METHODS AT RUAKURA.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 29, 1 May 1924, Page 1

METHODS AT RUAKURA.

VISIT TO STATE FARM. Pasture Management. The visit of the Morrinsville farmers to the Ruakura State Farm recently proved not only instinctive and profitable but also an interesting* and enjoyable outing. It was agreed by all that more could be learned in one day at Ruakura than in a year fby staying at home. The party, which consisted of about 20, were hospitably treated and conducted over the farm by the manager, Mr. A. W. Green, and over the poultry and nursery sections respectively by Messrs. H. Kittow and T. B. Roach. All the officials spared no pains to advise the best methods of treatment of the various things under their charge and quite a number of useful information was gathered. The most important topic to the farmers was the treatment of' pastures. Mr. Green explained the most modern scientific methods which by careful experiments had been proved suitable for the land in The district. MANAGEMENT V. MANURE. Mr. Green stressed the importance of having plenty of green feed. Dry feed was the best for beef but green feed was essential for butterfat prol duction. “ I won’t say that it does not pay to manure but farmers can do more by pasture management than by topdressing,” he continued. He considered that harrowing four or five times a year and feeding off at the right time was a very effective method of giving a good growth. He also advised cutting the grass before harrowing as he believed that nothing killed out a pasture more than allowing it to go to seed. For topdressing he advised buying superphosphate for the early spring. Half a ton of .agricultural lime per acre put on in the autumn should last for about six years. This should be followed in the spring by 4cwt of superphosphate to the acre. This method would give a good sole of grass and would not take much maintaining. If swamp land were treated Bcwt of burnt lime should be put on in the autumn with the same amount of superphosphate in the spring.

SWAMP TO PASTURE. Coming to one paddock recently sown with grass he stated that not so very long ago it was a swamp in which was a lot of timber. The first thing to do was to get a good sole of grass, Yorkshire fog, western wolths, rye grass, red clover and lotus major. With these grasses on swamp land there was usually a good growth of red clover the second year. It was useless putting lime on a paddock unless there was a good sole of grass. THE BEST PASTURE. I What Mr. Green considered was the best pasture on the farm was put down with the following mixture, the pounds of seed quoted being the amount put in per acre:—lolb cocksfoot, 61b perennial rye, 31b Italian rye, 21b crest of dogs tail, 21b metafoxtail, 21b timothy, 41b cow grass, 21b alsyke, lib white clover and ilb lotus major. Experiments had been tried with various methods of manuring. One paddock had received no manure since put down in grass, and that was 13 years ago. On this paddock there was a good growth but there were more weeds than on other idiots which had received manure recently, ABSENCE OF LUCERNE.

When light refreshments were handed round just prior to the departure of the visitors, Mr. Philpott, president of the Morrinsville branch of the N.Z. Farmers’ Union, remarked upon the fact that he did not see any lucerne on the farm. They had read that lucerne was becoming popular and he was surprised that none was growing at Ruakura.

Mr. Green, in reply, stated that his opinion of lucerne was that farmers had not lost more money over any other crop. In some places it grew well and was quite payable. In the Waikato the ground did not dry up to the extent that the crop was required. It also required a great deal of work, cultivation being required four times a year. Farm country was too wet for the crop and unless it was put on land where nothing else would grow it would not be successful. It was better, he considered, to

have rye grass and red clover in preference to lucerne. He intended to put down a paddock in lucerne where at present there was an amount of Californian thistle. He maintained that paspalum and subterranean clover was the coming summer feed for the dairy farmer. FARMERS’ UNIONS CAN HELP. Referring to the presence of Farmers’ Unions throughout the district, Mr. Green stated that these organisations could be of great assistance to the district and he offered to give any help he was able to. One suggestion had been made by the Morrinsville branch of the Farmers’ Union to put down pastures by discing and harrowing and eliminating ploughing operations. He was always willing to receive such suggestions and was delighted to see them at Ruakura, especially those directly connected with the land.

Chain harrows and the hay mower were the two most valuable assets for manuring a farmer could have, the hay mower to prevent the grass from going to seed and the chain harrow to distribute the cow droppings. This.was more beneficial than artificial manure. Ordinary topdressing was merely the pepper and salt and not the dinner. By having permanent pastures was the cheapest way of getting feed for dairy cows. He therefore advised the farmers to put most of their labour into the making of permanent pastures and to the improvement of the poorer parts of the farm.

Referring to the development of swamp land, he said that a writer in one of the farming journals had advocated deep ploughing as the best way to treat the swamp, but Mr. Green maintained That such a method would ruin any man. SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE. Science, continued Mr. Green, Was helping agriculture to a great extent, but the “ book worm ” was no use to the practical man of New Zealand. The practical man who had a sound theoretical knowledge would be a great asset. He urged upon the Farmers’ Unions to see that the agricultural education of the boys was encouraged in an endeavour to bring about scientific farming. EXPERTS’ OPINIONS. Some of the greatest agriculturalists of the world had visited the State farm at Ruakura, one saying that there he had seen the best pastures He had ever come across, and another stating that the milking Shorthorns were the best he had ever seen. UNPROTECTED HEDGE.

On one portion of the farm there was a hedge of eleagnus and barbary which now required no protection. The eleagnus was planted In two rows with barbary in a row running between the two rows of eleagnus. The barbary grew out from among the other plant and was a means of preventing the cattle from destroying the hedge, no fences therefore being

required after it was once established. The lawsoniana and privett would not make a good shelter hedge unless there were protecting fences on each side to prevent the stock from eating the hedge down. The privett was also a robber of the ground. FEEDING PUMPKINS TO PIGS. The party arrived at the pig pens ! at feeding time and noticed huge pumpkins being fed to the pigs, but it was explained that the animals were never allowed to eat the seeds, as that would cause constipation. The seeds would not affect cows.