TOPDRESSING: A WAIKATO STUDY

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 81, Issue 4, 16 October 1950, Page 371

TOPDRESSING: A WAIKATO STUDY

By

A. J. PRICE,

Fields Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Te Awamutu.

TWENTY years after the Ruakura Experimental Station had issued its recommendations for the artificial manuring of Waikato permanent pasture, a procedure which had been stumbled on by pioneers in the Cambridge district, the system had reached its logical conclusion, and the intensive all-grass farm, on which crops played no part, had become a characteristic of the Waikato.

MEANWHILE there had been a very large influx of new settlers; new land had been broken in and old estates cut up; the era of speculation at the close of the First World War had caused much trafficking in land titles; but even so there were some farms which did not change ownership, and whose owners, therefore, had witnessed the gradual evolution of the new system of farming, and perhaps had kept records of what had happened on their own properties. On investigation a number of such farms were found, and this article will deal with three dairy farms and one fat-lamb farm in widely separated parts of Waikato and Waipa Counties.

A short account of the main events in grassland development since the adoption of topdressing will, however, first be necessary, because, although topdressing was by far the most important single innovation, it brought problems in the management and utilisation of pasture which were not solved all at once and are still to some extent unsolved.

The year 1920 can be taken as the start of the modern period in the growth of the Waikato, since it was marked . not only by the large-scale amalgamation under the New: Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, but also by the virtual disappearance of cash crops from the pattern of farming, as a result of high butterfat prices. Supplementary crops lingered on for a few more years until the remnants of the old browntop, chewings fescue, and ratstail pastures had been replaced and until the horses retained for cultivation and haymaking and for carting cream to the gate had been weaned off hard feed on to grass. Swedes and turnips, which were the first crops grown in the Waikato after its confiscation from the Maoris, .were the last to go out because of their usefulness as feed for dairy cows and in the bringing in of new land. The table in the next column gives the figures for the decline in cropping

* Thp pppo ... io . , . The area for hay and silage Is shown for p ' The salient feature of the modern Waikato is milk production by the conversion of pasture into cow’s milk for dairy products and pig meat and into ewe’s milk for fat lambs. The true conception of milk production is said to have been introduced about 1900 by new arrivals from Taranaki who settled on the estates, bringing with them not only the dairy breeds of cattle, but also their, hard-won expertence m co-operative dairy-factory organisation. On their arrival they found that Waikato dairying was a sideline to wheat and meat production, the cows being “dual-purpose” Shorthorns, whose surplus calves could be fattened on wheat straw and swedes, or sold to pioneers on bush-burn country in the Raglan hills. The Taranaki conception of milk production, aided by climate and circumWaTato e bSt ‘ o£ U ?ou?srit le devSoned loca? peculiarities, the chill of which were the emphasis on butter rather than cheese, the raising of pigs on skimmed milk, the use of breeding ewes as “followers-on”, and the big rise in fat-lamb production Some important happenings and their dates are the opening of the Horotiu meat works in 1916. the dairy-company

amalgamation in 1920, the pioneering of group herd testing in 1922, the resurgence of sheep numbers in 1923, the formation of bobby-calf and pig marketing associations in 1927, and the adat l?, n of Pig-recording clubs in 1930. All these events were notable landmarks in the progress of animal husbandry in the Waikato, a progress which was due not nearly as much to the extension of the area of grassland as + Q the improvement in its carrying capacity. Whereas the average carrying capacity of Waikato grassland (expressed as “sheep units” in which 1 cattle beast equals 5 -sheep) had been about 1J sheep to the acre in 1900, it rose to 2.1 in 1920 and to 4.2 in 1945. This improvement in the quality of pasture and its exploitation by increased numbers of cows and ewes are illustrated by statistics in the table below,

Evidently the improvement was not due altogether to topdressing, which was fmrly widespread by 1920. It is known now that it was due as much to the farming system known as “intensive grassland management” or “controlled rotational grazing,” by which the pasture could be fed off, cut for hay and silage, or conserved for winter grazing, at its most nutritious

stage of growth. Phosphatic topdressing, while it abolished the factor which limited plant growth, was actually an obstacle to pasture management, which is dependent on paddocks being small enough to be eaten down rapidly by the farm herd; and as long as milk production was the aim. small paddocks were useless without supplies of drinking water. Water was therefore the limiting factor in intensive grassland management, and, after topdressing, the most helpful innovation in the Waikato was the motor-powered water pump. Electrical reticulation of Waikato farms (made justifiable by its use for the milking-machine motor), by its adaptation for water pumping, soon made obsolete not only the old windmill, but also the big paddock in which the windmill stood. When a limiting factor is removed energy is liberated and expansion takes place until a new equilibrium is restored. This is what happened to the dairy industry in the Waikato between 1920 and 1935. There were extraordinary social repercussions, which are not within the scope of this article, but which have been documented in the New Zealand Co-op. Dairy Company’s magazine, “The Dairyfarmer”, published between September, 1920, and February, 1932. Careful record was also made in the publication of the successive discoveries which together added up to the new system of grass farming. Roughly in chronological order of discovery there were: — Haymaking with the gate sweep, swathe turner, and hoist; Rotation of the “night paddock”; Scattering of dung; Grass harrowing, “root pruning”, and “aeration”:

