STOCK INCREASED BY 53 PER CENT IN FIVE YEARS

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30959, 15 January 1966, Page 9

STOCK INCREASED BY 53 PER CENT IN FIVE YEARS

In five years—one of which included the record drought of 1964-65 Mr J. D. Gallagher, of Rakahuri, has increased stock numbers by more than 53 per cent. In addition he has carried out an extensive cropping programme.

When Mr Gallagher paid £55 an acre for this 1448-acre grazing property, the price was the subject of considerable comment. Farmers wondered how, at that figure, the price was related to productive capacity. But, after only five seasons, there has been an impressive increase in production.

Wool production has increased 50 per cent, beef cattle numbers by 50 per cent, while total stock numbers have risen from an equivalent of 3000 ewes in November, 1960, to 4600 at the present time.

Rakahuri was already a well-regarded property when Mr Gallagher took over, but as a light to medium land farmer from the Kirwee-Dar-field district he has capitalised on the higher rainfall (40in a year), the opportunities for diversified farming, the freeworking nature of the soil, its ability to grow good lucerne and good winter crops—swedes and chou moellier. Mr Gallagher originally farmed 300 acres of light to

medium land at Kirwee, which he developed from 280 breeding ewes and 50 acres of crop to 1050 ewes. In due course, Mr Gallagher purchased half of his father’s 600-acre property—which was adjacent—but with two sons, he felt a larger property with more potential was required. Rakahuri was purchased at auction in September, 1960. Mr Gallagher was well aware of the amazement he had caused in farming circles, but he emphasised the other day that he had bought on potential.

On taking possession, he immediately started ploughing up the oldest run-out pastures. He had 500 acres of crop the second year, followed by 300 acres and 200 acres in the succeeding two years. This year there is 100 acres in crop.

Using two tractors—one of them a 56 h.p. Lanz Bulldog —the new owner was able to work up a large acreage quickly. With a chisel plough, as much as 40 acres could be worked up in a day. These tractors are still the main “work horses” at Rakahuri, although a small tractor is kept for the usual light work on the farm.

When Mr Gallagher bought Rakahuri he had two married couples; at a later stage one

married couple, his elder son and himself, and now that his second son has left college it will be entirely a family concern.

Today, the whole of Rakahuri —except for two paddocks —has been under cultivation at some stage during the five years. Mr Gallagher has grown wheat and barley generally, and also linseed in the early stages, but has now replaced this crop with oats. Rakahuri has grown up to 60 bushels of wheat an acre—and sometimes a lot less—7o bushels of barley, and three-quarters of a ton of linseed.

While engaged in a cropping programme, Mr Gallagher also set about improving existing pastures where cultivation could not be un-

dertaken. He engaged an aerial topdressing operator to spread superphosphate and 31b of white clover an acre on the swamp, and superphosphate with subterranean clover was also spread by aircraft on the rough tussock and gorse-covered flats bounding the Garry river. Flats bounding the Ashley river, covered in gorse, browntop and tussock, are today a first-class lucerne paddock, running the property’s weaned lambs.

Thirty acres of stoney flats, bounding the Garry river, have been cleared of gorse, levelled with a second-hand grader bought for less than £3OO, and 15 acres sown in swedes and chou moellier. Under conditions prevailing this season they have done well. The swamp, near the centre of the property, is gradually being reduced. The outskirts, formerly carrying a heavy growth of rushes, are now good, clean open pasture, while other parts have been ploughed up, as conditions allow, and sown down in permanent pasture, with maize as a cover crop. Mr Gallagher has made it a practice to grow about 10 acres of maize a year for weaner calves. Pasture mixtures at Rakahuri have varied, depending on the type of country. A bushel of perennial ryegrass,

31b of red clover, and 21b of white clover, have been sown on the heavier ground, while on the light stoneycountry the same mixture has been applied, with the addition of 21b to 31b of subterranean clover.

In the improvement programme Mr Gallagher says he has been assisted by the freeworking nature of the soil. Rakahuri, he understands, had had a considerable amount of lime on it before he purchased it, and since 1960 he has put on increasing quantities of super. It is now standard practice to put on 2cwt an acre annually, because this application is producing the best results. ■ One of the most impressive aspects of the Rakahuri country is its suitability for lucerne. It establishes very quickly. There were 20 acres of run-out lucerne when Mr Gallagher took over, and he has replaced it with 110 acres of newly-sown stands. One of his new stands comprises 28 acres sown down with tur-

nips. It is excellent, and for a new stand remarkably weed-free. He took 1250 bales off it in the first cut.

