CO-OPERATIVE EXPERIMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 766, 15 March 1910, Page 8

CO-OPERATIVE EXPERIMENT.

V... ' PItOGEESS IN; MANAW.ATU. The Palmerston North' representative oi The Dominion last week paid a visit tc the farm of Mr. J. Balsillie, at Kairanga about six. miles from Palmerston, ant was kiiidly. shown over the, experimcnl plots which Mr. Balsillio has undertaken to carry out under the-direction of th( Agricultural'.Department's"experiment supervisor, Mr. G. de Baylis. Mr. Balsillie's;;experiments* comprise the growing of lucerne, various kinds of swedes, and a number of varieties of turnips. Wlior our representative arrived at the farm Mr. Balsillio and one of-his hands wer< busy among the turnips with the hoe, as he is a great believer in that implement and: recognises that to secure the best results crops mustbe kept .clean, The Lucerne. • .:The'first showed me was an acre of lucerne, which' was certainly a picture. . It was just coming into bloom, and though we ■ had; just about ten - days of very hot weather it was just a mas: of beautifully green and luscious-look-ing forage. Xhe seed was sown broadcast on December Hi,'but-it did not/get a start straight away, the ground being dry and rain . not falling for some days after the seed was sown. . At the time of inspection it was- just.-ten .wegks since the date of sowing, and a growth-of fully twe feet had been made, while the roots had gone ■ down over a foot, so far, indeed, that-.it was impossible to pull them out Unfortunatelya spade was not - handy, or 'the exact, depth .the- roots had penetrated - the' ground 'would' have been . ascertained. :Considering how little- ram the - crop has had, the- manner in - which it. ha? come, away-is. simply., wonderful. Mr.; Balsillie proposes to cut the'crop in a day or two'and nialte it:into hay,-and the /harvesting , will-be. an; interesting experience for-.faih,' As, 1 so"-far as is known, this.' is ithe first -.-.time ■; lucerne hiis ." been grown iii'this district. Tlie next interesting "point about'it will be to see h'ow. ; it trill .'come .through-, the winter, as Mr. Balsillie is';just- a..ljttle afraid there may. prove* to .be . too; much underground ivater to suit' the crop.- However,,.time ivill tell; and should the experiment prove i success, Mr. Balsillie and the Depart-ment-will hive done a- great; sendee'in showing farmors; that' this., most useful •of *11 fodder crops caii .be grown successfully in ■ the Kairanga; It has : been proved iver and over • again i that where the coniitionp 'are favourable to lucerne it will practically .double; the ;carrying capacity if. the'land. ' ' The Swede Variety Trial. .There are eight plots of swedes, each >f. an eighth . of an acre, varieties being as-follow:— .-. • '. ' 1. Sutton's Magnum'Bonum;-;,-..-:3;,Garton's\ Superlative. '< ■ 3. :Sutton's 'Elephant. ,i. (Control) Sutton's Crimson King.s.'Sutton's Champion. ' '. " Hursts, Monarch; V . 7.-Webb's Iriirorial. '8/Nimirio' and Blair's, Standard. .N0.;4 plot (control) it-may'be explained is a'nold. and. tried .'variety; .which is being .usid;. as :a- comparison,' and' will of 30UTS6 give the necessary guide as to the salue of the - other; varieties.' '■ The -. seed 'drilled in .on December 30, with V?eUington':Meat vExport Company's No. vth'e rate' 'of 2cwt. ,per acre. Great care;waslitaken in'.the preparation of.! the ;;setdj'bediKThe. land, which, by tne''-way-fit^might; be- mentioned en pas; sant,. -is ■ some v of fthe best in a district famous; for good "soil,-.- was first ' skim ploughed • arid well 'disced. . Then it; was ploughed about,: six inches'.: deep,: and finely'- forked' with the discs arid "cultivator,, arid the ; seed-'and manure drilled in.'