GOOD RESULTS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 111, 23 February 1950, Page 4

GOOD RESULTS

IRRIGATION AT WINCHMORE REPORT TO COMMITTEE According to reports presented to a meeting of the AshburtonLyndhurst Irrigation farm Advisory Committee, held at - Winchmore, the response of the pastures and lucerne to irrigation was the outstanding feature of the period from June 1, 1949 to January 31, 1950. Mr C. C. Leitch, field’s superintendent for the Department of Agriculture at Christchurch, presided. Reports were given on the dairy, piixed and experimental farm projects. Dairy Farm Irrigation response on this farm had been excellent, the report stated, and the condition of the pastures was excellent for the type of . land involved. On the debit side was the lack of growth „ during August and September which was always likely to occur in Canterbury. That was a difficult period for the farm and only by buying extra hay was the stock brought thfough the period. Irrigation commenced early in September and had been conducted throughout the period. The new lucerne area after a slow start had established well. •

Sixty three cows and 25 eighteenmonth heifers were running on the farm, and 2800 bales of hay had been harvested. After the completion of the piggeries, 10 store pigs were bought in July and in September delivery was taken of four young sows and a boar. Further store pigs had been bought from time to time. During July, 20 two-year-old in-calf heifers and a pedigree Jersey yearling bull came to the unit from Taranaki. A three-year-old pedigree Jersey bull was bought in September. Cream production had been excellent in quantity and grade. Figures for August were 355.11bs finest grade, September 1530.4 finest, October 2073.5 finest and 17.91bs first, November 1945.1 finest and 144.9 first, December 1880 finest and 201.8 first, January 1918.6 finest.

v Mixed Farm As on the dairy farm, the difficult months during the eight-month period had been August and September, said the mixed farm report. While stock had recovered there was no doubt that better provisions would have to be made for that period this year. The lambing figures were not as good as those of the previous season. The number of lambs was 721 from 623 ewes served. Since tailing, 19 lambs had died. The wool from 120 ewe hoggets shorn in October was sold in January. . ■

Irrigation was not earned out until October because of the re-lining of the supply ditches for the research and mixed farms. During the summer irrigation had been carried out consistently. The lucerne stand of 24 acres had been cut three times yielding 750, 560 and 893 bales..

Experimental Farm The office and laboratory building at the farm had been completed, and the ,staff would commence work there shortly. The laboratory staff was being trained at the Rukuhia Soil Fertility Research Station before its transfer. The building is spread over about 1500 square feet, and is constructed mainly of steel. The large laboratory is fully equipped with benches, cupboards, "fluorescent lighting, and other facilities for research. Two rooms adjoin the laboratory, one for weighing purposes and tbe other for developing films. There are four small offices and one large clerical office. All equipment for spray irrigation had been received, continued the report, and would be installed shortly. This equipment would be used to conduct experiments comparing the results of spray irrigation with other types in operation. At present research is being conducted into the effects of differing irrigation treatments on lucerne, seeking to establish the effects of one irrigation between cuts, two between cuts, and one between cuts on alternate years. From two cuts to date results have been: Control 2 ton per acre; one irrigation IS tons; two 12 tons; one on alternate years IS tons. Further research in train includes wheat irrigation, she,ep-carrying capacity, pasture establishment, irrigation interval and grass-grub control, seed mixtures and crop trials with swedes, mangolds and chou moellier. The dairy and mixed farm reports were presented by Mr W. C. Stafford, irrigation officer, and that for the research farm by Mr G. K. McPherson.