Intensive Culture

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 September 1913, Page 3

Intensive Culture

/ ON AN 111AKARA FARM. /MR GUItDON GLASSFORD'S Last week a representative, of this paper had the pleasure of visiting what is probably one of the. best-mauaged dairy farms in this district. The property-com-prising a beautiful homestead surrounded by BiS acres of rich, welldrained land, divided into about twelve paddocks, ia the property of Mr Gordon Glassford, of lhakara. For the past year the farm has been managed by Mr Gordon Glassford, and many methods of working the land, were of a different nature from those followed by most dairyfarmers in the district; intense cultivation being the keynote in the methods of working this farm, which the owner believes is quite capable of carrying HO cows during this season, and a larger number next year. No small amount of interest was taken by suppliers to the Ihakara Creamery last year in the tests of Mr Glassford's cows---the lowest test for the season being 4.4, rising to o.''s at the end of the season. The dairy herd, comprising 00 cows, was brought from Taranaki, all being well tested and tried cattle, and bred from some of the finest Taranaki dairy coavs, there being some exceptionally fine cows hied from Mr Haleombe's, Mr Halke's and Mrs Jenning's liei-ds. The coavs are of a light breed chiefly grade and pure-bred Jerseys-

and some very fine young heifer I calves, about 20 in number, testi-' fied to the high quality of the pure-bred sires which head the herd.

One, "Yolie's Prince," is a grandson of K.C.B. on the one side and of Campaville Sultan on the other; the dam, Yolie having been purchased by Mr Glassford from Mr Charles" Clark, of Bell Block, The other adult bull was bred by Mr C. Goodson. of Hawera, whose splendid imported stock is so eagerly sought in Taranaki.

There is also a yearling bull. "Yankee Eagle," lately bought from Mr Stratford, of Palmerston North, a young animal of a fine type, and the son of Mr Stratford's champion cow. Six purebred heifers from. Palmerston North have just been added to the herd, these having been chosen by Mr Mcßae, of Palmerston North. The beautifully sunny aspect of "this farm lends itself to the soiling systems in a way that land not so well situated could not do. At present some thirty fresh cows arc in milk, together with six lastseason's cows, and these are nil fed once a day on green food, cut and carted fresh to the feeding paddock each morning, every morsel beine , eacrerlv eaten by ihc cattle. Some three acres of green food has been planted this year. Each field after being cut is ploughed, and again laid in crop, which "will again be followed by sowings of maize later. A Simplex milking machine has been \ lately installed upon this farm, all arrangements as to stand, water power, and releaser being of a very complete nature.