TOP-DRESSING

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 327, 14 September 1932, Page 2

TOP-DRESSING

USING TILE HARROWS. A task calling for attention at tbe present time is the harrowing of paddocks that have been used for the feeding out of hay and ensilage. There are many such areas where large quantities of animal manura have been deposited and these areas will he much improved as a result of the use to which they have been put, providing the manune is quickly and thoroughly worked into the soil and thereby used to fertilise instead of being left to contaminate the pasture. The worlc of harrowing also suggests the possibility of improving thin swards or poor quality swards by surfaee sowing a few pounds of certified rye grass on the worlced-up surfaee. This system of heavy stocking, heavy manuring and drastic harrowing, followed by surfaee sowing of certified rye grass and some super will worlc "wonders on the poorest of old pastures. There are still a good many areas of grassland awaiting some sort of top-dressing. Preparing for Hay. There is no doubting any fertiliser used now must be a quiclc-aeting one; spring top'-dressing is intended to he effective at once and this can only be assured by using a quiclc-acting fertiliser. Last month's issue of the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture states that much useful top-dressing may be done in August, and at this stage it would probahly be very advisahle on the part of those whose top-dressing progi*amme has as yet this year been restricted. The use of superphosphate at this season may generally he recommended. It is becoming quite a popular practice to top'-dress the hay and ensilage paddocks just when they are shut up. These paddocks are fed down hard, harrowed, and then top-dressed, after which the gates are closed for the six or seven weelcs that it takes the crop to mature. If there is a good sole of grass to worlc on — that is a sole of good type perennial rye grass and clovers — a dressing of ammoniated super is recommended for the hay or ensilage. The end of August should really be soon enough to consider shutting up land for early ensilage or hay.