SEASONAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 154, 25 March 1939, Page 4 (Supplement)

SEASONAL NOTES

Facial Eczema Risk THE TUPPING SEASON The rains are late in arriving for such a long, dry season. There has been really no worth-while rain for Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa or Manawatu-west coast since early January, more than two and a half months ago. Rain and a cool change can be usually expected by March 21-25. But in the 1928 dryness, it <lid not fail till April 8; that was very late. Rain can be now expected at any time, and then how will the grass shoot away. No matter if it is a bit late, the earth is stored with heat. As tor frosts, in Manawatu the earliest these come is April 12, and then only lightly. Little real frost may be expected till May 1, as a rule And frosts do not stop growth, unless pretty hard. The heat stored in the earth this autumn will be “working right to June. And after this drought breaks, what of eczema? This broke out in Gisborne about February 7. Speaking to a denartniental man a few days a»o, I asked his opinion of eczema prospects. He thought we should have little trouble, as autumn bad progressed so long without rain. Even so, farmers should be on the watch when green, immature feed comes. Late though' it is, there may be some trouble. I

The Kajns Out.

Some very sound fat lamb farmers have gone away from very early lambing. They found that end of July and early August lambs did not go ahead. They drafted later and more poorly than lambs dropped from the middle to the end of Yugust. This proved so even in the Waikato, on the best of country there. Ewes tupped from March 21 to midApril will lamb from August 11 to September 5. That is a very good, seasonable time. Many rams are put out these days on March 1. About 10 years ago, I remember St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, as a favoured date on which to put out the rams. That was before the very early lambing came to fashion. On sub-elover country, lambing early is another matter,

specially in Hawke’s Bay, with its early spring. Remarks here made apply to typical fat-lamb country and to bill country. Indeed, on much of that, where spring is a severe season, lambing might be well arranged for September, instead of touching August. There is no point in such a case in forcing Nature. Holders of very small flocks should not rely on one rum. Last autumn one Taranaki farmer (lid so, for a flock of ewes. He got. not a lamb. Yet his single ram looked the job and appeared to be attending to bis work, as from March 1. Pasture Care. In New Zealand, nitrogenous immuring has not caught on. despite a good deal of publicity. Presuuttibly there are good reasons for Ibis. Two lam acquainted with are: (1) It is’ not worth the cost; (2) clovers are damaged.

'l’he second is proven: that is, if the dresuings continued on lhe one paddock. The first feasun is open to argument, tlra.ss dues not remain at. a cons'tant value. It. is pretty hard to say just what is the value of a dense, eight-inch deep, freshlygrown pasture, in niiil-July. And after this dry autumn, especially so. To those who farm for really high production, to dairy-farmers particularly, the use of .some sulphate of ammonia is suggested for this autumn. Topdress at once one or two very good paddocks and leave them till they reach that eight incites growth. Then feed back to three inches, repeating as needed. 1 believe that would be worth while. While on topdressing there is one matter that may be reasonably .spoken of. This is the drought resistance given by liming. My attention was strikingly drawn to this in the Featherston district when on a tennis court. The grass was

quite burnt out, except along the lines. These were of the usual whiting, which is gypsum and that is just lime. A score of other cases could be furnished. hut that is unnecessary. It is a fact, ami one scientifically recognized, that lime application does promote drought resistance. ROMNEYS TO PERU In January last 40 shearing Romney rants were shipped from Britain to Peru. This is a market handy for New Zealand to supply. Sheep could be shipped to Panama ami then transhipped to vessels trading down the South American weit coast. This market appears worth prospecting.