INTENSIVE DAIRYING

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5482, 2 October 1929, Page 4

INTENSIVE DAIRYING

HIGH PEE ACRE RETURNS. HBA.VY TOP-DRESSING. It i* now accepted that economic success in dairying must be judged by production per acre. The main contributing factors to this are subdivision, rotational grazing, top-dreaaing, harrowing, production per cow and judicious herd management. Of these, subdivision, top-dreasing and production per cow are of first importance, but it is principally top-dressing that is the means of building up pastures so that they can maintain high-producing cows. YIELD WORTH £24 PER ACRE. An instance of the judicious combination of the above-mentioned factors in which many and frequent dressings of phosphates — particularly auperphosphates—in late spring played an important part, ia a 50-aere farm near Te Aroha. The yield of butterfat per acre has steadily increased until during last season the production from 88 cows on o 0 acres reached 214 lb. of fat per acre. This return, valued at 1/6 per lb, gave £l6 Is. per acre gross return. Again we have the example of a 25-acre farm in the vicinity of Papatoetoe, "Auckland, which is carrying 24 cows, 1 bull and 1 pony, together with 15 calves, during the season. The yield of fat from this farm last season worked out at 826 lb. per acre, worth £24 9s. per acre. In this case the main factor producing this result was heavy top-dressing. Fertilisers, principally superphosphate, were used liberally, the amount per acre being well over 5 cwt. The possibilities of intensive dairying on smaller areas is thus well demonstrated. BUILDING- UP THE PASTURES. While good farm management an<r high-producing cows are necessary, it is undoubtedly the gradual building up of pastures by top-dressing and harrowing that makes it possible to carry on comparatively smsill areas a herd sufficiently large and support a family in comfort. frequent top-dressing with phosphatie fertilisers, of which superphosphate is the most important, is the means by which these smaller areas may be made the envy of the more extensive dairy larmer.