FARMING NEWS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 8, 15 September 1944, Page 3

FARMING NEWS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Ammonium nitrate is an explosive if improperly handled, but the explosive danger is eliminated if the nitrate is handled like any other fertiliser. It is therefore recommended 'that paper fertiliser bags should be burnt when empty, as they create • a fire, hazard and burlap or clotli bags .should be thoroughly washed before storing. The various types of plough their functions and carc maintenance hints and a section of general methods of measuring out the land t striking out, and finishing are features of Bulletin No. 185, "Ploughs and Ploughing," which is available free from offices of the Department of Agriculture. The problem during certain seasons of the year of the provision o( suitable, succulcnt green leafage for stock is competently treated in "Cereals for Greenfeed." Bulletin No. 208 which is available free from •3 offices of the Department of Agriculture. The sowing, recommended seed varieties and utilisation of oats J 1 maize barley, wheat, ryecorn, millet and sorghum are discussed in a way which cannot fail to be of in* teres* to the farmer who places, due value on green feeds. May is. the generally-accepted time for the commencement of the planting season which could be conexcept in the coldest, districts throughout the winter months, In the coldest districts tree planting can be recommenced in the spring when danger of severe frosts and extremely cold spells of weather is over. however, should not be continued in those districts beyond the end of October unless a moist summer climate is commonly experienced. In districts where the winters are mild enough to permit ot' planting throughout there is ample, time for this work to be completed at the end of this month. In such districts where the soil dries, out in summer it is not advisable to continxic planting at the end of this month. In a broadcast address recently ( Mr Herbert Butcher, M.P. a member of the United Kingdom Parliamentary delegation to New Zealand said early in the war every farm in England had been examined on the spot by members' of these committees. They have found a farm in tlie - district decided what kind of a farm it was and they put the farmers in three categories: the* (a) category, which is the. skilled farmer, with good equipment who needs little supervision; and then the farmer in class (b), who couk'l do better if he really tried. He is dealt with pretty severely. He is usually given a year in which to put himself into l grade (a) or to get out. And then there is the class, (c) farmer. He may be lacking in experience although he is a good hard worker: or his farm may be short of labour; or he just hasn't got the right implements to do the needed cultivation. But if he is willing and eager to play liis part in the national effort, he is helped: money is found if that is his trouble: labour is provided or the cultivations arc done for him. But if he is not willing, or is incapable of being helped, then , his land is taken away from him for the duration of the war and for three j'e'ars thereafter, and is farmed by a competent farmer in the district or by the War Agricultural Committee itself.