Mowing or “topping” of pasture; Rotational grazing; The nutritive value of young grass; Subdivision into paddocks of an acreage equal to x/15, where x is the size of the herd; The motor-car grass sweep for stack and pit silage making; Autumn topdressing and 'winter calving; Nitrogen topdressing. Though few farmers adopted all of these discoveries, all farmers adopted some of them, and production was increased greatly. Most of the farms were too big for one family to manage on a really intensive scale (the most common size of a dairy farm in the Waikato in 1932 was 100 to 109 acres); 30 or 40 acres was said to be the optimum size. This difficulty could have been got over by employing labour. A greater problem had to do with the health of the stock, among which peculiar “grassland diseases” bloat, milk fever, grass staggers, and facial eczema— appeared. Though remedies were found for them, they distracted attention from pasture management, which inevitably became standardised at a pitch somewhat below that claimed for it by its expounders. Topdressing remained the basis of Waikato grass farming, but recent results of work at the Department of Agriculture Animal Research Station. Ruakura, indicate that the lively history of grass farming has not yet culminated. Locality of Farms The three dairy farms and one fatlamb farm that are to be studied for

their topdressing practices and production over the years are situated in the Waikato basin, which includes wholly or in part the Counties of Waikato, Waipa, Piako, and Matamata. The eastern half of the basin is drained by the Waihou and Piako Rivers, and the western half by the Waikato and Waipa Rivers. The rivers run through sandy and loam pumice terraces and plains formed from material washed down after the last great volcanic eruption in the Taupo district. Away from the river margins the plains tend to subside into vast peat bogs, occupying between 40,000 and 50,000 acres, or to rise into clay and loam downs and hills mainly formed from volcanic ash showers. Except for patches of kahikatea bush the region was devoid of forest, but many of the bogs contained the remains of large trees destroyed ages ago by fire or by a rise in the watertable. The pumice plains were covered with manuka and scrubby bracken, and the clay hills with a mixture of bracken, tutu, koromiko, and small manuka. On the brown clay of the “delta” luxuriant bracken had built up a thin layer of black humus, but there was none of the accumulated bush and tussock fertility which gave farming a good start in other regions. Climate With a well-distributed annual rainfall of about 50in. and a mean temperature of about 56 degrees F. the climate is ideally suited for pasture growth and this to a large extent compensates for any deficiencies in the natural soil fertility. The comparatively mild winter permits a long period of ryegrass and clover growth. The wettest period is from May to July inclusive, after which the rainfall declines, but increases to some extent in October. The dry season is from December to March. The prevailing winds are south-westerly and may be very cold at times, with occasional strong winds from the north-west. There is a possibility of frosts in almost any month, although they are very rare from October to April. A Cambridge Fat-lamb Farm A Cambridge fat-lamb farm is to be considered in this section. The late Mr. Alfred Main purchased in 1886 the . property of 482 acres on the Hamilton-Cambridge main highway, 7 miles from Hamilton. The area consisted of about 380 acres of very poor pasture on rolling country, 60 acres of very wet land around the foot of the rolling country and covered with heavy manuka, and 40 acres of river terraces in fern and manuka. The property is now farmed by the late Mr. Main’s two sons. The 482 acres, which were subdivided into seven fields of 60 to 80 acres, apart from a few small paddocks round the homestead, were watered by two windmills and the river. Hawthorn hedges separated one field from another and two shelter belts of pines had been planted on two of the boundaries and one through the back of the property. The English system of farming prevailed and the settlers carried out

STUDY OF TOPDRESSING IN THE WAIKATO

mixed farming. One modification of the English system was that fertilisers such as rock phosphate, guano, superphosphate, and bonedust were used instead of farmyard manure. Lime was also available as far back as 1876. History of Development Mixed farming was continued for a number of years and it was the practice to sow one of the fields of 60 to 80 acres each year in wheat at the rate of 2 bushels per acre with 2Jcwt. of bonedust and superphosphate in the proportion of 2 parts of bonedust to 1 part of superphosphate. In 1889 a field of about 70 acres was sown in wheat, which when harvested was shipped to Sydney. The yield about this time was between 30 and 36 bushels

per acre, varying according to the season. Swedes were also grown for sheep and oats for the horses. In 1889 a field was sown in swedes at a seeding rate of Jib per acre and sown with 2|cwt. of bonedust and superphosphate per acre. Algerian was the type of oats grown and 2£ bushels per acre were sown with lewt. of fertiliser per acre. In those days the farmer mixed his own manures, especially the swede manures, because the custom was to mix the seed with the manure and sow the mixture through one box. This did away with the watching of the seed when sowing, and better results were . claimed. The fertilisers gave the swedes a good start, so that good crops were secured. In those days bonedust was very coarse com-

pared with that used today and the farmer felt that when the crop had been taken off there was still some manure left if bonedust was used, and this would help the young grass that followed the crop. In October, 1889, 394 ewes were on the property as well as horses for farm work. In 1892 work was started on the development of the 60 acres of swampland, which was cleared of manuka and drained, using manuka drains. Some of these drains are still working today after being down for over 50 years. Later, and over the years, tile drains have been laid to replace the old manuka drains. Further subdivision was not carried out until about 1920, some 8 years after topdressing began, and today the farm is in 20-acre paddocks with smaller holding paddocks near the homestead. The introduction of electricity had its effect on subdivision, since it made possible the laying on of water to all paddocks, the old windmills not proving very successful. Of recent years lawsonianas and gums have been planted for shelter, but hedges' have not been put in. Some of the old hawthorn hedges and rows of pines planted over 70 years ago still remain. One old pine which was milled in July cut over 7000 ft. of timber. The grass-seed mixture used since 1910 consisted of cocksfoot 81b., Poverty Bay ryegrass 101 b., Italian ryegrass 61b., timothy 41b., meadow foxtail lib., red clover 2jlb., cowgrass 2|lb., white clover 21b., and rape Jib., making a mixture of 36|lb. per acre. This was sown with 2cwt. of a mixture of 2 parts of bonedust and 1 part of superphosphate per acre. The pasture sward in 1906, just before topdressing started, consisted predominantly of sweet vernal and cocksfoot with little or no clovers. For the period of the table on this page no sheep were bought in for fattening. From 1886 to 1910 wheat and oats were grown and manure was

