AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 12, 13 January 1913, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS.

WHAT IS BEING DONE LOCALLY

Local farmers have not been slow to respond to the overtures made by the Agricultural Department with respect to the experiments in grasses, root crops, manures, etc., etc., and are taking up the matter quite enthusiastically. The scheme has already been explained in our columns. Briefly, the Department offers to find seed, manure, and innoculated soil, and the farmer lays aside a portion of his land, turning it for the meanwhile into a miniature experimental farm. Obviously, this is a very good bargain, indeed, for the farmer, and to assist the Department in their efforts to find out what grasses are best adapted to the district, or what variety of turnip suits a particular class of land, ho needs no philanthropy.

Experiments in lucerne are at present being conducted by the following farmers in the Stratford district:— Messrs W. Brooking (Warwick road),' W. H. Rutledge (Midhirst), W. Thurston (Strathmore), R. H. Gatenby (Toko), D. Todd (Inglewood), J. Law (Toko), J. May (Stewart road), L. K. farrant (Ngaire) B. Harkness (Stratford), C. H. Har risen (Clirnic road), Fred Hamilton (Warwick road), and Blackburn Bros. (Tarata). The average area of the plots is one acre, and in three cases lime and innoculated soil were supplied free in addition to the seed.

Mr A. J. Chainey (Toko) has crops of maize (three varieties), swedes (four yarieties), mangolds (four varieties), and Messrs TV. Burgham (Toko), white turnips and mangolds), E. Bennett (Ngaire) oats, J. T. Walsh, mangolds, and other farmers .who are taking np the experiments. The Department is now engaged in getting the consent of farmers to take up experiments in certain crops for early autumn, sewing oats and barley for winter feed being included in the scheme. Any farmers interested should communicate with Mr A. F. Wilson, of the local Agricultural Department. s