plan of the plots can be obtained from the owner of the property. —A. S. NASH, Instructor in Agriculture, Rangiora.

Rejuvenating Root-bound Paspalum

Z\NE of the most difficult problems ONE of the most difficult problems \_y in the management of paspalum is the condition known as root-binding. Where paspalum has become rootbound there is a decided falling off in production. This condition is brought, about by failure to maintain soil fertility at a fairly high level by supplying plant food in the form of lime and phosphate.

Root-bound paspalum is very slow in responding to manurial treatment, and to make, this effective it is necessary to tear open the matted surface roots by surface cultivation or ploughing. The most successful method of rejuvenating root-bound paspalum swards is, where practicable, to plough in narrow '..furrows as shown in the accompanying illustration.'

The ploughing, which should be done in the early autumn, will renew the vitality of the paspalum, and further cultivation will provide a seedbed so that other grass and clover

species can be introduced. This treatment, combined with adequate supplies of suitable fertiliser, will convert a very low-producing sward to a reasonably high-producing one. Continued top-dressing and frequent cultivation with disks or penetrating harrows after renovation will prevent a recurrence. Paspalum will stand all the cultivation that can be given it, and this is one of the main methods of keeping it thriving and preventing root-binding. On areas that' are difficult to cultivate, top-dressing and winter stocking with heavy cattle will help to prevent this condition. —E. B. GLANVILLE, Instructor in Agriculture, Whangarei. Fresh Blood as Manure S.K. (RAWENE):— •' . " What is the best way to treat fresh blood to make manure? Could it with advantage be mixed with sand, super, or used in the making of humus indore process? FIELDS DIVISION:— Commercially, dried blood is prepared by steam-heating, drying, and grinding the collected blood of slaughtered animals. When only, small

quantities are available, as I presume is so in your case, some farmers have had success by simply distributing the fresh blood over their pastures. A fresh area is treated each time supplies are available, and in time the whole of a field is so dressed. Fresh blood would not be suitable to mix with superphosphate, and with sand some of the blood would pass through and be lost. It would be quite suitable to use in the making of humus indore process. A complete clean-up of severe grass grup infestation of a strawberry patch is . claimed by a Central Otago grower. In the past large areas of strawberries in this locality have been ploughed in owing to the ravages of this pest. When fertilising the plot in the spring arsenate of lead was mixed with the manure at the rate of 10 lb. per 44 sq. yards. The mixture was scattered on the surface and not worked in. Following this, the land became practically 100 per cent, clean, but to make doubly sure ■ the plants and soil were subsequently sprayed with arsenate of lead 6 Ib.-100 gals. -No sign of grub damage has been seen since.