WINTER FEED.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 452, 30 March 1912, Page 6

WINTER FEED.

ITALIAN RYE GRASS. Fortunately in this grass we have a form of feed which grows quickly, fattens well, and gives a large bulk of material during the winter months. Some men say the only objection to it lies in the fact that after feeding down in the winter it does not come again in August and the early part of September, just the very time when good feed is urgently required. Others, again, say that if shut up after feeding in June it is ready again at the time when it is so much required. Personally I knew of a case where it was in splendid condition for the sheep and lambs in August; in this instance it was sown late in April or early in May. A good deal, however, depends on the season; if the winter is unusually frosty I think May sowing is rather late, for, besides not giving the grass a chance to grow owing to the cold, the frost would certainly have a tendency to lift the young plants out of the ground, even though the paddock had been well rolled. We have been so long accustomed to getting almost certainties in turnip growing that we have had no necessity to turn our attention to other forms of winter feed, as winter feed pure a:.d simple, so that such a valuable fodder as Italian rye grass has, in most cases, been only sown as part of a seneral mixture. We know by experience what a lot of stock it will carry even with the few pounds sown with the permanent grass and how quickly it grows but in view of the fact that swedes and soft turnips are now so difficult to grow we must turn our attention to Italian rye as one of the substitutes for turnips. In growing the latter the farmer had his ground cleared by the end of September; he then had to choose between oats rape or some catch crop or laying down to grass in the spring the latter being in most cases in onr northern land not satisfactory. With Italian however cs"ecia 11y if sown with a few pounds of crimson clover, he has not only winter feed provided by the rye. but spring and summer feed also, or he can cut it for nay if desired. I have seen paddocks of Italian and crimson clover so good that they 'were let run on for a second year before breaking up. This matter, however, must be decided by the individual farmer according to the exigencies of the particular case. Sown early in March, if the land be well manured and the season favourable, the grass should be fit for stocking in May. For feed for the late winter months and early spring it would, I think, be advisable to sow up to the latter end of April. I know of a sowing that was made early in May, and by the second week in August there was an abundance of feed. The paddock was manured with about 2Jcwt. or 3 cvvt. —I am not quite clear on this point—■ of special grass manure, and it was heavily stocked with sheep, with only one week's rest, right through till the end of December. Late sown grass Wuuld be the better for an extra quantity of manure. Manuring is a matter in which there i 3 a good range of choice, for there are several mixtures to which this grass responds readily ; bone and super, together with blood and hone; bone and super only; super and blood and bone; super by itself, or basic slag. If required for just winter feed only, the land to be ploughed In the spring for some other crop, I should be inclined to omit the costly bone, or to use only lewt per acre with two of super arid one of blood and bone; but if intended to be left for another year 1£ bone, 1\ super, and 1 blood and bone; the use of the latter is not essential in ail cases, but it may often be used with advantage as the nitrogen it contains helps to increase the quantity of feed. If super is used by itself 3wt. is a fair amount, as the phosphoric acid in this manure is water soluble; almost the whole of the phosphates in it are at once available, so that 3cwt. should be sufficient;. If sown after oat 3or other grain I would be inclined to use blood and bone in any mixture. If slag is preferred, and this manure we know is very suitable for all grass crops, 4cwt. is a fair dressing, but without the blood and bone. As it is the cheapest of all phosphatic manures, 4cwt can be put on for less money than 3cwt. of bone and super. Some of the special mixtures put up are very good; a fair amount is 3cwt. With any of the above good results should confidently be looked for. —Exchange.