EXPERIMENTAL PLOTS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 524, 7 December 1912, Page 3

EXPERIMENTAL PLOTS.

FARMERS' UNION ACTIVE. A request for the establishment of experimental plots in the rural districts of the North has come from the Department of Agriculture before the executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, Auckland province, and the secretary (Mr A. Schmitt) has been requested to ask branches to consider the proposal, at the same time inquiring whether, under each branch's direction, it would be possible to take advantage of the offer provided the land would be lent by a member for the purpose; or if there was any member in each district who would undertake the experiments personally. "To me it appears that tha good would bo more widespread," the secretary has written, "if the branch could take the matter in hand, and have the experiments carried on under the direction of a committee specially elected for the purpose." It will be of interest to quote the letter received by the executive from the department. The proposal is set out a follow: —"It is desired to establish grass varieties trials in different districts in the North. These experiments consist in sowing in separate plots several varieties, each in a plot by itself (one-eighth of an acre), of the commoner varieties, and much smaller arears in the case of very rare or expensive grasses. Each group would consist of probably sixteen to twenty varieties, likely to be suitable to the district. About two to two and a half acres of land would be required in total. When thoroughly established th 9 plots can be grazed from time to time. The object of the experiment is to note the behaviour of different grasses in different districts. To discover the most suitable to each, and also those most permanent. This area will, therefore, require to be ring fenced, and. notes would require to be taken from time to time as to which varieties stood cold, or heat, or drought bast; which started to grow earliest in the season; which threw most wintsr feed; which died out after the first, second, or third year; which proved themselves moat suitable to the district, and so forth. Absolutely clean land is required in order to obtain results in grass variety experiments. The best and only satisfactory method, in my expediencies to skim-plough quite shallow in the summer season and fallow, and thus destroy the couch and other things present. In the early autumn the land should be ploughed up. and left a bit to mellow, then worked up to a good tilth, rolled with a Cambridge roller, and sown down as early in autumn as the season will permit. Although we should gain a great deal of valuable information by having such plots of every soil in every district where grazing forms the chief industry, it would not be advisable to -,l;'«.U-'i.HtU~tj:. —.ki&t' is ran. ..SkuJ Jr,i~..>*j^i.Ai-

deavout to secure a suitable man in each to carry out the experiment for you. I have to advise that the scheme, seed, and manures are sup plied by us free, and the. farmer carries out tha directions given v to the vary best of-his ability. I shall he glad to kno-v if vou could, advise your union as above, or give me a list of names of any farmers who would be willing to undertake an experiment. .. It would be advisable to have the plots handy, for observation by the public."