used for laying down crops and young Jrass only. Cropping ceased in 1917. 'rom 1942 to 1947 only 60 per cent, of the farm was topdressed. Topdressing Before 1910 little was known about the benefits of topdressing pasture sward, but about 1910 it was realised that topdressing as a grassland management practice would enable highclass pastures to be produced on poor land. It was found that the effect of topdressing was to provide a veneer of fertility which provided food for the shallow roots of the white clover plants and grasses and thus made the clover perennial on poor soils. With the advent of refrigeration and the establishment of the Southdown freezing works and later the works at Horotiu organic manures began to be used for topdressing. With the introduction of topdressing ploughing ceased, as the pastures that previously had to be ploughed up and renewed every 4 years could be held and improved with the use of artificial manures. The last field was sown down in 1917 and since then no plough has been used on the property. Heavy stocking was made possible by autumn topdressing, which provided a flush of feed for the winter. In 1916 the manures used for topdressing were equal parts of bonedust, superphosphate, and guano at the rate of 2Jcwt. per. acre, mixing of the manures being done on the farm. It must be remembered that at that time the appliances available for topdressing were very limited. At first the sowing was done by hand from a bag around the neck of the sower, and a little later the grain drill was used after the coulters had been taken off. Little lime was and has been used, because early trials did not give any noticeable result from heavy applications. As it has been confirmed of recent years that heavy dressings of lime gave little or no response and because the high cost of haulage and wages for distribution of a cheap fertiliser such as lime are the same as for a dearer one such as phosphate, an annual application of only 2cwt. of lime per acre is made.

For a number of years before the Second World War 301 b. of 30 per cent, potash salts per acre were used as well as the annual dressings of phosphatic fertilisers. The potash was applied together with superphosphate and Seychelles guano in the form of Clark’s No. 1 potash mixture. The wt. of lime and 3cwt. of phosphate (including Clark’s No. 1 potash mixture containing 301 b. of 30 per cent, potash salts and 70 per cent, of phosphate) were mixed together and sown through the distributor in one application.

Sixty per cent, of the farm is topdressed each year, part being done in the autumn to give late-winter and early-spring feed and the remainder in November and December to give an autumn flush to carry the stock through the winter. The pasture sward is now a high-producing one consisting predominantly of perennial ryegrass and white clover.

Utilisation About 8 years after topdressing was started subdivision was begun so that the great bulk of feed resulting from the application of artificial manures could be utilised to the full. Rotational grazing was and still is practised. With the great bulk of feed produced from the topdressed pastures becoming available, cropping was discontinued and a field of about 20 acres made into hay each year for feeding to the cattle in winter. With both autumn and spring topdressing it is possible by management to have grass available almost throughout the year and therefore little hay is necessary. Production In 1889, besides the 70 acres in wheat, 394 ewes were carried on the swedes and temporary pasture. The carrying capacity in 1892 was 200 ewes, 655 hoggets, wethers, and rams, 10 head of cattle, and 14 horses. The ewe fleeces averaged 111 b. per head when shorn. By 1896, 737 ewes were run and in 1900 the figure was only 236 ewes, and in 1906 the total number of sheep shorn was only 427. These were Leicester and Lincoln breeds. Cropping of all kinds eeased in 1917, Cropping of all kinds ceased in 1917, by which time the whole area was in pasture, in which it has remained since. . ■ , , . , . , A gradual improvement . m pasture production and therefore in carrying capacity has resulted over the years and today the carrying capacity is 1900 pwps and 172 cattip All lamhq arp sold fit off the property and ewe replacements brought in each vear replacements brought m each year. This is a considerable improvement over conditions that prevailed 30 years ago, and has been brought about largely by topdressing with artificial manures, which has done away with the very costly and laborious system of cropping and . pasture renewal.

An Orini Dairy Farm . . . The Orini dairy farm to be discussed was acquired by the late Mr. George Rennie <in 1916. A property of 606 acres, it is situated on the mam Taupiri-Orini road 6 miles from Taupiri. The area consisted of 400 acres of flat and rolling country carrying a very poor pasture of paspalum, Yorkshire fog, browntop, and sweet vernal, and 206 acres of peat swamp which was m standing scrub. No subdivision had been done and there was no shelter on the property, , tnrv Develnnment History oi Development Twenty to 30 acres of the poor Yorkshire fog and browntop pasture was ploughed up each year and sown in swedes followed by soft turnips in spring -and then into grass the following March. Superphosphate was drilled in with both swedes and turnips and was sown with the new grass at the rate of 3cwt. per acre. Ten tons of lime was also applied. Very good crops of swedes and turnips were grown on this virgin soil and they were free from disease. The practice was continued year by year until 1932, by which time the 400 acres had been s ‘ . J . , . „ The seed mixture used on this flat and rolling country was Hawkes Bay. perennial ryegrass 201 b., Akaroa cocksfoot ioib., white clover 21b., timothy 2 lb„ crested dogstail 21b., red clover qiu an j alsike lib An efforts * were concentrated on All efforts were concentrated on bringing into full production the better land and development of the peat area was not begun until 1929 From then on the peat area was gradually brought in by . cutting the heavy manuka, burning, and swamp harrowing until the area was reasonably level and a cheap grass-seed mixture was sown. The mixture consisted of cocksfoot, which was cut from the roadsides near the

