RECORD HAY SEASON.

Shannon News, 11 January 1927, Page 3

RECORD HAY SEASON.

harvesting in levin.

UP-TO-DATE METHODS AT THE TRAINING FARM.

(From the Levin Chronicle). Haymaking in the Levin district this season has assumed dimensions quite out of thei ordinary. Everywhere one looks, in the vacant allotments, along , the back streets, and over the farm lands, there has been' a phenomenal growth of grass, following upon the plentiful spring rains. In the town the crop has now been taken off, in most cases, and during the recent, warm days the air has been sweet with the scent of new-mown hay, which, for delicacy, is incomparable Avith .any other per-

fume. A harvest which is representative of the season’s abundance, and which ■=: ■above the average quality of hay in general, is to be seen at the Boys ’ Training Farm, at Werjaroa. On the word of Mr M. Spencer, the farm overseer, the yield will establish a record. The boys and their supervisors are at present working on a paddock of 9J acres at the homestead. The crop-was cut on' Thursday last, turned over on Frida v. cocked on Saturday, and was being pressed yesterday, when a Chronicle reporter went down to have a look at it. The plant in the centre of the field consists of an International tractor in stationary position driving a pressing machine,'the wiring of the,bales being done by several 6f the boys as the pressed hay comes down ' the ; delivery chute. The hay is fed into the presser f.-om a stack which receives its supplies from a sweep drawn by a pair of horses. The latter contrivance is *nn ingenious one, and Avas i devised by the overseer and made on the, premises* It consists of a three-sided frame, draAvn by the tAvo horses abreast. The haycock is approached and at the proper , moment, the liOrscs bear oivt to right and left of the stook, which is then caught, by the sAvcep and carried along bodily to the central stack. A quantity equal to a dray-load is. thus conveyed to ‘ the stack each time. The loose hay is gathered by a horse-rake, driven by a small lad. Avho' makes. a - great success of the job., The bales average half a hundredweight, and Avheu a drayload has accumulated it is carted aAvay fo the „bgrn. All the hay is used on the farm for winter feed, 6 and when this season’s crop .is in, it will represent the yield of 55 acres. The main grorvtli Avas kite, commencing about a fortnight before Christmas, but the harvest is up io time, and the line weather since the beginning of the year has been a great boon. The yield from the paddock, above described is expected to run into 450 bales, or about 22 tons. The mixture consists of timothy, rye-grass, dog--tail and'clover, and it is exceptionally clean.

There is another paddock under the Training-t Farm’s control which may afford ail object lesson to any farmers who inspect it. .I’his is a 10-acre lot at ! the corner of the Arapaepae and Tare , rua roads. The hay, Avliich is a special crop, has been cut,, and pressing operations Avill be in full swing on Wednesday next. , Two years ago the section was in a.rdugh condition, and it had to be stumped, levelled and cleared of stones. The surface was disc-ha rroived and soivn with between 30 and 41 pounds of rye-grass and clover mixed. This Avas . early in the spring of 1925. ■ The sowing Avas followed by a dressing! of one ton of lime and 3 cwt. of super- | phosphate to the acre. A great crop resulted, standing about 2ft Gin high. No estimate, of the yield is yet available, but the exact amount Avill be_ known alter pressing has been com pjeted. It is probably correct to say that- no such crop has ever been seen in that vicinity before. Alongside the last mentioned paddock is another of 10 acres, which was treated in a somewhat similar manner, and is: now bearing its second crop of oats. After the first crop the land was ''ploughed in February last and soavh Avffth chou moellior. This 'Vegetable kept 40 young cattle in food for four months during the winter, the crop being fenced off in sections as required. After the green stuff .had been fed off, the second crop of oats Avas sown, and this will bo ready for cutting in a fortnight; It is a veiy dean crop and altogether a credit to the district. . Scientific agriculture, together with the economic use of all resources, has been highly developed at the Training Farm, and the results should give cause for general satisfaction to the staff.