FARMERS ATTENTION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 255, 8 January 1941, Page 2

FARMERS ATTENTION

"LET 1940-41 BE A SEED PRODUCTION YEAR" HERE IS A MESSAGE FRCMi THE DIRECTOR OF PRIMARY PRODUCTION

To be successful in farming, adaptability on ihe farmer's part to •changing circumstances is essential. Farming is not a static industry; IV is dynamic, ever-changing, and is •subject to .fluctuations caused by such things as climate, disease incidence, labour conditions and market prices for produce. War conditions introduce a newt actor into the

economic vagaries to which iarming is prone, and the nation's needs must have priority over the individuals personal preferments in the activities he is undertaking.

In the present crisis, with Britain •and the Empire in a life and. death struggle for existence, it is of paramount importance that all our energies should be directed to the most effective end, and the "farming front," which is all-important in providing the necessary sinews of •war, can play an extremely important part in making up the deficiencies in primary products which have arisen in Britain as a result of many of her normal markets now being closed.

Farming Adapted. *» New Zealand's efforts so far have been good. Her farmers have responded well to the call for increased production. Wheat areas have been increased. Our maize acreage •will be a record* A new linen flax industry has been established. Crops have been sown for special feed purposes. Provision has been made enabling the Dominion to be selfsupporting in such seeds as turnips, swedes, rape, kale, mangels and other forage crops. The drive for an added 10,000 tons of bacon is well on its way to fruition. The changeover of a portion of our milk from butter to cheese has been effected. Never in the history of the Dominion hass o much fertiliser and lime been spread on the land as at present, and the kindly spring which has obtained over the whole Dominion augers well for a record production year.

In other words, farmers have adapted, and are still further adapting, their programme of work to suit the changing conditions demand ed by the Empire's needs, and it is not being too optimistic to predict a record production year for the season 1940-41.

Further Help. Mnch lias been done, bur more ■will require to be done before successful finality to the war is brought about. How further can wei help? It must be apparent to all tliat, with the great growth of graiss whieh has taken place in most parts of the Dominion, adequate supplies of hay and silage for . the wintering of stock should be secured. This will assist in building up our flocks and herds and promoting further production for next season. But allied to any drive for grass conservation, the necessity for seed production effort must be emphasised.

New Zealand is one of the finest grass and clover seed producing •countries in the world. Without being egotistical, we can claim to the production of the best strains of grasses and clovers, and our unique geographical and climatic position makes us a glass growing country par excellence. Seed growirig is the natural concomitant to grass production, and although we have done well in the past in seed production, there neve.r has been a time in our history more so than the present in which a greater demand was made upon our farmers, who are urged to make 1940 u 4l a grass and clover seed production year.

SWEDES FOR WINTER FEED Thes owing of turnips and swedes "will now be claiming the attention •of farmers: Swedes are the standard Winter crop, turnips being utilised for early and late autumn supplementary feeding. The yellow-fleshed varieties are not so widely used as formerly, and ore being replaced by such white-fleshed varieties as Imperial Green Globe and Hardy Green -Globe, which are firm ill the flesh. To secure a reasonable crop of turnips or swedes, the first factor is to "•have* the land in good heart. Careful ploughing to ensure,' that all seed

growth is completely buried, followed by thorough preparatory cultivation to secure a fine seed bed, is essential, but the prime factor in securing satisfactory crops is to have the lnnd in good heart.

The time of ploughing and the general cultivation and manurial treat-

ment required vary in accordance with climate and soil. The soils of the Rotorua-Putaruru-Tokoroa districts arc of the i3umi.ee na'ure; they are light, very free, and easily cultivated, and the average annual rainfall is more than 50 inches, which is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.

Temporary Pasture. Swede crops grown on virgin land are light, and the most common farming practice when first ploughing this class of land is to sow in n temporary pasture :in which a liberal seeding of red clover is included. Red clcvcr grows luxuriantly, and plays an important part in building up the fertility of the soil. After two or three years, when the temporary pasture has to a great extent deteriorated, the land is ploughed and cultivated, and then sown in. a swede crop. Excellent crops are obtained by this method.

On farms which have been farmed for a number of years, swedes are principally grown following the breaking up of old pastures. Although pumice soils are light and do not appear promising in the natural covering of light scrub, fern, and tussock in its virgin state, surprisingly good crops are produced, following a temporary pasture or the breaking up of old pastures.

Cultivation. Farmers' field competitions have given reliable information in regard to Aveight per acre, methods of cultivation, and manurial treatment. The highest weights recorded are 60 tons and 57 tons per acre, and crops ranging from 35 tons to 40 tons per acre are common. The ploughing of virgin land is usually done in the late autumn or winter to allow 7 soil aeration. Field competition records show that in the general production of swedes the time of ploughing— other than for virgin lands—ranges, from August to October; September and October appears to be a popular period for this' work.

Too often, cultivation consists of a double discing and once over with the chain harrows, but this is not sufficient to break up the furrow. The cultivation method followed year by year —and that which has given the most consistently successful results in even and good crops ■ —is ploughing sto 6 inches deep in October, and rolling in the direction of the furrow at the end of each day's ploughing. This greatly assists in giving good consolidation and in pressing the furrows close together, and checks weed growth. The land is then double disced lightly in the direction of the ploughing and then on a slight angle, but never directly across the direction of the ploughing, as this tends to lift the furrow, and faulty germination will result. A' double stroke with the tine harrows, or more if required, is also done in the direction of the ploughing or on a slight angle, and the land is rolled before the seed is

sown. Manurial Treatment. Good crops have been produced with various fertilisers' in which phosphates predominate applied at rate of 2%cwt to 3%cwt per acrle. A popular fertiliser used throughout Putaruru and Tokoroa districts, and one which has produced winning crops in field competitions,, is a mixture comprising: Superphosphate 2 cwt, Seychelles %cwt„ boneflour 40 lb, basic slag 701b, and sulphate of potash 30'lb, applied at rate of 3cwt to 3%cwt per acre. The use of sulphate of potash from 201b to 301b per acre added to phosphatic mixi tures finds much favour.