On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 12 March 1914, Page 59

On the Land

GENERAL. During November 14 acres of lucerne and 5 acres of grass were made into ensilage at the Moumahaki Experimental Farm. In the experiments to determine the influence of manures on the feeding-value of pasture at the lluakura Farm of Instruction the live-weight gains made in November on the basic-slag area were sufficient to pay for the cost of all manuring. In 1911 the United Kingdom imported 23,097 cwt of honey. Of this, British West India Islands supplied 8370 cwt, and the United States of America 7000 cwt. The system' of adding dry, pure crushed linseed to the separated milk given to calves, and the feeding with crushed oats, has been continued at the Ruakura Farm of Instruction this season, with the best results. Scour has been almost entirely absent. The season that is drawing to a close is said to be probably the worst ever experienced by the small farmers of, the Hutt Valley (says the Jew Zealand Times). Blight has been rampant in the district, and there is hardly a holding that has not suffered through the ravages of the pest. Farms that gave promise of an abundant harvest of Tomatoes and potatoes were practically laid waste by blight in a night or two. In one instance a farmer who had planted four acres with tomatoes, to the growth of which he paid special attention, sprayed the plants on a Saturday evening, and on Monday morning discovered the crop totally destroyed and blackened as if swept by fire. In old days seeds were often tested by dropping a few at a time into a bowl of water, their excellence or the reverse being judged by the time which they took to go to the bottom. If good, turnip, cabbage, or radish seeds sink at once, cucumber, lemon, and endive requiring more time. If beetroot seeds sprinkled lightly into a cupful of warm water still float at the end of an hour, it is a sign that they are not good. At Addington last week there was a very large entry of store sheep, and rather smaller yardings of fat sheep and fat lambs, and good entries in the other departments. There was a very large attendance of farmers, this being accounted for by the fact that they are now becoming free of harvest work. Fat cattle were rather easier. All classes of store sheep were in keen demand. Lambs were firm at slightly better average value, and fat sheep showed an advance. Pigs were unchanged in prices. Fat lambs. —Tegs, 18s to 19s 6d ; extra, to 21s 3d average weights, 16s to 17a 9d; light and unfinished, 15s to 15s 9d. Fat sheep. — Prime wethers, 21s to 24s Gd; extra, to 28s; others, 19s 8d ; extra, to 21s 3d; average weights, 16s to 17s ewes, 18s to 20s 6d ; medium, 15s 6d to 17s 6d; aged and light, 12s 5d to 15s ; merino ewes, 9s 6d. Fat cattle. Prices declined by about Is per 1001 b, the current rate being 28s to 31s. Quotations are; Steers, £7 15s to £ll ; extra, to £l4 10s ; heifers, £6 to £9 10s ; cows, £5 to £9 7s 6d. Pigs. —Choppers, £3 10s to £6 10s ; heavy baconers. £3 2s 6d to £3 17s 3d ; lighter baconers, £2 12s 6d to £3—price per lb s£d to s|d ; heavy porkers, £2 7s to £2 10s; lighter porkers, £2 to £2 price per lb 6 ld. At Burnside last week the yarding (174 head) of fat cattle proved quite sufficient for requirements. The bulk consisted of cows and heifers and medium weight Steers, for which the demand was not very keen, and the sale somewhat erratic. Prime quality bullocks of good weight sold well under good competition. Best bullocks brought from £l3 to £ls ; medium, £ll IQs to £l2 10s ; light, £BTosto £lO ids; best heifers, £8 10s to £9 15s; medium, £6 10s to £7 10s ; light and inferior, £5 to £6. Fat sheep. The yarding showed a considerable falling off as compared with the previous week’s supply, only 1412 being penned. There was a good demand for both., ewes and wethers at an advance of fully Is per head on previous rates. Best wethers brought 24s

to 27s 6d; extra, to 31s 6d ; medium weights, 21s 6d to 235; light, 18s to 20s 6d; best ewes, 20s to 23s 3d; medium, Ifs to 18s 6d. Lambs. sßo were penned, of which the greater number were of. medium quality. Prime lambs sold at equal to previous week’s rates, but medium and inferior were rather easier. Bes(. lambs brought from 18s to 19s 3d; medium, 16s to 17s 6d. Pigs.— 37 fats were penned, and these met with a good demand, prices ruling firm at previous week’s rates. On the other hand, stores were in slow demand, and the yarding, consisting of 115, sold at a reduction of 2s 6d to 5s per head as compared with recent values. V HOW TO OBTAIN THE BEST CROPS. An average crop of hay extracts from the soil about 501 b of nitrogen, an equal quantity of potash, and 131 b of phosphoric acid. A question often asked is: Should a dressing of nitrogen be applied to the land As a rule, probably not, or to quite a limited extent. The clover which grows in the field and the bacteria which are active in meadow land may be trusted to collect sufficient nitrogen out of the air to nourish not only the clover but the grasses. This is assuming that the meadow contains a fair proportion of clover; when such is not the case and there is little clover, then a dressing of nitrogen is advisable and very advantageous. The two other plant foods, potash and phosphoric acid, should be liberally applied to meadows, especially if the field is poor in plant food. Kainit is a good form of potash, except in very heavy lands, and then sulphate of potash should be used. To obtain the best crops the land should be well fed with potash until the hay itself contains 20 per cent, of potash. An analysis of the hay affords a good indication of its manurial requirements. Phosphate of lime is another constituent which must be liberally applied if the best results are to be obtained. Most old meadows are lacking in phosphoric acid. The more phosphoric acid and potash is applied, up to a reasonable extent, the better quality will be the hay, and the richer the resulting manure. For meadows and pastures phosphate and potash are the most inmortant ingredients ; in the same way for cereals, nitrogen is the most necessary. Wheat fields hunger after nitrogen, and the man who allows his crops to suffer for this constituent is not a good farmer, because its application to the crops results in a good profit. It may be reckoned that the application of 201 b of nitrogen —say, l|cwt. of nitrate of soda—will increase the grain crop by 1001 b. In general, in order to obtain the biggest crop, the following rules should be observed : ♦The soil must be thoroughly well tilled and maintained free foom weeds. * The seed must be good and the variety suitable to the locality. The soil must be so well supplied with phosphoric acid and potash that there is an ample avail quantity for the crop at every. stage of growth. The application of nitrogen must not be neglected. It is better to apply two dressings of lewt each than one big dressing of 2cwt.