PASTURE PROBLEMS

Te Ao Hou, Summer 1954, Page 42

PASTURE PROBLEMS Because of the severe winter conditions the life of pasture, and more especially legumes, is comparatively short. Normally, clover and alfalfa will survive for only four to five years. The replacement of pasture, therefore, is necessary every six years at least. The main cause of destruction is the severe ‘frost lifting’ during winter, and the subsequent thaw in early spring. Because of comparatively little competition from weeds only a few pounds of seed are necessary for the establishment of good, sound pasture. The usual seeding ranges from between 8 to 12 lb, which includes about 4 lb. of clover and 8 lb. of grasses. Red clovers are seldom used because these will not persist for any length of time, but the use of Lodino clover has now become universal. This clover apparently resists the winter conditions better than other clover species, while at the same time the abundance of foliage produced during the summer months is unsurpassed. Alfalfa is used both for haying purposes and for grazing, but it is seldom sown as a straight mixture, farmers preferring to mix it with permanent pasture grasses. The most common grasses used are Broome, Timothy and Ochard grass. If ‘frost lifting’ were confined to pasture the problem would be bad enough, but the damage by frost to fences is quite extensive, too. On every farm that I have visited so far, repair work to fences has been in progress. All fence posts are loosened up over the winter, and in severe cases posts are lifted right out of the ground. When building a fence here a hole has first to be pierced in the stony ground with a crowbar, and then, with the gentle persuasion of a 16in. sledge-hammer, the posts, which are pointed at one end, are driven in. Pointed posts are used as they are easier to drive in again after each successive winter. Fence wire cannot be stretched too tightly either, for tightly strained wire will snap off when ice or snow accumulates on it during the winter. I have yet to see a fence that would be sheep-proof, and without netting farmers could not build a sheep-proof fence. All fencing is done during early spring, as the softness of the ground enables posts to be driven in much more easily.