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Four-fold Increase In 20 Years

In the last 20 years there has been almost a four-fold increase in stock numbers on the 2000-acre Sherwood property of Mr P. I. Burbury, which is situated 10 miles north of Waiau and six miles off the inland Kaikoura road. Stock carrying has now reached 3.2 ewe equivalents to the acre.

“I am convinced that what I have done on Sherwood can be done on a lot of North Canterbury hill country,” said Mr Burbury in a paper which was read to this week’s conference at Waipara on hill country development by Mr P. Thaine. Mr Burbury has recently had the misfortune to be the victim of a series of accidents, the latest of which has been a motor accident in the North Island from which he is at present recovering, and he was unable to be present in person. Mr Burbury said that the property rose to 2500 ft from the Lottery river, which formed a natural boundary to the north and east. The flats bordering the river were ideal lucerne country and 40 acres was grown for hay and some grazing. From the flats the country formed terraces of medium soil overlying

clay and papa, and behind the terraces was moderately rolling to steep terrain carrying a shallow covering of soil over clay, while the soils at the back of the property were of volcanic origin. Severe Winters Although the property lay fairly well to the sun, it was broken by a number of steep cold gullies, and due to its closeness to the Inland Kaikouras, winters were severe and there was a snow problem. Over the last 10 years the average rainfall had been 47 inches,- and while it was reasonably well spread, up to 18 inches had fallen in a month. As the winters were both wet and cold growth was practically at a standstill for three to four months. When Mr Burbury took over the property in 1946 pastures were poor. They had reverted to browntop, Yorkshire fog, etc. Rushes were almost a solid mass in the main paddocks amounting to some 300 acres, and they were up to 6ft to 7ft tall. Fences were in a very bad state, and the property was in four main hill blocks, the largest of which was about 700 acres. The cover on the native country consisted mainly of tussock and an almost solid mat of chewings fescue. At take-over the stock on the place included 1200 mixed aged halfbred ewes, 325 hoggets and rams and 30 very old Hereford cows. This was about ’ 0.8 ewe equivalents to the ; acre. The gross income for the i first year’s operations was £l9OO.

An advance on overdraft of £5OOO gave Mr Burbury his start. With this he was able to purchase the equipment to start a development programme—a heavy tractor, giant discs, a set of harrows and a drill.

Cash cropping was carried out on the front, comparatively flat, paddocks. They were sown to linseed, then to

barley or wheat, and then to pasture. A mixture of a bushel of pedigree perennial ryegrass and 31b of pedigree white clover to the acre was drilled into these paddocks. Seed crops were also taken in the early stages, but the cash cropping operation was soon dropped. The problems associated with getting the ground ready for crop and north-west showers experienced in the summer caused much heart burning and frustration and made the project unprofitable. Now when these paddocks are renewed they are sown with a pasture mixture including brassicas for winter feed.

On the better hill country the first stage was to subdivide it into 100 to 150 acre blocks. At first a swamp plough was used and since then discing has been the first operation on this country and the crushed scrub has been burnt. This has been followed by top working to have the area ready for drilling by the middle of January. This has also been sown down with a mixture including brassicas to provide supplementary feed. It has included a bushel of perennial ryegrass, 101 b of short rotation ryegrass, 51b of cocksfoot, 31b of white clover, IJlb of Montgomery red clover, Ijlb of cowgrass, |lb of dogstail, 6oz of Imperial Green Globe and York Globe turnips and lib of giant chou moellier. Some 2 cwt of serpentine super has been sown with the seed. By the end of 1950 sheep numbers had risen to 2500 and cattle to 130 and gross revenue to £5900. Lime Manurial trials were laid down on the property by the Department of Agriculture and Mr Burbury had soil tests taken which showed low pH, calcium and phosphate figures. A tractordrawn bulk lime sower was purchased and two and a half tons were applied as an initial dressing with lewt of super. The pastures received an annual topdressing of super, and lime was applied at regular intervals until the pH was between 6.5 and 7. Subsequently the annual rate of phosphate was increased and sulphur was tried. Today the property is topdressed annually with nearly 2cwt of sulphurised super 400 mix.

After the lime transport subsidy was removed Mr Burbury recalled that he had stopped liming until two years ago, and in this period he had noticed that the quality and quantity of grass had declined in spite of some use of molybdic super and a very much heavier topdressing programme. The intention now is to apply lime regularly. Mr Burbury said he had

realised early that the halfbred sheep were not suited to the property or climate and a start was made to change over to the Romney in 1948 when Romney rams were used on the halfbred ewes.

Until 1950 fattening feed was provided for surplus lambs but since then all fattening has been done on grass. It is usually May or June before lambs start going to the works. Pre-lamb shearing was started in 1950 and has many advantages on the property. Hay making coincides with the normal shearing time, pre-lamb shearing helps in the control of fly strike and it also reduces the problem of sheep becoming cast with a heavy fleece of wool by about the normal shearing time. In spite of the hard climate they were well placed for pre-lamb shearing as there was plenty of shelter in gullies and valleys and the aim was to have an adequate supply of feed available at this time so that the sheep could get a good feed as they came off shears, said Mr Burbury. Cattle had played an important role in the development of Sherwood. From 30 very old Hereford cows cattle numbers had increased to 380. They were used virtually as mowers, moving ahead of the ewes and lambs during the spring, summer and autumn to control growth. This was, in his opinion, essential to get the best out of the feed and stock. Pasture quality was improved for the sheep and wastage keep to minimum. Initially all but the top heifer calves had been sold. As the feed position had improved the steers had been held and sold at three years and a half in forward store condition. By using better sires it had more recently been possible to get bullocks to about 6501 b in two years and a half. In the future he felt if more care and attention was given to calves after weaning it would be possible to sell 75 per cent of the stock at 18 to 20 months. Cattle losses had been rather high because of the tutu which was prevalent on the native country and in gullies running through the paddocks.

Fencing Mr Burbury said that it had been his aim, wherever possible, to make fencing of areas planned for improvement the first operation. All sub-division had been done with the main thought of keeping cold wet country separated from the sunny faces. Fencing had also been designed so that each block was well supplied with water. It had been relatively easy to do this as the property was well provided with almost permanent creeks, but in some cases it had been necessary to build dams. To reticulate the front paddocks an excellent spring at the back of the property had been tapped and

four miles of pipe had been used. The fencing programme had involved the erection of 15 miles of new fences and a further 15 miles of old fence lines had been rebuilt Today, Sherwood is carrying 3500 ewes and 100 hoggets, 225 breeding cows, 50 steers, 30 heifers and 140 calves. This represented 3.2 ewe equivalents to the acre. Mr Burbury said that development had been financed out of income but he was finding now that with the pressure which was being applied to lending institutions, banks and stock firms he would have to make some arrangements to re-finance the static amount called "hard core" overdraft.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19660709.2.71.1

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31107, 9 July 1966, Page 8

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,487

Four-fold Increase In 20 Years Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31107, 9 July 1966, Page 8

Four-fold Increase In 20 Years Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31107, 9 July 1966, Page 8

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