With a growing herd of beef cattle, and rising sheep numbers, Mr Gallagher saves up to 10,000 bales of hay and barley straw each year. His hay target was easily reached this year. Already he has taken over 5000 bales of firstcut hay off the lucerne and 4800 bales off a 48-acre paddock of ryegrass and red clover. Tire ewe flock at Rakahuri consists of fine-woolled Romneys and this year 70 per cent of the fleece wool was classed as 52’s. Wool from the older ewes classed as 48’s/50’s. All told, the fleece wool went into just three lines, a good indication of the evenness bred into the flock.

One hundred and ten bales of wool were obtained last shearing, compared with 80 when Mr Gallagher bought Rakahuri.

The ewes are clipping 9jlb a head. Mr Gallagher says the ewes are not cutting more wool than when he took possession, but, as already stated, production an acre is greater. They are pre-lamb shorn in August, and lambed in September. None of the lambs—all Romneys—are sold fat. Instead, they are shorn early in February—last year they averaged 3|lb a head—and sold in the store pens at Addington later in the autumn. This has resulted in better than fat lamb prices being obtained, plus 10s worth of wool a head. Last year one line of Rakahuri lambs put into Addington in May sold from 68s to 70s. A month earlier a draft had sold from 63s 6d to 665.

By pre-lamb shearing, Mr Gallagher concedes he loses up to half a pound of wool (greasy weight) a head, but is compensated in some degree by the good prices obtained for his cast-for-age ewes. But, more important, he says, is the fact that this practice suits his management; the work is spread more evenly over a longer period. With an extensive cash cropping programme, and a huge quantity of hay to be saved in December and January, shearing of the main flock would be more than they could handle without additional labour if carried out during the summer. Flock health is excellent. There is no footrot. Except for ram requirements, no sheep are bought in. There is also practically no possibility of outside sheep getting into the flock, for Rakahuri has no adjoining neighbours. It has two river boundaries —the Ashley on the south and the Garry running from north-west to southeast—and a road boundary on the west side.

Young sheep at Rakahuri are drenched annually with

selenium. This practice followed a trial by the Department of Agriculture, Rangiora, in which a weight-gain of 61b a head was obtained in two months. As a result, the lambs at Rakahuri are drench-

ed with selenium at docking, weaning, and again just before the winter. “I'm sure of the difference,” Mr Gallagher said this week. “Last year’s hoggets were the best we ever had.”

The lambing last spring was 120 per cent. Mr Gallagher took over 40 breeding cows in November, 1960, although more had been run up to that time. Today the herd comprises 100 Hereford breeders. 80 calves at foot, and there are 35 yearlings carried over from last year.

Mr Gallagher is following a specific plan toward improving his cattle. The best of the cows are drafted out, and put to Hereford bulls. The heifer calves from this mating will eventually go back into the herd as replacements. The remainder of the cows are put to Aberdeen Angus bulls, and the crossbred progeny sold off at various stages. Mr Gallagher is intending to run the present calves through to the spring, when he will decide whether to take them on to the autumn to be sold :; fats, or whether to take the steers through to the following

spring to be sold as twi-year-olds.

Substantial improvements have been made to the stock water supply at Rakahuri. Mr Gallagher regarded it as a problem when he first began farming the property, so two windmills have been erected, a pressure pump fitted, and 16 troughs installed in surrounding paddocks. Water was struck at 6ft at one windmill, and at lift at the other. The first well, at such a shallow depth, proved very satisfactory in the record drought of a year ago.

A further project was the installation of a stopbank on the south boundary to prevent the Ashley cutting into the lower reaches of the property. This work was done by the Catchment Board, and shared on a proportionate basis. Directly behind the bank is 150 acres of riverbed lease. All of it is in gorse, some of it well over 6ft high, but Mr Gallagher has it earmarked for future development. Because there is a good depth of soil, he believes he will be able to go straight into it with bush and bog discs. As yet, however, the project lies in the relatively distant future.

Mr Gallagher is cautious on the question of production increases in the next five years, but he points out that as yet he has still two paddocks to go before completing his pasture renewal programme for the first time, and that it is usually the second time round in a pasture renewal programme that the . main boost in production is achieved. Mr Gallagher’s programme has been the object of considerable interest in that part of North Canterbury, and one man who has been closely associated with Rakahuri believes that, within five years, Rakahuri will be supporting the equivalent of 6000 ewes. Mr Gallagher says he has had great satisfaction in further developing Rakahuri. “I started off as a dry-land farmer, and that was a great grounding,” he said. “I think that if you can farm dry land successfully, you can farm anywhere.” Mr Gallagher paid a tribute to the advisory services of the Department of Agriculture. Before purchasing Rakahuri he discussed the potential with an officer of the department in Rangiora, and he has kept in close touch with the department’s officers during the development of the property. Mr Gallagher, who described Rakahuri as a family enterprise, says his success has been greatly assisted by the practical help and encouragement of his wife. The success of this type of venture, on such a scale, was very dependent on “support from the home,” he said this week.