FIELD-PUMPKINS.

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 107, 21 November 1918, Page 2

FIELD-PUMPKINS.

Wanganui Experience. (By J. W. Deem, Fields Supervisor, Wanganui.) Several farmers in the Wanganui district have grown a few acres of field-pumpkins during the last two or three seasons. The pumpkins are sown in rows 6ft to Bft apart and 4ft to 6ft apart in the rows, three seeds, with a handful of root-manure, being put on each hill. After-cultiva-tion consists of keeping the surface scarified to destroy weeds and preserve moisture until the plants become too close to allow of further horse-work. Planting is done between 20th October and the middle of November, according to the season and location. Crops weighed in June last ran from 8 tons to 13 tons per acre, the heavier crop being an exceptionally fine one. From 8 tons to 10 tons may be accepted as a good average crop for this district.

Pumpkins should be grown in sheltered positions, but where it is desired to grow them in somewhat exposed positions, breaks of maize 4ft to 6ft wide should be planted on the windy sides, and similar strips run through the field every 2 chains. If sown in October and the season is favorable, pumpkins may be fed to stock at the beginning of April. Mr G. T. Phillips, of No. 2 Line, Wanganui, sowed on 20th October last, and was feeding the crop to lambs by the last week in March. The pumpkins were left in the paddock, kept right through the winter, and were fed up to 10th August. FEEDING TESTS. Mr Phillips started to feed twenty stud Southdown ewe lambs on pumpkins during the last week in March. The lambs , were confined to an area of half an acre, part of which was plantation, and with the exception of 2cwt of hay they were fed exclusively on pumpkins up to 15th July. During the whole of this time the lambs had no water. The lambs did Well throughout the feeding period, and when turned out on to grass on 15th July they were fat. On 18th June a given quantity of pumpkins was weighed, and this was fed to the ewe lambs from 19th June to 15th July. The lambs were given as many pumpkins as they could eat, plus hay. The average consumption of pumpkin per lamb per day was sAlb. In the- twenty-six days they ate 261 b of hay. A further feeding-test was made with twenty-five stud Southdown ram lambs. They were put on rape in the autumn, but did not do well. Late in May they were confined to half an acre adjoining the ewe lambs and fed on pumpkins. The feed-ing-test for the ram lambs was similar to that for the ewe lambs, and extended from 19th June to 13th July. In this test the consumption of pumpkin per lamb per day was 4%1b, while they ate about the same quantity of hay as the ewe lambs. These lambs greatly improved on the pumpkins, and when turned out to grass at the end of the feedingtest they were in good condition.

As an indication of how fond the lambs become of pumpkins it may be mentioned that although they were put on a clean young grass-paddock in the middle of July it was some weeks before they gave up trying to get back to the pumpkins. Mr Phillips also conducted a general feeding-test, as follows: On Ist July 932 full-grown sheep (ewes and wethers) were put into a grass-paddock of 46 acres of ordinary pasture and fed as many pumpkins as they would eat. The test lasted twenty-eight days, and the average consumption was 91b of pumpkin per sheep per day. The whole of these sheep did well. Taking an average crop at 10 tons per acre, this test indicates that an acre of pumpkins would carry eighty sheep for a month of thirty days. It must be noted that July was exceptionally wet and cold, and ■the consumption of food would , probably be above normal. These tests suggest that pumpkins are a profitable crop to grow for feeding all classes of stock, especially in localities where the growing of turnips and swedes has become difficult. Pumpkins can be grown' for feeding from April to July, to be followed by mangolds or other green crops. The crop is cheaply grown, from 51b to 61b of seed being sufficient to plant an acre. If the seed-bed is well prepared very little after-cultivation is necessary. The carting out and splitting does not entail much labor, one good cut to each pumpkin being sufficient. A slasher or sharp spade will be found suitable for this work. It is hoped to conduct further feeding-tests in the district during the season.