FIELD DAY AT OROUA DOWNS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4501, 6 September 1930, Page 3

FIELD DAY AT OROUA DOWNS.

There was a good attendance at the field day held on Mr. F. C. Raikes’ properly at- Oroua Downs on Thursday. Inspections wore made of the various experimental plots and some interesting addresses given ibv Departmental officers. SOIL’ DEFICIENCIES.

Mr. Connell of the Fields Division, of the Department of Agriculture, spoke of the class of soil to be found in the coastal area, pointing out that some were rich in humus while other lands were practically all sand but not poverty stricken as was often the case with sand stretches. In the soil of Oroua Downs there was no marked absence of potash. However, the first step had been to find out if the potash was available as a plant food and the only way to do that was by experiment. That was the reason for certain of the trials on Mr. Raikes’ farm. Calcium, which was an essential of lime, was also present in Oroua Downs soils to ft considerable extent and other trials were being carried out to sec if more lime was necessary.

PHOSPHATES WANTED. Oroua Downs soils, however, were hungry in respect of available phosphates and ho had no hesitation in saying that money could he safely put- into phosphate topdressing with a certainty of highly profitable returns. The peaty soils wore difficult to deal with, some being extremely rich in available potash while others were extremely poor. Hence it was dangerous to advise, and the only sure way was to experiment. The black soils without silt or sand seemed to respond to potash well. As regards nitrogen, although the soils might have enough of this material to meet the requirements of a crop from a theoretical point of view, yet it might, not be available when the crop wanted it. And so nitrogenous manures bad also been applied to find out the effect on growth during flic colder periods of the year when the natural nitrogen was not available.

MANAGEMENT. “We have reached a. stage, however, when it is not enough to produce growth,’’ added Mr. Connell. “We must also he -able to utilise what we have produced. Quite a large number of farmers are most efficient in growing grass than they arc at managing it. There is more indinect loss in this district from had utilisation than from any other cause. The trouble is that between now and (Christmas pastures become too long and this should be avoided.”

The speaker pointed out that the two ways of coping with the increased growth from top-dressing was by making ensilage and by quicker grazing practices which involved closer subdivision. SEEING FOR THEMSELVES.

The farmers present were then conducted over the paddocks which were being experimented with. They were shown the effects of nitrogenous manures, the visible results being a darker green grass and a prolific growth showing that the application of this fertiliser in July was evidently well worth while as it brought the grass away when it was most needed —winter. VALUE OF ENSILAGE.

Mr. Raikes’ ensilage stack was inspected and Mr. Connell said that whereas three seasons ago Mr. Raikes had milked 69 cows with some of them. wintered off the place by the use of ensilage, last season his herd had grown to 120 and not half of his ensilage stack had been used. His production had increased in the same three years from 15,0001'bs. of Cat to 30,0001ibs. ‘f can say that the great change has been due to top-dressing and the use of ensilage. Top-dressing alone is not sufficient if the extra growth is not utilised and (here is only one way to utilise that growth, and that is by making ensilage.” ■Mr. Connell added at this point that of the 28 farms entered for the big district competition, ensilage was made on 26 of them. There had been raised lie .objection that there was too much waste with ensilage but it had been calculated that the loss in haymaking from had weather and other things, averaged 25 per cent. The only difference was that the farmer did not notice that loss whereas with ensilage it was apparent. There was not such a wide loss difference between the two hut with ensilage one was able to keep a better control of pastures and that was an exceedingly important point. Again, hay was often gathered in so late in season that there was no aftermath of any great extent whereas with ensilage, this late summer growth so much to he desired, was assured. POTASH AND LIME. The gathering was then shown grass plots which had been dressed with lime alone and with potash and lime. There was no appreciable difference in the growth when compared with the surrounding sward showing that at Oroua Downs these two manures were not necessary. The potash had been put on at the rate of 4cwt. to the acre which meant an expenditure of about 30/- per acre that was giving no added return. In spealkdng of the length to which pastures should be allowed to grow before the cows were turned in, Mr. Connell said the farmer should always be guided by the rank ‘patches which should not be allowed to get too high. PHOSPHATE TRIADS.

“W|e are trying to get first-hand information for the farmers of this district,” stated Mr. A. W. Hudson, crop experimentalist, Department of Agriculture, when speaking of the phosphate trials being undertaken on the property. The gathering - was conducted over the plots

ami those present were able to see lor themselves the effects of various grades and types of phosphate manures. Mr. Hudson stated that superphosphate gave good results on that type of country and basic slag was effective also. TIME OF APPLICATION.

He spoke of the past tendency to top-dress in winter and spring which gave the maximum effect when grass was least needed and helped to accentuate that was!cage which Mr. Connell had deplored. W ould it not he better, lie asked, if the manures were applied to stimulate the grass at the low production periods? Experiments at Marton had indicated that summer and autumn dressings helped the low production periods the best. This question of time of application was well worth considering and some of the experiments at Mr. Raikes’ place were on those lines. In dealing with nitrogen, Air. Hudson emphasised (hat there was m> use putting it on poor pastures. The better grasses responded to it the best. Nitrogenous manuring without consideration of strains and species was likely to lie fatal.