farm, and a little Canterbury ryegrass and paspalum at the rate of 301 b. per acre. The farm has been well subdivided to give a stocking rate of 10 cows per acre while the paddock is being grazed. There are about 2 miles of lawsoniana and Cupressus benthami trees in shelter belts as well as over a mile of . barberry hedges. Water is laid on to all paddocks and is supplied by 5 bores. Open drains were dug where necessary through the 206 acres of peat swamp. Topdressing Topdressing of pasture was practised as far back as 1919, when the first development work was begun. The areas that had been regrassed after cropping were topdressed each year with 3cwt. of superphosphate per acre and scwt. of lime; no topdressing was carried out on the areas in poor pasture. The area that had been sown in new grass in autumn was given an additional 3cwt. of superphosphate per acre in the following spring to give it a good start. In 1924 Belgian slag was applied to a large area of the farm at the rate of 4cwt. per acre. The slag at that time was most beneficial to the heavy flat land, and the pastures responded well and were very palatable. The use of Belgian slag was continued until 1939, when it became unprocurable. When fertiliser rationing was introduced the topdressing programme had to be cut down considerably. However, with the past heavy dressings the production held very well for about 3 years, with the reduced application of Ijcwt, of phosphate per acre, and then a noticeable drop occurred which is gradually being overcome as more fertiliser is becoming available. Copperised superphosphate is used on the peat areas. Topdressing was first carried out with the grain drill and now a spreadertype topdresser is used.

Some of the pastures have been down for over 25 years and are now carrying a first-class sward of perennial ryegrass, cocksfoot, and white clover. Because of the greatly increased pasture production through autumn topdressing, heavy stocking has been made possible, and by conserving surplus grass as hay, cropping has not been necessary and has not been carried out since 1932. Topdressing. in conjunction with careful stocking and good pasture management, has

made possible the establishment and maintenance of a good ryegrass-white clover sward on poor soil.

Utilisation

Rotational grazing is practised in spring, the cows being allowed free range after January. About 12 acres of spring growth is made into silage each year and fed to the cows in January ©r February when drought conditions have halted pasture growth. Between 60 and 70 acres of hay are also made each season. A surplus of a year’s requirement of hay is carried over each year as an insurance against a poor spring when little pasture growth is available for shutting up for hay. Cropping has not been practised since 1932, with the exception of a small area grown under the system of peat development and to assist in more rapid consolidation. By feeding out on the peat swamp in winter the consolidation so necessary for peat development was hastened. Also, because of this, the good land could be rested in winter, thus preventing pugging and giving a much earlier spring growth, free from buttercup, which so quickly establishes under puggy conditions.

About half of the 400 acres of good land is shut up each autumn to provide good, succulent grass feed for the milking herds in late winter and early spring before pasture growth has got under way about mid-September.

Modern machinery has made haymaking and silage making a much less laborious task and surplus spring pasture growth can now be conserved, thus fully utilising the extra production brought about by topdressing. By conserving this extra spring growth not only is waste prevented but damage to the pasture sward is also avoided.

Production

In 1916 there were 250 acres in grass. Dairying was begun in 1919. when 58 Friesian cows which produced 98731 b. of butterfat were carried; 300 breeding ewes and 60 yearlings were also carried. The herd was not increased until 1924, from which date a gradual increase in the size of the herd was made. By 1930 the area under grass had been increased to 500 acres and has since remained at that acreage. A total of 161 cows was then run as well

as 70 heifers and 60 hoggets; the butterfat production was 49,3211 b. Another shed was started in 1934 and a further herd of 70 heifers was milked. The production in 1935 was 80,1551 b. of butterfat from 239 cows, and by 1940 it had reached the peak of 86,86211 b. of butterfat from 255 cows. In 1940, 160 heifers and 100 hoggets were also carried.

Although the herd was increased to 267 in 1942, the production had fallen to 77,48511 b. and by 1945 production was down to 55,1461 b. of butterfat. This fall was due in a great part to the lack of fertiliser during the war. Less than half the pre-war allocation of 3 l/3cwt. per acre was available and although the drop in production was only slight for the first 2 years of the war, no doubt because of the builtup reserve of fertility from previous heavy topdressing, it was greatly accelerated in the latter years, of the war by which time the fertility had been greatly depleted. With the increased fertiliser allocation in 1946 and 1947 the production has risen slightly.

It can be seen from the figures contained in this brief summary of the development of Mr. Rennie’s property that artificial manures have increased production tremendously and that when insufficient fertiliser is applied in any one or more seasons there is a very noticeable drop in production.

Te Awamutu Dairy Farm

The history of the Te Awamutu dairy farm to be considered began when the 640-acre property known as the Thornecombe estate, which was taken over by Major Jackson as an officer’s grant after the Maori Wars, was sold to Mr. A. V. McDonald and in 1914 was subdivided into 3 blocks Mr. G. Hall purchasing the Hairini section of 147 acres.

The farm is on the main Te Awa-mutu-Cambridge road, 2 miles from Te Awamutu. Before Mr. Hall took over the property a number of crops of wheat were taken off it and sheep run on the temporary pastures, which would stay down for 3 to 4 years, by which time they had run out and would be reploughed and cropped. When the property was purchased the pastures were completely run out. Because of continual cropping, the pastures were almost entirely twitch with some Yorkshire fog and sweet vernal. There was a complete absence of clovers. The 147 acres were subdivided into 4 paddocks without a hedge or tree being planted and with a little manuka still remaining in a hollow.

