SCRATCH THE SURFACE OF GRASS LANDS.

Shannon News, 31 August 1928, Page 4

SCRATCH THE SURFACE OF GRASS LANDS.

FIELDS DIRECTOR'S ADVICE TO

FARMERS.

"It has been a habit in the paftt to hold it as a reproach to the North Island farmer "that, he scarcely scratches the surface of his land," said Mr A. H. Cockayne, Director of the Fields Division, of the Department of Agriculture, in an address before the Palmerston : Rotarv Club; yesterday. "Now, as a matter of fact, if a cheap and effective method of scratching the surface of our grasslands could be discovered it would be a tremendous benefit to the country." In conversation With a Times representative later, Mr £ockayne explained that the tearing upj of the surface of pasture lands was iof intense benefit. - The finest method of improving a lawn was to top-dress it with fine suitable soil, and the scarifying of the surface of pasture land was the equivalent of "

such top-dressing. It would be a grand idea, said Mr Cockayne, if farmers would combine to buy caterpillar tractors and other implements to provide for the improvement of grazing lands by a cheap method of scarifying and top-dressing. The benefits they would derive in the increased growth of grass would more than compensate for the expenditure involved.