MANURING AREAS OF COCKSFOOT

Southland Times, Issue 24231, 14 September 1940, Page 12

MANURING AREAS OF COCKSFOOT

EXCELLENT RESULTS SECURED

EXPERIENCE OF AKAROA PRODUCER

Striking figures showing the increase in yields obtainable by manuring areas intended for the production of cocksfoot on Banks Peninsula were produced by Mr W. H. Moore, of Hickory, to a meeting of the Akaroa Cocksfoot Seed Growers’ Association last week. Mr Moore, who is among the largest growers of seed on the Peninsula, has kept a careful record of his expenditure and returns, and said that for a cost of about £1 an acre, he had increased his yield of seed by 1001 b an acre, and had obtained heavier and better seed.

The trials conducted by the Department of Agriculture were stated to have been inconclusive, but Mr Moore claimed that he had found it possible and profitable to increase his production by the use of manure. Mr Moore’s figures were obtained in trials over five years during which he compared areas manured with ammoniated super against areas without manure. The returns of seed had increased in five seasons on manured areas by an average of 1001 b an acre. The figures for the five years are as follows: —

Mr Moore said apart from the increase of seed on manured areas, the bushel weight of seed on these areas was also higher than on unmanured

YIELDS Year. No manure. Manured. Increase. lb per acre, lb per acre. lb. 1936 . .. 460 620 160 1937 .. 380 460 80 1938 .. 350 480 130 1939 .. 390 470 80 1940 .. 100 150 50 - - — ■ 1680 2180 500