There was no water supply laid on to the paddocks, the sole water available to stock being from a poor running stream on the back boundary of the property. The country was sheep sick ana overrun with rabbits and infested with rabbit warrens. The settlers nearby would not eat rabbits off the property because they did so poorly. History of Development The first stage in the development was to gas the rabbits, and little more was done until 1920 when Mr. Hall sold the adjoining property and came to live on the farm. For the next 10

STUDY OF TOPDRESSING IN THE WAIKATO

years a considerable amount of breaking up with the plough was done and the areas cropped with turnips followed by rape and sometimes millet and then into grass. The policy was to break up 20 acres of the run-out pasture each year. The turnips did wonderfully well on the virgin soil. There seemed to be something in the Waikato soil that suited turnips, but once it was exhausted it never returned and as the land improved in fertility disease and blight of every description occurred. A proprietary manure consisting mainly of blood and bone was sown with the turnips, rape, and grass at the rate of 3cwt. per acre. Carbonate of lime was also sown at the rate of 6cwt. per acre. The grass-seed mixture used on all occasions was perennial ryegrass 101 b., Italian ryegrass 101 b., white clover 21b., red clover 41b., cocksfoot 81b., timothy 11b., crested dogstail 31b., and meadow foxtail 21b., making a seed mixture of 401 b. in all. In 1918 four settlers had the water laid on from the Te Awamutu town supply at a cost of £5OO. This source of supply still remains, but it was necessary to supplement it in the dry months, so 2 bores were drilled. Water is now laid on to all the paddocks, and concrete troughs are used throughout. The property was gradually subdivided into small paddocks averaging about 6 acres each, and lawsoniana shelter belts were planted as well as barberry hedges. Lawsoniana does well on this land, and Mr. Hall has planted over half a mile of shelter belts of these trees. The young trees are double fenced to a width of 12ft., and when the trees have been in a few years the distance between fences is increased to 21ft. Thus it is ensured

that a good undercover is retained. Barberry, which forms the remainder of the hedge shelter on the farm, also does well and there is now over a mile of barberry hedges. Until 1922 the property was used for dry stock. A small herd of 25 Milking Shorthorns was then established and this herd has been gradually increased over the years. At present a number of steers are carried as well as the dairy herd. No replacements have been purchased for over 10 years, all stock being reared on the. farm. Topdressing Topdressing of pastures was not practised until 1925, mainly because little or nothing was known about its benefits and also because the quantities available were only sufficient for sowing down with crops and young grass. Because of lack of topdressing before this, the pastures would require renewing at least every 4 years. This practice of renewing pastures was continued until about 1925, by which time the farm had been reploughed on two

occasions and regrassed. Since topdressing of pastures was commenced in 1920 the practice has been to apply 3cwt. of superphosphate and 6cwt. of carbonate of lime per acre per annum. About 1925, because of the scarcity of superphosphate, basic slag was used for 4 or 5 years at the rate of 3cwt. per acre per annum, but it was replaced by superphosphate as soon as it. became available in sufficient quantities. With the outbreak of the Second World War serpentine superphosphate was applied at the rationing quota of approximately 2cwt. per acre and this type of phosphatic fertiliser has been used ever since in place of superphosphate. The application of 6cwt. of lime per acre per annum was continued throughout the war. In the early days the appliances available for topdressing compared with those used now were primitive. The most accurate was the grain and turnip drill, 11 boxes wide, and set high up. The alternative to this method was to sow by hand from a bag around the neck. Today topdressing is done with a distributor drawn by horses.

With the introduction of topdressing ploughing ceased, as the pastures that previously had to be ploughed up after 4 years because they were run out could be held and improved with the use of artificial manures. The 30 paddocks of the farm have been down for 20 years and are now carrying a first-class sward of perennial ryegrass, white clover, cocksfoot, and timothy. With the greatly improved life and production of the sward through topdressing, little cropping has been carried out for a number of years. The competition from weeds and the cost of regrassing after cropping are so great that any satisfactory way of overcoming the cropping problem is welcome. With modern machinery hay and silage can be made to replace turnips and swedes and the fields are shut up for only 8 weeks, whereas with a crop they are lost to grazing for a much longer period. The farm is topdressed. in autumn each year with the exception of the lucerne paddock, which is topdressed after the first cut in spring; the hay paddocks also receive an extra dressing in spring. Utilisation Rotational grazing is practised on the farm, which is well subdivided for the purpose. Pastures are topped where and when considered necessary to control the grass when it tends to get away. All surplus pasture is made into hay and silage, from 35 to 45 acres being shut up each season. In addition to this an area of lucerne has always been grown, the first cut being made into silage, the next two into hay, and if there is a scarcity of feed in a dry summer, the remaining lucerne is cut and fed daily to the milking cows. In autumn about a third of the farm is shut up and this autumn-saved pasture is fed to the cows after they have calved in early spring and before spring pasture growth has started. This critical feed period of late July, August, and sometimes well into September has been overcome almost completely by autumn topdressing of pastures and then shutting them up and conserving much of the flush autumn growth for feeding out. Mr. Hall realises that the greatly increased growth brought about by topdressing with artificial manures must be fully utilised if the most is to be got out of the increased pasturage, and therefore very careful thought must be given to pasture management. Production In 1922, the year in which a change was made to dairying, the butterfat production was about 50001 b. By 1932, 10 years later, the dairy herd had been increased from 25 to 60 cows and butterfat production to 15,0001 b. There was a gradual increase in dairy stock carried and in butterfat produced each year up to 1940 when 95 cows were milked producing 26,0851 b. of butterfat. Besides the 95 head of dairy stock, 55 head of dry stock were run, including 25 steers as well as heifers. During the war fewer dairy cows were carried and the number of dry stock was increased. For the past 10 years the property has carried a beast to the acre throughout the year. Throughout this 25-year period the area in grass

