SEED TIME.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 652, 1 November 1909, Page 10

SEED TIME.

'PREPARING' FOR FODDEE GROPS.' With - the opening of November, seed timo for autumn root crops is almost over. This (Spring-the seed sowing seems, for sowo reason, to havo been uncommonly hindered, and tho •constant'-rains; are chiefly blamed. Wherever causes of ■ delay aro stUI operatinß," no effort mnst .be spared .to overcome them; for ■ with oycry day's, delay now -'means good .'sovereigns lost.- .Tunnps are still lieing sown in some parts, (.nil, judging by oapearances, when, all jC>'.finished and the drilling machines axo safely housed for the season, it'.will lie found that a much greater area of ; she&p and • cattle forage than nsual js nnder crop. Of course, turnips may really be sown at ■ any time > 'front' {September till February :or March, although ths last-named-two months aro ■overrate for-cold districts, and the time.;for sowingl- is usnally determined with some'/reference to tho purpose for which the crop is required. If for autumn use, early spring sowing is necessary, and the early soft vaneties of turnip 3, though kss nutritious than ,th©' hard 1 winter,jsorte, are. best suited for' this, purpose. Thoy' are valuable • for weaning lambs;, as well as for feeding the erres themselves.'One of the chief ends': served by, the autumn feeding of ewes on turnips is that it •rests tho" paadocis; enabling the-growth of 'grass-to accunralate for iwinter r ,: Thus, though the -.cold watiry i turnips; themselvea are ;'not approved as 'winisr feed for. ewes, they rcan be made indirectly, to' answer the samo pur'the'.dr!nri i iacliS.. For "winter.-tur-, • where '-the risk of taiht is hrawd—or, it may he, overcome— December is the month usnally .recommended 'E#wing;'. ,S Apjarenljly winter' dairying is ■'gorng? to ddvolop rath'or. rapidly in. Noiv/ Zealand in the nest few years, and j those; dairy farmers who have not hitherto, provided -any winter feed beyond what the pastures pro-jTist''as.;-well''befpn, now to tiirn, over in their minds tho subject,/.of' extra crops. Though much trouble has beon caused through 'the 'existence of "turiupy" flavour in • milk used fpr winter butter-making, there is really no, :nee|Lfbr th'is, ( troublo to exist. 1 Cows turned 'ithe ' "growing. turnips ''fwmjrmOTnm^Hjll^night'' are' sure to,produce 'taintM- millriA'bat'i- if ■*• they . are ■' fed on- the' turnips for only a few hours after each milking the undesirable. - flavour does notoccur. Swede turnips, which in somencases'; - 'are', vin greatest favour, being more i nutritious, require higher cultivation and better .coil than "white turnips. It is poor: farming to sow turnip seed on rough, lnmpy soil, and the finer the:tilth tho more satisiaction will,the, farmor get;,out of his crop. ' Manuring is to be strongly advised, not'only tof jncreaSe the yield, but also , to. hasfen .the; .young plants >past ~,the : "fly" . stage.". Good! re','Blilts should', follow.?the use of-lewt. of:„stiperi phosphate with lcwt; of "blciod 'and bohC," It is well also to be: liberal as to tho amount of seed, in ordor tliat there-may still be sdme left , wlien;tho.,"ily"ihas.taken his pick. One;p6ilnd of secd-por acre is'advised. . : •. : Mangolds, porhaps, . are destined to : become more popular with; dairy farmers than turiiips. I'hougn October is the' seed time fcj'r- tliat crop,. it may still be' sown. Use from 3 itoVslbof seed. Very- good; cultivation is necessary, • but the. enormous crop that results well, jiepays the ,labour. As . with all root- feedit&,'on .abtijidonce 'silage .is a necesairy.''.addition if scour is'.to -bo averted, and the .'very .best results . obtained. Generally speaking, mangolds aro: perhaps the best of all. "root crbps for. the dairy farmer to grow. They may be Kept for any length of time'and fed-tis're-quired, and the cows never tire of them i:.They ;d6.'nat taint,the.-,railk..,-r' . r ■

» Sorghum is best sown this month. Th'e'cleanest crop can be got by drilling and subsfequenUy cultiyaong. But a finer grorft-when, the seed is broadcasted, and foi that".'reason broadcasting is often the method .chosen/,,when 'fodder. crop is .desired; more seed,, however;! being sown por acre. Sorghum, like mangolds, • contains in its substance a considorabla:lquantity of sugaT, which, of course..is goodvripod. Tho Early Amber variety is said to maturo to the sugar' stago in: America ,in ■90 dayi;■■\ It is one of the sugar crops,, and in-'viow' 1 of .'the 1 •'Jriinß .'ffinist^'B. l :jiintj'.as...to ; en,couraging ~the' local producbon'.of sugar,.it is sugar; sorghiini and the sugar tnaugold with'a view, to possibilities. In any case, no dairy farmer is likely 'to'find a good supply of mangolds and sorghum silaso a drag on his hands. He can start ,'both crop's' , ' ' , ;