-• As;; witlr the' lucerne;' t;jts in': the ground 7 some ; - tim e , lief ore ,it got i. start; but all-'the lyarieties-'have'come »way, very. ..well, ;bufc. were -showing signs if'.'want; 1 ofvi rain,'"' ; somo -of the leaves jetting :very;'yello'w. . It . is,' of course, too soon to form'ariy opinion as' to how- they trill turn out, but: their growth will be ivatched with interest'.' . . '. V. Turnip Variety Trial. • . There--are also eight plots of turnips >f half an acre each, as follow:-: '1. Sutton's .Long Keeping.;''.' 2. Sutton's Mikado: 3.. Sutton's Early' Sheepfold. . - I: (Control) Sutton's; I ,' Aberdeen' Green Top Yellow., ; '5. Garton's Centenary,;.'. .. ' , C. Garton's Pioneer Turnip' Swede. 7. Garton's Inches Bronze Top Yellow. ' 8. Garton's Challenge Yellow .Tankard. The preparation of the soil and the timo of' sowing , ; were exactly..the .same is : with' the, swedes.. 1 . The "manure was :he Gear Company's turnip manure, and iras .used at-the'rate'of-;2cwt. per acre, is with the swedes a .very old and wellknown Variety.is*.being, used'for. the control' plot;-' V" , Swede Manurial Experimont. Of manuring experiments with swedes there; are. eight plots of 1.112 th of ar icro each, the following mariures being tried:— T .—• -■ ' 1. 2cwt. superphosphate, lcyt. gypsum, 2. 2cwt; 'slag,', iewt.:. gyp'siim; . '• 3.' .lcwtV .slag,:.lcwt...bonediist, ;lcwt. seed jypsum. ~ '.' .\ ' ■A. No manure. .. .. ,5. ljcwt. -slag,. ljcwt. bonedust.. ;' ■ ,6.lJcwt slag;,: ,lcwt., .bonedust, Jcwt, sulphate: potash," Jcwfc seed gypsum. .' ;.-7. iewt. Gear's super, Jcwi'steam bone, tewt: sulphate-of ;'ammonia ; fewt. sulphate poiasll.-. , . 8, No, manure. ; Up to the present these do not exhibil inv differences. Other Crops. . In an adjoining paddock, .Mr'., Balsillii has' several 'acres under roots '-.of ; various kinds,-as' he is' a great believer-in' making, good provision , for liis : stock in ,'th( ivinter. .; He • also believes in growing th( best of everything;. arid ,iu -.the' past has been a most successful exhibitor of roots arid grains at' the Natiorial'-D'airy Show imong? the roots he' Hris: coming. -alone splerididly are ! kohl, rabbi, ■ long.' red, yellow globe, \ and .goldeni' tdrikar'd; mangolds Iso'me.- already ; very large), turnips and swedes (as 'big as one's : head),; carrots MKi'vpotqtbea'", Blor" soine reason - the carrots have come up very patchy, very thict in places,' but have entirely missed;' in jthers, and Mr. Balsillie is quite unabk to,'account . for this. As ■ already mentioned,"some of the'turnips are. already if great size, but the grower is afraid ht ,vill have' difficulty in keeping, them vir ;ood condition' until show time arrives, Mr. Baiyilie has got his eye on the Luxford shield, but.it is. a trophy that takes i lot 'of: winning, as.- the; prize' is: mucli ipveted . bjv others as ;wpll. In the sanic iaddoek are"growing 'fine crops' af ,pea's, iotatoes, and maize, and there' is Itilso" the itubfcle, of a couple- of plots' where .Mr Balsillio grew, several samples' arid \va--icti'es. of oats arid'barley'from'American seed, supplied him by' Messrs. Hodder arid rojley.!' .The, sparrows .ate all the. oats, ifhich, however, v.'cro apparently ■ not' uj .o 'inuch; but several sheaves; were, sc: :ured .of 'very good samples' of' barley As there should be on every -well-regu-lated farm, there is . a good, kitchen garlen and. orchard, from' which the 'household is vyell provided.;.* After partaking if the hospitality of Mrs, and, Miss Bnlsillie, our representative, wended his ivaj back to Palmerston, having had a mosl interesting visit;