has remained the same, the area in crop has been reduced from 20 acres to no cropping, and, because of topdressing and with it a very substantial increase in pasture production, necessitating subdivision and . good pasture management, the carrying capacity has been increased enormously arid butterfat production has ranged from 50001 b. to 26,0851 b. A „ i l- r, . c A Kukunia Dairy Farm The Rukuhia dairy farm to be discussed is a property of 150 acres situated on the main highway between Hamilton and Te Awamutu and 6 miles - from Hamilton. It was purchased by Mr. W. R. Roberts in 1910 and is now farmed by one of his sons, Mr. S. Roberts. The farm had previously been used by a contractor for grazing horses and was carrying a pasture predominantly of ratstail and twitch with a complete absence of clovers on the rolling country, while the flats were in kahikatea swamp and covered with blackberry and. stumps. The farm was then in 3 paddocks without shelter of any kind. Wisfnrv nf n P vpinr.n>pnt History of Development A system of ploughing up each year 12 to 15 acres of this very poor ratstail pasture was followed and the area was put into Algerian oats for chaff and the following year into grass, Bonedust was used at the rate of 3cwt. per acre when-sowing both oats and new grass. The manure was mixed with th £, oats and sown with the gram drill. The oats were cut in January and the land prepared and sown in grass in March. The seed mixture used per acre was Hawkes Bay ryegrass 251 b., Akaroa cocksfoot 41b., Italian ryegrass 51b., crested dogstail lib., white clover l|lb., cowgrass 2ilb., and . subterranean clover lib. After sowing down the pasture was not topdressed and in most cases was ploughed up after 4 or 5 years and regrassed. Development of the swamp began in 1914 with the breaking in of 4 acres and this practice was continued each

year. The area was first stumped by hand, then burnt, and'sown with millet or soft turnips as a catch crop, and then to grass. Open drains were put in where required. The swamp-land was sown in spring, while the rolling country was autumn sown. It was found that if the swamp-land was autumn sown the clover plants would be badly frosted. The grass-seed mixlure per acre used was H.B. ryegrass 201 b., - Italian ryegrass 81b., cocksfoot 41b., white clover 21b.,' cowgrass 41b., and timothy 21b. The farm has been well subdivided into 8-acre paddocks, and lawsonianas are grown for shelter on the rolling country, while barberry is used on the flats. There is about 1 mile of lawsonianas and 1 mile of barberry hedges. Water i<, , a id on to all naddocks and . YurSied laid 2 bores and 1 artesian !Lfi Pp a py Z pores ana 1 artesian weu - Tnn,ir Ccc in<, p r ss g Topdressing was not practised until 1920, because little was known about its benefits and also because the limited supply of fertiliser available was required for cropping and sowing ith the young grass. The original ratstail pastures did not warrant the expenditure of money on artificial manure. About this time it was reansed that topdressing would enable high-class pastures to be produced on poor land by building up the fertility in the top few inches of the soil. This provided food for the grasses and clovers and the flush of feed obtained made heavy stocking possible. Of the fertiliser used bonedust was the favourite until it became scarce and expensive. since topdressing started in 1920 the practice has been to apply a mixture o equal parts of superphosphate and bonedust at the rate of 3cwt. per acre an fl n me at scwt. per acre. A little potash, usually about 301 b. per acre, is used in addition to the phosphate and lime on the swamp country. From 1937 until fertiliser rationing began.

the mixture used was 3cwt. of superphosphate, lewt. of bonedust, and 2cwt. of lime per acre per year, plus I cwt. of potash on the swamp-land. Throughout the rationing period lime and potash remained at this rate, while superphosphate was reduced to ljcwt. and lately has been slightly increased to 2cwt. per acre. Bonedust has not been available. In the early days topdressing was done with the grain drill pulled by horses; today a topdresser pulled by a tractor covers four times as great an area in an hour. One paddock which was sown in 1916 remained - down until 1946 when it was ploughed up, cropped, and resown. Most of the paddocks on the farm carry a first-class sward of perennial ryegrass, cocksfoot, and white clover, but a few have suffered from the effects of fertiliser rationing and are being ploughed up in turn and cropped with soft turnips and then put into the better types of recently developed Certified grass and clover strains. The effects of lack of sufficient fertiliser throughout the war can be seen in the pasture deterioration and reduced production. The farm is topdressed in autumn of each year, the hay paddocks getting an extra dressing in spring. Mr. Roberts considers that a saturation point can be reached in the application of artificial manures, and that to get the most from them climatic conditions must be ideal, with good utilisation of the increased pasture growth. Utilisation Rotational grazing is practised until January and from then on the cows are allowed free range. Topping of pastures is carried out when and where necessary. Cropping was not carried out after 1930, with the exception of a paddock of soft turnips which was sown when a run-out pasture was ploughed and before it was resown. Cropping and resowing have been necessary in recent years through lack of fertiliser during the war and resultant loss of fertility and pasture deterioration. All surplus spring pasture growth is made into hay and silage, from 30 to 40 acres being shut up for hay and 10 acres for silage each year. A surplus of 1 year’s requirements of hay and silage is always carried over as an insurance against drought and severe winters. The quality of the hay and silage made would be hard to

