FIELD NOTES FOR MAY.

Shannon News, 27 April 1926, Page 4

FIELD NOTES FOR MAY.

(By W. J. McCulloch, instructor in Agriculture.)

Autumn Sown" Serials.—rln most localities where grain is grown for chaffing or threshing the Utter end of May is recognised as a suitable time for winter sowing oats, with wheat following perhaps a little later. The ground . should be well worked, but left a little cloddy on the surface for protection to the young plants and eventually rolled and harrowed in the spring. The rate of seeding should be from ito 2 of a bushel less than would be sown in the spring. The seed should always be pickled as a remedy against smut, etc. Use * pint formalin to 40 gallons water, or two tablespoons full formaim to 21 gallons water for small quantities, and do not pickle more than can b e sown the following day, or very soon afterwards as the germination is affected ii ; left long before sowing. Apply 1 to 2cwt. super per acre with the seed. Avoid stocking in wet'weather when feeding off later. Roots.—The feeding of the swede crop may how be commenced if necessary, and more especially if disease is showing. The dairy farmer should endeavour to pull and feed this crop daily on to clean pasture with a reasonable ration of hay, thereby, saving waste, while at the same time closely controlling the amount of roots Ud. Milk taint can thus be the better controlled ana "ied water" more easily avoided. Mangels should now be pulled and stored in clamps for late feeding. In lifting mangels the usual method for small areasjis to work between two rows, pulling alternately with each hand, and by a sudden jerk the tops are removed and the roots dropped in rows handy for loading. Where large areas have to be dealt with a couple of planks fixed on edge in the shape of a V and pulled by a horse from the a,pex will push the roots out of the ground into rows, but in this case the tops should be fed off previously with a mob of old ewes. • Provided the weather is not too frosty the roots should be left lying in the field for two or three weeks to ripen off. The real danger from frost is the effect on the part of the root which was underground and which is very tender. Mangels are excellent milk producers for both* tho dairy cow the ewe, but must be fed carefully in small quantities at the beginning and always with a fair allowance of hay. In the case of feeding off with sheep it is usual, provided the crop is a globe variety, to harrow out each break a few weeks ahead of feeding. Carrots are best left in the ground and pulled for feeding as required.

Where ensilage has been provided it should be fed in small quantities fresh daily in the iield and should never come into contact about milking sheds owing to danger of tainting milk.

Pasture Management.—Liming may still be carried out and likewise topdressing with the slower-acting phosphattc fertilisers, such as slag, ephos, or other ground rock phosphates. Where lime is applied now and followed by super in the spring average soils will respond remarkably well. Heavy tripod harrowing- should be done while top-drressing both before and after if possible, or at least once, especially on all old pastures. Feed roots or hay, etc., on patches where the grub has been at work, or other poor spots, and thus encourage consolidation of the soil and the trampling in of seeds dropped from the hay. Cultivating.—Provided the land is in good order ploughing for spring

crops should be pushed on so that as much benefit as possible may result from a winter fallow. Lea land should be skimmed and ploughed deeper a second time about July. Drainage.—All outlets and open drains should be cleaned as opportunity off errs and new systems pushed ahead as weather permits. Where under drainage is quite impossible owing to important obstacles, such as want of fall, iron pans t or difficult subsoils,, etc., a new machine now on the market and known as a grader has done very satisfactory work in the Kairanga district last season. The implement can be drawn by four or six horses and digs a gently slopingditch at a very low cost. This system of .surface drainage can only be recommended when* underdrainagc is quite impossible.