PASTURES AT WAIMAUNGA EXPERIMENTAL FARM

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1924, Page 4

PASTURES AT WAIMAUNGA EXPERIMENTAL FARM

( My C. S. Dalgliesh. Fields Instructor, Hokitika, in .Journal of Agriculture). The cultivation, liming, and liiamirial treatment of the fields at Wainiaiinga Experimental Farm were dealt with iir the .Journal for Alay, 19“;). The esahlishnient and maintenance of good pastures being a matter of vital importance .to Westland fanners, a brief summary of the present conditions of the pastures on this farm should prove useful to those concerned. The reader must understand that the dominant grasses on the farm when the Department took possession were brown-top and sweet vernal, with a lesser proportion of Yorkshire fog and c reeping-log. 'The better grasses would not hold for more than a year or two, and clovers never established themsel-

ves. All the farm pastures have been consistently stocked, and their present condition is not in any wav due to light stacking with the object of preservation.. FIELD J. This held was sown in Xovemher. 1921. with a temporary-pasture mixture of “Olh. Italian rye-grass, llllb. perennial rye-grass, .(lb. cow-grass, and lib. alsike per acre. It has given a consistent growth of good feed during the summer months, hut it is now becoming thin ill patches, and brownlop is in evidence nil the poorer parts. It, must lie remembered that this Held received no rotation ercipoiiig to put it. in good heart for grass, lull was merely sown, following the ploughing and working un of the old hrnwn-lop and sweet vernal pasture. This praeiee is not considered the best, hut is necessary at times to .secure a prompt simply of palatable food. Thus flic Held was sown in temporary pasture with the object of later carrying out rotation cropping and putting it into good condition for oermanent pasture. It is safe to say that the payable life of this pasture is at least lour years, hut with a view (o maintaining the fertility of Hie soil to the standard of the better grasses such as perennial rve-grass—thus avoiding the expense of ploughing, cultivation, maiiuriiier. and seed—it has been top-dressed with artificial manures and carbonate of lime according to the following scheme: (Area 11 basic slag, H cut. per acre, cost L’l 2s fid. per acre: (L 1 ) control area, no manure: Gi) stipcrpliospliate and Xauru phosphate, eipial parts, H end., cost £| Is 0(1. : ( I) carbonate pf lime. I ton. cost, Li ’_'s (Id: (A) carlmnal" of lime. \ ton. and superphosphate. 11 (pvt. (to he applied this spring), cost ,ti “s 10(1. FIELD Field 2 was sown with a temporarypasture mixture of HOlli. Italian rvegrass and HI Hi. cow-grass tier acre in September, 192“. If any fault could lie found with the oommciicemeiit of this pasture it would he the too prolific growth of cow-grass, which retarded the Italian rye-grass. The seeding of Ibis field was heavier than was intended: “fllli. of Italian rye-grass and Hlh. of cow-grass per aei’e was the mixlure prepared, hill the 'owing-machine ran very I’rcclv. with the result indicated . This Held yields a plentiful supply of feed during the summer months, hut little growth in the winter. There are now too many open spaces which allow room for weeds and inferior grasses to establish. 'l’lie portion not sown with the temporary mixture' was sown with a more permanent mixture'. including perennial rve-grass and white clover; it is carrying luileh closer sward, and is always kept more closely grazed hv stock. FIELD H. Sown in the autumn of 19 - 2 l! with a permanent mixture of 1 Sil>. perennial rye-grass, H'.lli. Italian rve-grass, H'.lb. timothy. Hlh. erested dogstail. (I,'ll), cocksfoot. o;ll>. cow-grass, and 1 .‘lt?, while clover tier acre. Ibis Held now has a I'lesf excellent and improving sole ol pasture. The southern portion of this field was sown late iu April (1922). continuous. W"! weather delaying the sowing, and the lake was poor. A surface sowing of this part was made in tin' following spring Sib. perennial rve-grass. Sih. rockslnut. *..’lb. crested dogstail. 21b. cow-grass. I 111. white

- clover per acre and it now carries a pasture eou.-d to the other part, if not better. The whole field carries a better ivinter-nroducing pasture than lln-i e sown ill t-nnnnrarv mixture;;. I'IKI.D I. Tins lieh! uas sown in l''ehruary. 1! 1-J I. with a temporary-pasture mixture consisting of I Alb. perennial ryegrass, |A|l>. Italian rye-grass, Dili, limntliv; Jilt, alsike. and Jib. uliita clover per ;ieie. In the autumn and winter of IIIJD the lield did not look very promising. the pasture deteriorating. will, mileh sweet vernal in evidem e. and clovers pot s'o good a-, ope would evneet. It was therefore topdressed in t.he curly spring (If)JD) ns follows: (Aren I) superphosphate, J'. cut. per acre, ro?l 17". fid per acre: (J) superphosphate ami Nauru phosphate, equal parts. J] i wt., east 17s Jd : (D) basic superpliosphate. JI ell I. cost 18s lid; (A) siiperpliospliate and lilood-nml-lioue, eiiual parts, J.Jcwl., cost. £1 Is Si| ; (if) eonlrol urea -the best port ion of (lie Held. All these top-dressed have shown a 11 nisi 1 1(•i:ilil»* improvement. and now equal the unit nil plot, e.spi'cinlly in clover content. The field was not stocked iis lienvilv us one would desire from the beginning of January to the middle of April last ; consequently there was a good roughage of feed in the mouth of .May, when seventeen In-ad of cat th two-year-old boilers and dry cons—were put on. Tin* total area ol l|!ie tii-iil is ID] acres; this has wintered them well, with plenty of rough teed left, the stock freshening lip and putting on condition. (JKXKKAI,. Judging hy observations at V.’uimuiingu, and on farms throughout, this coast, temporal’ pastures should lie limited to areas for the providing of the necessary hulk of feed at the inquired time. Sueli pastures give a great supply of excellent, feed for the first two years, hut then far too many open spaces appear and allow nnss. weeds, ami interior glasses to establish. A pasture of the permanent grasses will not yield the same hull: of Iced for the liist year or so, hill will give a more eonsixleiit supply all the year, and a closer sward of pasture is tunned ; therefore moss and inferior grasses do not have the same chance lo flourish.