Nature’s Three Fundamental Laws

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 16 November 1927, Page 8

Nature’s Three Fundamental Laws

Reproduction ■ Survival - Production

As Applied to Pasture Management

By “Sundowner" (Written for the Tribune. AU Rights Reserved.)

In any study to find the best methods of securing maximum primary production, tire first thing the investigator must do is to discover the natural laws which govern the matter in which he is interested. Following this is th© co-ordination of those laws, for no natural laws have been found to conflict with one another. This might be termed getting at essentials, and it is necessary that our reasoning be based on a knowledge of the essentials if we are to succeed, for only thereby can we work with, instead of against, the laws. PRIMARY LAWS. The first law of all life with which the farmer is concerned, be it vegetable or animal, is /the law of retable or animal, is the law of reproduction; the second, survival. Nature has no further use for life which has passed the stage of production or reproduction, but until that stage is reached and successfully passed, lends all her aid to ensure survival. These two primary laws, survival and reproduction, are interwoven, for reproduction is contingent on survival to maturity. NATURE HELPS THE YOUNG. Tn respect to animals, this special aid to the young is exemplified in the maternal instinct so highly developed in all animals, the favourable conditions of fodder and weather during their early and delicate state, etc. In plants we see evidences of nature’s help in the extraordinary vitality of seeds which enables them to withstand ail sorts of adverse conditions, to throw’ up considerable foliage and establish root systems with no outside nourishment other than heat and moisture; and the special preparation of the surface soil, through winter frosts and insect activity to provide conditions in which the young plant will thrive. Observation will convince anyone that while nature supports and aids plants and animals to maturity, once reproduction has been successfully accomplished, nature then deserts them to their fate which is a rapid decline.

RATE OF REPRODUCTION INDICATES LENGTH OF' LIFE.

The interested observer will notice that all short lived plants and trees are extremely heavy seeders, while those which live for a comparatively long time seed lightly. This peculiarity is so marked that, without having any experience of a plant which maycome under observation, one can tell, from studying the prolificacy of its seeding, whether it is an annual or a perennial. Al annual weeds, flowers and grasses are extremely prolific; perennials are shy bearers. Amongst animals the same rule applies. For instance, pigs, which are prolific are comparatively’ shortlived and delicate, while elephants, which bear young only once in several years, live to great ages. ARTIFICIAL EXTENSION OF GROWING PERIOD. Tile life of all plants and animals can be considerably extended by preventing them from bearing. Thus an annual, weed .or flower, if prevented from seeding, can be .kept green and growing well into the winter; long after its kind, which have been allowed to seed, have withered and died. When once this truth is grasped, the futility of cutting perennial noxious weeds—such as blackberry, briar, etc., is apparent—unless all leaf growth is suppressed, thus smothering the plant—for nature immediately comes to their aid to strengthen and make them more permanent. PERIOD OF VIGOROUS GROWTH. Nature provides that the most vigorous growth is made in plants and animals up to the time when reproduction is possible. If this stage is artificially delayed, nature will continue to lend her aid, and unusually rapid growth is the result. This is exemplified among animals in the emasculated male and the spayed female, which both make more rapid and greater growth ovei a longer period tnan unaltered specimens. In plants it is exemplified in the fact that if grass is kept continually cut, and not allowed to reach the seeding stage, it will not only produce a much greater weight of material, but will keep green until later in the season. PERIOD OF MAXIMUM NOURISHMENT. All plants and animals which are growing or striving towards reproduction contain more nourishment—which is inseparable from what we call flavour or sweetness—than when reproduction has taken place. For this reason we find a fine flavour in the meat from a four-tooth wether than in that from a ewe of the same age which has born a lamb. Similarly grass, when it has seeded, and after cutting, again makes growth, is not by any means so sweet or nourishing for stock as it is prior to seeding, the stock prove this by their preference for un-seeded grass.

LAWS APPLIED TO HANDLING PASTURES.

In handling pastures we must work with nature’s laws if we desire maximum profit, and only by learning the truth* of these laws, and adapting

them to our benefit, can we get the utmost from the land. Thus, for instance, in establishing a pasture and maintaining it in maximum productivity to permanency, we must observe the following rules:—The young plant will receive every assistance from nature to enable it to rapidly establish itself. This is the law of survival. At this stage the leaf, which is the stomach and lungs of the plant, is much bigger in proportion to the root system. This is so to enable an abundance of good nourishment to bo carried down to establish a big root system, which, when the dry weather of summer comes, will be responsible for the supply of moisture and mineral salts needed by the plant. If man cuts off this luscious growth by grazing or otherwise at this stage, the plant develops only a stunted root system, and will not only produce less leaf growth in the season, but the plant itself fails to be permanent. The young grass should be left to grow until it has reached a stage when it is showing signs of throwing up seed stalks. This is an indication that it has reached maturity both in root and leaf and its surplus nourishment is from then on devoted to fulfilling the law of reproduction. THE TIME TO CUT. To cut earlier would stunt the root development; to allow it to seed would weaken the plant, for it would have fulfilled its destiny, reproduction, and nature's help would be largely removed. If at this stage the whole field is mown, the grass, robbed of its opportunity to seed, will immediately again make rapid growth to try and regain this condition, being productive of maximum fodder during the process. If from now on, the pasture is kept short-grazed, this rapid growth will continue throughout the season and it will remain green and growing long after seeded pastures are dry and dormant. THE THIRD LAW. Grass, similarly to all other life, was intended to have another reason for existance than mere reproduction of its own species. The other reason was to produce a surplus of fodder to sustain other forms of life. If productive, even though not reproductive, nature will continue to lend her aid towards survival. Thus, if it is desired to make a pasture permanent, it must be kept continuously short either by the natural method, grazing, or by the artificial way, mowing, to prevent seeding.

RESULT'S OF DIFFERENT TREATMENT.

This treatment accounts for the permanency of the wonderful grass lawns and pastures in England which have never been allowed to seed and yet have grown strongly and thicker through hundreds of years. It also accounts for the lack of permanency of our Dominion pastures where, in big paddocks, it is impossible always to prevent seeding, and where seeding is often encouraged to procure the seed for sale. First year, or maiden grass, should never be allowed to seed; older pastures not more than every second or third year unless the stand is to be irreparably weakened and ultimately killed out. SHORT GRASS MORE NOURISHING. Short cropped grass is also more nourishing and fattening for stock because it receives a greater amount of sunshine for its bulk than does long grass, and sunshine, it is known, provides what we call nutritive value in fodder. Add together its more rapid growth, its higher nourishing value, its longer life, and its more persistent growth throughout the season, the value of short over long grass pastures should be apparent to any farmer. NATURES LAWS UNIVERSALLY APPLICABLE. In this the natural or fundamental laws have been studied in so far as they relate to pasture plants, but it will be found that the same or similar simple laws govern all life whether vegetable or animal, and the farmer does not know his job until he has learned to know the law and can follow its workings. It is as simple to find out these laws as it is to realise the three essentials for animal life—air, water, food. It will be found that all life, and aU phases of life are primarily governed by a triad of laws. Before we can succeed in producing perfection we unis: find out what these, laws are, work with them, and thus aid nature to benefit us more and more abundantly.