equal in the Waikato, and the method of covering haystacks, is an example that could be followed by many. As Mr. Roberts points out, a considerable sum of money is spent by some farmers each year on fertiliser to give increased pasture production and then much of the excess spring growth is wasted because little or no hay and silage is made; if harvesting is carried out, it is done so late that much of the grass’s value is lost. Often when quite good hay is made at least 40 per cent, of the stored hay is lost through shoddy methods of covering the stacks. About 60 acres of pasture are shut up each autumn and this autumnsaved pasture is fed to the cows as soon as they calve in early spring, and provides good succulent feed at a time when pasture growth is very slow. Production In 1910, when the area in grass was 80 acres, 30 grade Jersey cows were milked and produced 60001 b. of butterfat. In addition 40 head of dry stock were carried. By 1920 the area under grass had increased to 120 acres, the stock to 60 cows, and the production of butterfat to 15,0001 b. The dry-stock position remained the same. The area under grass reached its maximum in 1930 and in this year cropping ceased. The stock had increased to 90 milking cows and 32 head of dry stock and the butterfat was up to 23.0001 b. Production reached a peak 10 years later at the start of the war in 1939 when the area in pasture was the same as it was 10 years previously and no cropping was carried out. In this year 110 cows and 35 head of dry and replacement stock were carried, giving a production of 36,3001 b. of butterfat. Since then, although the stocking was the same and the pasture was supplemented by 7 acres of turnips each year, production has slowly declined. The production in . 1946 was down to 27,0001 b. of butterfat from 110 dairy cows. Between 1930 and 1939 on a similar area in grass the stock increased from 90 to 110 cows and butterfat production from 23,0001 b. to 36,3001 b. With the rationing of fertiliser the production has steadily declined and in 1944 was down as low as 25.0001 b. of fat. With an increase in the fertiliser allocation the production increased to 27,0001 b. of butterfat in 1946. Throughout this period the same number of replacement stock were carried, but in addition about 100 hoggets were fattened each autumn between 1942 and 1947.

Summary For the first .10 to* 12 years in development of the Waikato the income of farmers was derived from the sale of fat stock in Auckland. For the next 20 years the English system of farming prevailed and the settlers carried, out mixed farming, using artificial manures instead of farmyard manure. It was found that pastures put down following crops did very well largely because of the delayed action of the fertilisers, particularly bonedust, that were sown with the crops, and it soon became the practice to sow down grass seed with fertiliser too. With the advent of refrigeration and the establishment of the Southdown freezing works and later those at Horotiu, as well as the opening of butter and cheese factories, the use of fertilisers for topdressing began. A one-man dairy and fat-lamb farm was now a commercial possibility and made possible the purchase of land by farm labourers. . The first topdressing was carried out about 40 years ago and with its introduction ploughing ceased, as pastures that previously had to be ploughed up after 4 years because they were run out could be held and improved with the use of artificial manures. It was then realised that topdressing as a general farm practice would enable high-class pastures to be produced on poor land. Pastures that previously carried a sward of sweet vernal, browntop, ratstail, and Yorkshire fog, with an almost complete absence of clovers, could, by topdressing, hold a pasture of perennial ryegrass, cocksfoot, and white clover. Of the fertilisers used bonedust was most favoured until it became scarce and expensive. It was superseded by “Waikato mixture” of equal parts of bonedust, guano, and superphosphate. By 1920 superphosphate had come into its own. Today more attention is being paid to the use of minerals such as copper sulphate and cobalt. Mechanisation has made the task of topdressing a relatively easy one on flat and rolling country. In the early days the work was done by hand from a bag round the neck, then came the use of the grain drill, and today there are many types of mechanical topdressers that have reduced the time and labour of topdressing to a minimum. The effect of topdressing was to provide a veneer of fertility which nourished the shallow roots of the white clover plant and thus made the plant perennial on poor soil. Heavy stocking was made possible by autumn topdressing, which provided a flush of feed for winter. Today on soil that 40 years ago carried a very {>oor sward of native grasses with a ow carrying capacity and poor production there is a first-class sward of the best of English grasses, with a carrying capacity and production in most cases at least 300 per cent, greater than it was on a corresponding area 40 years ago. Subdivision, shelter, and improved systems of pasture management have all played a big part, but in the Waikato at least it must be agreed that the major factor in the development of farm lands has been topdressing.

* Cropping area only. NOTE: Before 1912 fertiliser was used for cropping only and bonedust, blood and bone, and superphosphate were sown with the seed at the rate of 3cwt. per acre. In 1920, 1925, and 1930 A.F.F.C.O. Al fertiliser was used while in 1935 superphosphate, Seychelles, and blood and bone were applied together with Clark’s No. I potash mixture. Superphosphate, blood and bone, and Clark’s No. I potash mixture were applied in 1940 and 1942, but owing to fertiliser rationing the phosphate applied was reduced and In 1944, 1946, and 1947 cobaltlsed serpentine superphosphate was applied together with 301 b. of muriate of potash.

Cereals for Roots and green Oats for Hay and Season Cereals for threshing fodder chaff silage* (acres) Roots and green fodder (acres) Oats for chaff (acres) Hay and silage* (acres) 1921-22 247 16,891 2,546 17,528 1926-27 65 13,706 919 28,069 1930-31 25 5,616 459 45,236

THE DECLINE IN CROPPING IN WAIKATO AND WAIPA COUNTIES

Area farmed (acres) Cows In milk Breeding ewes 1920 321,000 51,000 36,000 (925 .. .. 371,000 81,000 55,000 1930 350,000 106,000 127,000 1935 .. .. 406,000 144,000 158,000 1940 .. .. 414,000 147,000 255,000 (945 404,000 (45,000 356,000

NUMBERS OF MILK ANIMALS IN WAIKATO AND WAIPA OOTTNTIES

Season Area In grass (acres) Area In crops (acres) Area In hay and silage (acres) Fertiliser and lime (cwt. nor acre) Stock carried Fertiliser Lime Stock carried Lime Breeding ewes Dry sheep ling ewes Cattle Dry sheep Cattle 1886 320 60 — 3* — 323 323 391 391 97 97 1890 320 74 *— 3* 3* —- —- 238 238 697 697 110 HO 1900 410 60 —- 3* — 280 533 116 1910 420 60 — 3* —. 282 282 331 331 159 159 1920 482 — 6 21 — 250 == 244 250 244 1925 482 =» 12 12 21 21 MM. ■on UM. — 200 200 380 380 1930 482 ■mu 12 21 — . 576 576 232 232 370 370 1935 482 12 5 2 850 225 263 1940 482 uuew 12 12 4 4 2 2 1,775 1,775 M* 166 1942 482 — 16 16 4 4 2 2 1,945 1,945 200 MM* . 200 1944 482 MM. '• 20 20 2 2 2 2 1,892 1,892 173 M-. 173 1948 482 ■MB ' —■ 2 2 1,900 48 160 1947 482 — — • 2 2 1,900 60 180

