VALUE OF TOP-DRESSING

Shannon News, 22 April 1927, Page 4

VALUE OF TOP-DRESSING

HOW TO INCREASE PRODUCTION A CONVINCING EXAMPLE. Only a few years ago a cqmmissioner of Crown Lands, alluding disparagingly to dairying in the Waikato said: "Waikatb land needs manuring' before dairying is possible." Since then top-dressing of dairy land has become general throughout the Dominion. An example of results ..is related in t a pamphlet issued by,the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company and the Farmers' Co-operative Auctioneering Company, Hamilton-." At Mahoenui, Mr. I. Elliott has 2200 acres, some of which has been, down for 25 years and was. surface sown without manure. During the _, summer about 300 bullocks, are turned off fat and approximately 2500 sheep are shorn. Mr. Elliott began top-dressing about three years ago, on an area of 9 0 .acres, giving it. 4 cwt. of slag, per acre the first year and 3 cwt. per aero next year of a half-and-half mixture of super and bone. One paddock of 60 acres, on which 40 bullocks used.to be fattened in the summer months (from the end of October to the end of April), fattened 60 bullocks after the first dressing with slag, and after the second dressing quoted above fattened 92: bullocks during November, December). January and February. During the first winter after slagging this "piece held 55 head of cattle from May to August, when they were sold as fats, and in the following year after th,« second dressing it wintered 60 cattle and 80 Jambs, all the cattle going off at fats in August and September. Another flat of 26 acres treated ,in a similar fashion had fattened stock \n the Same proportions. Mr. Elliott, said that he had no hesitation in declaring, that ■'topdressing paid handsomely, and he intends to top-dress 250 acres of his higher country this autumn with between 3cwt. and 4cwt. of super . and bone. He believes in applying a liberal dressing for the first two seasons to; give something which will stand to the country in case circumstances arise to interrupt the continuity of future applications. He had found the carrying capacity of the place lessening, but the toprdressing' had brought the grasses back wonderfully. Incidentally it may be mentioned that the 60-acre piece referred to above was grassed some 30 years ago, when seed had to be carried in on' men*s backs, with only ,about 81b. of seed to the acre and was.never resowed. Neither had it been manured until Mr. Elliott had it done as mentioned.