LECTURE TO FARMERS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4849, 6 July 1925, Page 3

LECTURE TO FARMERS.

GENERAL METHODS FOB SUCCESS. GOVERNMENT EXPERT ON PLAINS A very interesting lecture to farmers was delivered in the Ngatea Hall on Thursday evening by Mr Wild, of the Agricultural Department. The lecture was the outcome of representations made by the Farmers’ Veterinary Club. In opening Mr Wild said it was unfoitunate that he had not arrived early in the day so that he could have had a look round and obtained an idea of the nature of the country. However, he was fairly conveisant. with peat land, having farmed at Waihou, and since joining the department had conducted investigations at Orongo. Dealing with the conditions necessary for plant growth, and demonstrating his statements by lantern slides, Mr Wild said that the first essential was a proper water supply. Equally important was a proper air supply, and it was obvious that it there was’ too much water there was too little air. Other conditions necessary were suitable temperature, presence of neutria'n salts, ample root room, and the absence of injurious substances. It'had been said that manure was not necessary on the Hauraki Plains, but he would say that the condition of the stock was due to malnutrition owing to the absence of certain salts. Swamp land was very likely to contain a great deal of substances that were injurius to plant growth. By means of slides the effect of some of these factors was shown, DRAINAGE. Coming to .the question of drainage, slides were used to explain the various types of field drains and the manner of laying them. Manuka drains had been found to draw Well for up to 15 years. It rough timber was available good drains could be made by digging a narrow trench in the bottom of a wider one and covering it with rough boards. Another method was to place two 9in by lin boards in an inverted V position at the bottom of the trench. With every style of field drain it was advisable to place the first sod removed when digging the trench just above the drain, as the grass rotted and left hollows which acted as drains. LIMING. The lecturer dealt at length on the advantage of liming, and advocated the use- of caustic or burnt lime as it was the cheapest and best. It cost more per ton than other- forms of lime, but the proportion to the ton was greater. If limestone was wor.th 28s 4d a ton, hydrate of lime was worth 37s 8d .and burnt lime 505,. Land'rich in organic matter, as was the Hauraki Plains, required lime to make the plant food available. It promoted a beneficial bacterical growth by forming a base and neutralising the acidity. Lime promoted the decomposition of organic matter, and for this burnt lime was the best. Lime made the phosphates and potash that was locked up available for Use, and this was necessary on the Plains. He had heard that farmers on the Plains did not get any benefit from manuring, but this was probably because the land was so sour that the manure would not work until lime was applied. Land might be sour to such an extent that even slag would not give results. Lime improved the texture of the soil, and caustic lime had the ability to improve the physical condition better than ground limestone. Liiiie could not take the place of plant food, but moStl land could not make the full return until its hunger for lime had been met. GRASSING OF PEAT. To bring raw peat land into permanent pasture Mr Wild said that the department’s experts now recommended sowing unconsolidated peat with a mixture of 81b Yorkshire fog, 21b lotus major, 81b perennial ryegrass, 61b Italian ryegrass, or, as an alterna-

tive, 31b paspalum, 61b fog, 21b lotus ....major, 81b perennial ryegrass, 61b Italian ryegrass, and lib brown top. In .time this pasture would pass away, and then the land should be ploughed and sown with Italian ryegrass, 121 b; western wolths, 121 b ; red clover, 61b; white clover, 21b. Alsyke could be planted In place of red clover, or 31b of clover and 3b of alsyke could be used.

To finally bring the land into permanent pasture the lecturer urged the use o£ hay from a permanent pasture and top-dressing in the autumn. Bare patches should be'surface-sown with cocksfoot 101 b, dogtail 31b, timothy 2lb perennial ryegrass 101 b, white clover ,21b, paspalum 41b, and subterranean clover lib. Subterranean clover was very good when used with paspalum. Replying to an interjection, Mr Wild said that he would certainly advocate the use of paspalum. It was not as good as a pasture of the best grasses, but cows milked very well on farms growing nothing else. In addition, it gave a firm footing in boggy country, and made a good place for feeding out hay and roots. Two or three cuts of hay could be obtained, or it could be shut tip and left for winter feed. Its high fibre content made it of great value in districts such as the Plains. Paspalum had proved Itself in North Auckland. He believed that it would oust tall fescue, and that ithad a great future at Orongo. MANURING. Mr Wild said that his experiences in the manuring of pasture proved that superphosphates gave the best return on light lands with a medium rainfall, but on heavy land where the rainfall was great slag should be used. The 17-20 Belgian slag now being marketed was the same old pre-war «lag made by the Bessemer • process, and was really goo 3. It was much better than the 44-46 slag, as the two sets of figures did not refer to the •same basis. Of course, it was necessary to use lime as well, so as to get the best results. . SILAGE. Asked to speak on ensilage, Mr

Wild said he was a strong believer in it. It was not hard to make, and cattle did well on it. The ration was from 301 b to 401 b a day. A stack 14‘ft by 14ft contained about 25 tons ; 18ft by 16ft, 60 tons ; 24ft by 20ft, 100 tons. The percentage of waste decreased rapidly as the size of the stack increased. It was advisable to use a thermometer when making silage. A temperature of from 80 to .110 degrees F. gave sour silage; 125 to 130 degrees, sweet green silage; 140 to 160 degrees, sweet brown silage of less feeding value ; and above 160 degrees, charred silage of little or no value. It was usual to build the stack from 6ft to Bft. high the first day, and add from 4ft to 6ft the second day. The amount to be added during the following days could be judged by the temperature. It was desirable to keep this about 130 degrees, and the greater the weight added the leso the temperature.

In building a stack the rule was the opposite to stacking hay. It was essential to exclude as much air as possible, and to this end the sides of the stack were kept high and the middle low, so that the sides compressed tight. If maize was used it was very difficult to pack the fitack so that it did not contain air pockets, where fermentation occurred unless layers of frass or lucerne were also used. This also had the added advantage of increasing the feeding value of the silage. The best method of. pressing the stack was to cover it with rough timber and build a rough frame 20 to 24 inches high and fill with earth. A stack 16ft high would comprests to 'sft or 6ft. This concluded the lecture, and the remainder of .the evening was given over to general discussion and Questions. Many farmers availed themselves of the opportunity of seeking information on their own distinct problems. Asked what quantity of lime to use, Mr Wild said that on heavy clay lOcwt of burnt, lime could be used to the acre. This would do for five years. It should be applied in the autumn, and phosphoric manure used in the spring. Subterranean clover was expensive, but. the seeds were very small. This clover was boosted as a pasture with all advantages and no disadvantages when used with paspalum. With ordinary mixtures it would die out m the summer time and leave bare patches, but this would not occur with paspalum. The advice of the Agricultural Department now was to burn off peat, but many factors had to be taken into consideration. Condition altered so much in peat land that what applied to one place would not do in another. Fifty-i-dx parts of burnt lime were equal to. 100 parts of ground limestone.