STOCK-CARRYING CAPACITY ON MR. A. MAIN’S PROPERTY OF 482 ACRES

Season Area In grass (acres) Area In crops (acres) Area In hay and silage i (acres) Fertiliser and lime per acre (cwt. per acre) Dry stock carried Sheep Herd replace- o ments ti No. of cows milked Butterfat (lb.) Phosphate Potash Lime 1916 250 MM l<— ■» MM 70 MM «—• mm MM ' MM 70 . MM MM 1920 275 25 10 11 1 300 60 mm 58 1 9.873 300 60 58 9.873 1925 400 42 49 3 mm. 11 1} 150 150 75 75 130 130 31,728 31,728 1930 500 22 66 3 Total of 1935 500 22 66 3 Total of 6 tons 11 60 70 161 49.321 500 18 73 31 mm 2 100 140 239 80,155 1940 500 10 80 H MM 2 100 160 255 86,8621 1941 500 7 83 •1 MM 3 50 135 243 77.4851 1942 500 9 68 11 MM U 55 141 267 71.871 1943 500 5 71 . 11 MM —— 2 2 30 30 132 132 200 200 60,010 60,010 1944 500 —— • 66 ii Total of I ton 2 50 120 199 65.463 1945 55 1 ton 2 50 120 199 65.463 1945 500 500 — MM. 55 11 Total of 2 tons 133 ' 2 tons 2 2 75 75 133 205 55.146 5946 500 20 69 2 MM 2 58 147 201 59,927 (947 500 2 60 132 223

PRODUCTION ON MR. K. RENNIE’S FARM OF 606 ACRES

Area In Season grass Area Area In In grass crops (acres) (acres} Area Fertiliser and lime used No. of cows milked Butterfat Butterfat (lb.) Weather Area In In hay and crops silage (acres] (acres) In (cwt. per acre) hay and PhosDry stock silage me carried ph ate Potash LI (acres) ) (acres) (cwt. per acre) Dry stock sarried Phosphate Potash Lime c 1920 147 20 15 3 BMM 6 25 5,000 1925 147 20 30 3 MM. 6 50 11,000 1930 147 10 40 3 MM 6 50 12,000 1935 147 MM 40 3 MM 6 80 60 15,000 1939 147 MM 45 45 3 3 <— 6 70 80 . MM 21,673 6 70 80 21,673 1940 147 ■MB 50 11 MM 6 55 95 26,085 1941 147 SMB 50 50 H 11 —— 6 MM 65 6 85 65 23.335 85 23.335 1942 147 MM 40 40 11 11 — 6 MM 60 6 90 60 22.356 90 22.356 1943 147 MM 45 45 11 11 — -M 6 6 69 69' 8! 81 20,839 20,839 Severe Severe drought year 1944 147 MM 45 45 U 11 —— MM 6 6 78 78 72 72 20,552 20,552 Dry autumn Dry autumn 1945 147 6 40 11 MM 6 70 80 17,198 Drought year 1946 147 6 40 2 MM 6 67 83 19,809 Dry autumn 1947 147 6 40 2 / ■— 6 76 74 18,945 Dry autumn

PRODUCTION ON MR. G. HALL’S FARM OF 147 ACRES

Season Area In grass (acres) Area In crop (acres Area In hay and silage ) (acres) Fertiliser and lime (cwt. per acre) Dry stock carried No. of Phos- cows phate Potash Lime milked Dry stock carried Herd No. of replace- cows Sheep ments milked Butterfat Weather (lb.) Weather Sheei Herd replace= p ments Phosphate Potash Lime ' 1310 80 10 ,0 - — ■M. 2 2 3 3 100 100 40 40 30 30 6.000 6.000 1920 120 8 20 - — —m 21 21 ram MM 4 4 100 100 40 40 60 60 ,5.000 15.000 ,925 130 6 25 - — MB 3 3 auu 4 100 30 75 ,8.000 1930 140 6 25 - ,0 10 31 31 ■ram MM 5 5 ,00 100 32 32 90 90 23,000 23,000 1935 146 I' m 30 - ,0 10 4 4 ■rara MM 5 5 ,00 100 40 40 110 no 30.000 30.000 ,939 146 — 35 - ,0 35 - 4 10 1 4 5 1 100 5 35 100 1,0 35 36.300 HO 36.300 1940 ,46 —. 35 - 35 - 10 4 1 5 100 35 no 35.000 ,941 140 7 30 - — mmm 2 2 1 1 5 5 too 100 30 30 HO no 31.000 31.000 *1942 140 7 40 - — — 2 2 3 3 ,00 100 35 35 HO no 24,000 24.000 Severe Severe drought ,943 140 7 too drought 7 40 - — 40 - fl — 1 11 3 1 ,00 3 18 18 HO no 27.000 27.000 Dry autumn Dry autumn 1944 140 7 40 - — 11 1 4 100 20 HO 25,000 Very dry autumn , 945 140 autumn 8 40 - — 2 ■M 4 4 ,00 100 25 25 HO HO 25.000 25,000 Dry autumn Dry autumn *1946 ,40 8 30 - 13 13 2 2 1 1 — 100 25 HO 27,000 * Herd trouble. trouble.

PRODUCTION ON MR. S. ROBERTS’S FARM OF 150 ACRES