BETTER PASTURES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 505, 12 May 1909, Page 10

BETTER PASTURES.

THE ; PROBLEM OF IMPROVEMENTV^ -'.nature's way; \-\: , The problem of giving a better covering to the imploughable pasture lands of New Zealand 19 one of importance."• On arable land the renewal. of the pasture is achievable'by ploughing and fe-seeding. But this method 1 is not practicable on the rolling or steep-to .country .on which many'of New Zealand's, sheep depend for pasture; In the early stages, when the bush, had ■", been newly burned and there was 'a. soft co'vbring- of charred vegetation to 'mulch the' soil and nurse the crop into maturity,'..', the starting of the pasturo was relatively simple. But these aids of Nature come to the fanner's call only once, in the lifetime of the form, and when the renewal of the' decrepit pas? tuns is contemplated in later years it is with ■a ; hard-trodden, unnrulched; much-flooded surface soil that the farmer has to deal. How shall he, in Buch a case, renew the herbage? Perhaps, - if one were to investigate closely on some of the pastoral areas of New Zealand, ho would find that the bare places constitute quite one-half of the surface, and even that grass which covers the balance shows the debility of age.. If such land could be. covered with the rich growth which characterised it in tho first and second years after the burn tho flocks, could be doubled without.overstocking. t "... ; Apparently there is. one pimple,'effectual way 1 of accomplishing this'transformation—' 'and-only one. It is Nature's way, as described years ago by the Government Biologist, Mr. T. W. Kirk. "Nature's paddock" is rcsown with now seed every year, and a hew crop of young, vigorous grasses takes tho place of the old. On man's paddock, on the contrary, every effort of the owner is di-' rected toward preventing this re-seeding. The; constant grazing of stock has.the effect of nursing ; and/guarding the old plants; against competition from vigorous, offspring. It might almost bo 'said that the old grass plants are pining and- pleading to be allowed to, breed and die; but man- forbids them. Under, ithe everlasting nibbling of stock no seedlis formed and cast, no now grasses spring up where old'grasses are waiting to me,, and nothing-but the most tenacious of ithe .original plants, many years old, havo possession of'the pastures. This is the farmer's way, and it is unnatural and disastrous. The point will be emphasised if we consider what would happen to our dairy herds if no calves were allowed to bo reared or even born. "Very soon there would bo. no dairy herds •left. No'poultry-fanner makes monoy who does hot rear young stock to displace his old birds: no sheep-farmer goes on for ever breeding and shearing from liis i old original ewes.;-Just as surely do the grasses of a pasture.need to be replenished at proper intervals. '...■■"■'.' •■•. , In order to follow Nature's way the grazier needs to shut up portions of his run in the summer, to allow : the flower stalks to ripen and shed their seed. Then for a few weeks tho land may, be thrown open again to stock, which, whilo eating down the accumulated growth, will also tramplo the seeds firmly into the soil. This may bo continued till spring, when tho stock needs to be removed again for a brief period to allow the now grass.to become.properly established; The method involves-very little.loss of grazing, and, indeed, the loss'of grazing during tho proceeding is perhaps not so much the obstacle as is tho lack of subdividing fences on •many of the sheep>stations.' Were.Nature's way adopted in the coming summer wo would certainly soon see vast changes in the colour; of the hillsides and in tho condition of the stock.