Pastures.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 15, 23 February 1915, Page 1

Pastures.

ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PERMANENT PASTURE. (By R. E. Fairfax-Cholineley.) Permanent pastures are a prominent feature of New Zealand agriculture, and their character has an important influence on the wealt.hcreatiug power of the Dominion. Yet, important as they are to the individual and the country, it is comparatively seldom a pasture is met with which is of the highest feeding-value and contains only useful plants. It is riot too much to say that the bulk of our permanent pastures are not producing the grasses they should be, and arc full of weeds The reasonß for this are many. Among the chief causes are want of drainage and I absence of lime; neglect of the necessary care in seeding the use oi inferior and unsuitable seeds of poor germination and low vitalitystocking ico early and too heavy; and in some cases, particularly in the North Island, the want of manuring on soils where plant-food is deli' ient. The laying-down of a permanent pasture is an extensive work, and on light land it is often an impos sible undertaking. It will, on euch lands, be more profitable to lay down a temporary pasture of Irom two to lour years' lay. It is doubtful if it pays to eow down a permanent pasture on the greater area of land of New Zoaland, temporary pautures having oo many advantages—coining earlier to hand for gracing, and wb?n broken up having a store of bumus to enneb the Boil, Should it be decided to bow a permanent pasture, no pains or expense should be upared to get the land in good heart, and this cannot be <lm.e unless your land is properly drained and sweet. Jn nearly every ease a dressing of lime is required. lhe land should be ploughed deep, the depth defend-

| ing on the! thickness of tlis top soil I— in no case should th; sut;;oil be brought to the trp then harrowen > and worked to a fi ;e tiltli and well rolled, a clean, firm bed heing most necessary.

Ii laying down a permanent pastuic consideration has tj be given to the nature of the toil whether heavy, medium, or light—and to climatic it lluince, as well as the employment of suitable grasses and the quantity r quired for the variety of soil. Many grasses suitable for a. heavy soil would be next to useJ.ss on a sandy soil, and vice versa; tfercfire it is impossible to recommer.d ore mixture Which will suit all lands. The farmer will act wisely if ha carefully examines the neighbouring pastures, especially the hay field?, and notes the grasses doing best. Haytiedls are specially mentioned, as in the grazing-pastures the best and sweetest grasses are often eaten so close that they are overlooked, while the coarse and more unpalatable grasses being rejected show up best.

The sowing can te broadcasted, the work being done with a barrow sower or drill, there is a difference of opinion as to which is the belter. If the spring cr autumn is dry and the land light the drill has a decided advantage. The seeds germinate well and stand the dry season better, the covered drills protecting the seed from the sun and giving it a more certain access to moisture. If the drill is used the coulters should be set as cloge together as possible and the teed sown shallow, lhe ordinary drill as used in New Zealand has coulters set Tin apart. This is too wide, the weeds being thereby allowed to grow between the drills. Koll the ground after sowing. If the seed is broadcasted or is sown with a barrow sower, a brush harrow should be used after the towing and the land then rolled.

No pains should be spared in endeavouring to obtain a good Bcle of grass. With this object in view it will be found advisable to cut the grass when about Gin high. Let it then lie, and roll tie ground. By this mepns a quicker and better sole will be obtained.

Dutirg the first two seara the grass should be cut early tor hay, and on no account should it be allowed to seed. The aftermath can be grazed, but care rrust be taken not to over or under-stock. By overstocking the roots of the grass are exposed to the sud, and are thus damaged by burning in the summer or pulled and trodden out in the winter; by understocking the grasses go to seed, which always weakens and often kills the finer grasses. After grazing for a time the chain harrows should be run over the land at least once a year to spread the manure. The roller should be then used. Generally speaking, and more especially in the North island, the land should have a light top-dress-ing of suitable manures every year, it being unreasonable to expect to continually take fertility from the land without returning it in some form. It will be found more profitable to keep your land in good heart by a frequent dressing of manure than to try ar.d renew a worn-out pasture with a heavy dressing. There is land in New Zealand, especially in the South Island— Southland and Otago—that has been in permanent pasture for over thirty years and has never had a dressing of fertilizers, yet pastures are said to be as good as when laid down; but this land is exceptional. Not only in New Zealand, but also in Great Britain, it has been found necessary to top-dress pastures.

SOWING AM) THE AIM ENT ()!' THE TEMPORAhY PASIUKE.

A temporaiy pasture b the only foim of pastuie which should be us.d on the light lui.es cf New Zealand. Indeed, it will bo feu-d on aiable land, in nine ca.es nut of ten, that it will pay far UtUi to sow a temporary pesture cf freni two t: f'cur years' by, than (o ecw a pcrman r.t "re. Macy of the grasses relected for a permanent pasture are tlow in m lUring, same of the finer erases Lkir.g three to four years, whil: in a temporary pasture fast-growing glasses can form the fasiß of the m xture, bringing a quick return. lhe breakirg-up ot the land every lew years for croppii g and iegrassicg helps to sweeten the land, improves the drainage, and adds to the store of humus. Temorpary grasses in rotation with crops ne.essitate the addition and use of ar.'ificial manures: the land is kept in good heart and the pastures give a maximum yield : thus temporary pastures are the backbone of the small farmer, especially the milk-producer. As with a permanent pasture, the preparati:n cf the land is of the greatest importance. The land must be properly drained and sweat, worked to a fine til.h, ard rolled eo that the seed-ted is firm. The selection of the seed depends cn the length of the lay in addition to lhe climatic irfl lences. Early maturing varieties should be selected as well as clovers. The chief object is to quickly produce heavy crops. The pastures require the use of the brush harrows to spread th 2 manure. They should be rolled in the spring and carefully stccked, care being taken not (o allow the grass to run to seed. Neither should they be over-stocked, otherwise the grass will be pulled out by the roots or trodden out.

In conclusion, from the it will be gathered that, except on exceptionally rich land, where the grasses hold well, temcorary pastures have a great advantage, especially where the holding is small and dairying is carried on.— "Journal of Agriculture."