INTENSIVE CULTIVATION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19957, 18 June 1930, Page 13

INTENSIVE CULTIVATION.

TO THE EDITOR Of THE PMtS Sir^—A few days ago you published a report ■ from.. Lincoln College- dealing with some of its work on pasture management. Later,' in an article written by yourself, you - referred to what is now known tis intensive grazing as if it w(ire a new discovery,; whereas: this is'-hardly; ''easel No- doubt, fit has latety • been taken up extensively, in many parts of the world,, with much thought and work* given to> it, and Lincoln College.has not lagged behind. Still,' the main features of intensive grazing have been known for generations, else why the old idea of small paddocks and change often ? - These ejihall paddocks would not have been tolerated unless much increase was expected from them, for in other- ways the small field is d. cufse, much more expensive to crop and keep clean, and Hatder v to provide with shelter ; and 'Another idea that has : heen claimed /as new-is that known as. topdressing of grass land. This was in vogue ■ many years ago, - especiallyj the

use of superphosphate. It was. then held that most soils in Canterbury were short of phosphates, 4 and of J these super was ! found .to -be most suited to these soils, and was looked on as worth while using, but no one seemed to get the startling- results sometimes claimed. for •it .now, so' that either • tho super or else our imaginations must have become stronger since then. The other .two main.plant.foods, owing to their varying, results' and : tneir higher costs, were looked on with' some susP1 Again, the harrowing' and lijght working of pastures is often wrongly put forward ae 'a new ideal' Now, all these were known and tried years ago in New Zealand; however, since then great advances have been made, and the greatejj ef advance •is in the number of farmer9->who have been persuaded to take notice; but a great: deal of work still remains, and. no one will deny that Lincoln' College is,taking its 6hare-of it, putting in steady and consistent work. and getting, results. To get back to intensive grazingand the problem of providing for the increased number of stock, it seems a pity that the college' haß not more time for "lucerne growing. Surely this plant must have. great value in times of scarcity—as hay in winter and as green feed in our. dry spoils of autumn., when, rotational grazing has failed entirely. When one sees, all- the selection -work- in the plant-breeding section to show_ all' the variations" of the different strains, one feel? sad to think : that, alongside the boss plant in'all the rows of red clover there is no.lucerne plant to show it uo. Lucerne has done well-in Canter bury, in spite. of our, mistakes, and it should do much better if the college took it in hand.—Yours, June 17th, 1930.

TRADE CONDITIONS IN ENGLAND TO THB BDITOB O*' THE PRESS , gj r In your issue of this morning's date '"H.A.B." criticises Captain Polley's, references to the "dole"- as being one-sided and unfair. I have a brother at Home who in a letter to me wrote as follows: "This morning theater at' this hotel, a very good feUow, a returned soldier, came to me and said that he was up his job jand coin? to live at his home. for. he said, f sghall. be much better: off W ,™ now. 'for my wife and I will both ceive 'the dole, and-also my cWdren. In a letter received a fortnight ago he wrote • saying: "I have just been dwn to the docks, where I saw a jju^.

sian vessel unloading 'timber and large quantities of window sashes and doors; there were a • fair number of unemployed young men hanging round with whom I got into, conversation,,, and pointed out, to them how a small duty 011 these sashes, etc., ; would . enable them to be manufactured at home and provide work for those who, like themselves, were. unemployed. To my amazement they were quite indifferent in the matter. It appeared that they preferred the small dole and nothing to do to employment with good wages. Surely these cases need no comment. With regard to the big business magnates, they are out to make', money, which means Wages and employment in thousands, and if business ventures wero likely to, be profitable they would embark on them no matter what ' Government held office. —Yours, etc., TE KOROHEKE. June 17th, 1930. ,