THE FARM.

Matamata Record, Volume VI, Issue 483, 25 October 1923, Page 4

THE FARM.

WHEAT AT TOKOROA. The experiment of wheat growing t:l Tokoroa tried last year by Mr. L. Hamilton gave very, satisfactory results. Mr. Hamilton states that he K iew an acre'of wheat, principally for ffwl feed, sowing it in October in fhe same paddock as oats, and giving it the same manuring, namely, 2 cwt of superphospates to the acre. It made very satisfactory grow.th, indeed, and, when harvested, in January, stood up to five feet or more in height and had the ears well filled. Ac a conservative estimate, he considered it would have threshed out at not less than 30 bushels to the acre, which was as good as the returns obtained from wheat growing or. the lighter lands of Canterbury. HERD-TESTING. The Puketurua-Waotu group of the New Zealand Co-op, Herd-testing Association completed its first months work sonie days ago, and the returns have been forwarded by the group testing officer, Mr. L. Mortimer, to the headquarters of the association, in Hamilton. It is understood that the first month's returns for the Putaruru group are now following, the officer for this group, Mr. Bedford, not having been able to commence operations as soon as Mr. Mortimer. Itjs stated that the T local officers record only the weights and tests, all the compiling work" being : done at Hamilton. Thus no figures as to the month's butter-fat production of any of the cows or herds are available, but the individual figures have held some surprises for those farmers who had never tested their herds before. In fact, one member of the Putaruru group was quite astonished to learn that, in his herd of 100 cows, there wae one which gave as much as 791 b of milk in the two milkings, and this, too, at a 3.7 test. The lucerne stands throughout the district are at present quite a picture, having made a good heavy growth of fresh spring verdure. The first cuts will, to all appearances, mostly take place next month, and some fairly heavy yields may be expected.