BETTER PASTURES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 250, 13 June 1932, Page 3

BETTER PASTURES

DR. ANNETT GIYES FARMERS USEFUL INFORMATION ON GRASSES. SOUND METHODS OF FARMING. Speaking at the "Waikato Winter Farm School recently, Dr. Annett gave the assembled farmers some very valuable advice upon the cultivation and management of their grass lands. In explaining the difference between some grasses, Dr. Annett said that the young shoot of Italian rye grass was rolled, whereas a young stem of perennial rye was V shaped. Italian and perennial rye and meadow feseue were red below the ground. Rye grasses had ears at the base of the leaf where it joined the stem, Timothy and cocksfoot had not. Italian rye had to seed in order to persist in pastures, whereas perenial rye, white clover and some sorts of red clover spread without. Grases whose young shoots were folded stood heavy grazing better than those whose young shoots were rolled in the bud. Rye was so important because it gave tee d in winter and early spring, although it was not so good in hot weather. It would not grow in heavy winter either. Provid ing it was treated decently it was the best grass we had. Cocksfoot was a summer grass and burnt badly with frost. Danish and English cocksfoot were much inferior to the xsew Zealand variety, and their use should be vigorously avoided. Selection for Climate. Where it was possible to grow it paspalum toolc the place of cocksfoot in summer. The ideal pasture north of Hamilton was rye, paspalum and white clover, and south of it, rye, cocksfoot and white clover, with a little dogstail in each case. Dogstail was a miniature perennial rye grass. It .was a bottom grass and helped to form a good turf and bottom sward. Clover, among its other advantages, was useful when pasture opened up as it spread quickly and kept out weeks. White clover has nodules. The bacteria in the nodules gathered lntrogen from the air and so enriched the soil. Timothy was best on low lying soil. It was a good growing grass on wetter soil. It was light green, slightly rolled and had a thickening of the stem under the ground. Meadow Foxtail was one of th i eavliest flowering varieties and grew on moist soils. It went out fairly soon with close grazing. Yorkshire Fog was present in nearly all good pastures. It formcd the bulk of the winter feed in some areas. Lotus major and Yorkshire Fog were good for swamp planting. What Stock Preler. Palatability was a most important question. Exhausfcive experiments had proved that given the choice, sheap eat Italian rye first, Timothy second, then cocksfoot and peremdal rye together. They ate meadow and foxtail ^jvhen there was nothing else. Chewing's Fescue they left to the last. New Zealand animals preferred the southern type to the perennial rye, bufc whereas the Cantevbury rye onlv ' lasfced a year or two, the latter variety was permanent. Brown Top seemed > to be discouraged by mowing, liked low fertilising and did not like liming too much. Foxtail responded to liming, but needed good treatment to koep it. Sweet Vernal was supr.sed to give the sweet odour to hay. It was an indication of souring and that liming was needed. Quaking Grass was a sign of impoverished soil. Dandelio is and other fiat weeds were c.ncouraged by starvation of the land and were diminished by manui ing av.u grazing. Yorkshire Fog could withstand faiiuy - acid conditions. Buttercups increased j by liming, but this should not bs used | as an argument against liming. Rotational Grazing. Once a pasture became rank, tufts accumulated in which Yorkshire Fog predominated. The rye gi-ass and white clover were therefore kiiled, as they would not grow in the shade. Continual mowing resulted in the disappearance of good grasses and the development of flat wceds and clover. Flat weeds would not stand treading, so that heavy stockmg kept them down. A large number of animals on a small area was much better than a f'ew on a large acreage. Treading by stock also improved the surface drainage, as it dried out the top humus. Six cows in a 20-acre paddock picked about here and there just what they fancied. As a result the good stuff was soon eaten out and the inferior left, so that the poorest stulf gradually increased and the pasture deteriorated. On the other hand a large number of animals in the paddock took all before them for fear of losing anything. Rotational grazing in this manner was the best procedure. Only a good sward of rye, cocksfoot and white clover would stand up to it, however. Fighting the Weeds. Referring to weed control, Dr. Annett said that the contcntion that the Government should clear all Crown lands of noxious weeds was not feasible. If they were cleared and not subsequently worlced they would soon go hack again and good money soon have been thrown away. Weed eradication really depended on improved • farming. Men should not have more land than they could work properly. When we_ds were dimniished carrying capacity was increased. As yet there was no really satisfactory method. of spraying blackberry. The best way was to burn, cut, disc, plough, and place heavy stock on. Californian thistle was not the great pest many people considered it to be. If mown and grazed it went out. The biggest pest of all was ragwort and it was spreading seriously in some districts, However, it was perfectly easy to kiJl it with sodium chlorate spray. Sprayed at the cost of £1 per acre in the February or March of one year, it could be eradicated with spray at 4s to 5s an acre the next. The exotie cinnebar moth, the caterpillar of which fed on the ragwort flowers, was so far useful in hilly country where spraying was difficult. Success in controlling gorse had been ohtained with arsenic or 10 per cent. sodium chlorate spray, though grubbing was the best means. It was also stated that in England hurning in summer was most effective. Pennyroyal was a sign of . dampness, and if the land was properly drained it would disappear with

grazing and mowing. Moss could be eradicated by severe harrowing. It would not stand up to high fertilising. What Plants Indicate. Certain plants acted as indicators of land quality. Rushes, sedges, and mosses flourished in damp soils. On poor soil ox-eye daisies flourished aa did Yorkshire Fog, sorrel, spUrrey (especially on sandy), and of course, ragwort. Buttercups, and more kinds of thistles were a sign of good land Sorrel did not indicate that the land was acid so much as that it needed consolidation. Bracken fern, spurrey., sheep's sorrel and ox-eye daisy showed the nced for lime. Quaking grass pointed to impoverished soil. Rhododendrons, azaleas, laurels some buttercups and rawort were poisonous. Hints on Mixtures. Coming to seed mixtures, Dr. Annett advised the following ptr acrs/ for the purposes indicated: — Temporary pasture (one to two years). Italian rye 301b, red clover 61b. Short rotation (two or three years) : Italian rye 101b, certifkd perennial, rye 201b, red clover 41b, white clover 21b. Permanent pasture, good country: Italian rye 51b, cdHified perennial rye. 251b, New Zealand cocksfoot (on no account Danish) 101b, certified No. 1 white clover (New Zealand) 21b, dogstail 31b, red clover 31b. Poorer country: As above but reduce perennial rye slightly and increase cocksfoot in proportion. ^ Poorly drained but fertile soil: Add to above foxtail 41b to 61b, Timothy 3ib, Alsike 21b, and decrease perennial rye to 151b. Paspalum should replace some or all of the cocksfoot where the climate is suifable. Bush country, primary burn on hills: Certified perennial rye 121b, cocksfoot 81b, erested dogstail 31b, Poapratensis 11b, brown top lH-lb, Danthonia 31b, white clover 21b, lotus major Ub. North Auckland, where damp, paspalum instead of cocksfoot. Secondary burn: Certified perennial rye 81b, dogstail 41b, brown top 21b, Chewing fescue 31b, danthonia 31b, white clover 11b, lotus major 11b. Subterranean clover was not worth while worrying about, concluded Dr. Annett. It was of no use in a sward and should not be included in a mixture. Montgomery was the best type . of red clover. It was now being introduced into New Zealand.