At The Furrow’s End

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 104, 23 July 1927, Page 25

At The Furrow’s End

Utilising- Idle Corners

Bv the end of this month the treeplanting season will be practically over. Yet the year has seen little increased activity and, individually, farmers mostly continue along the line of the least resistance. The majority of those who have intentions of engagingin an adequate tree-planting programme have again postponed activities, and one of the glaring needs of the country, especially in some of the choicest parts of the Waikato, continues to be better shelter for the stock and more adequate provision for timber and firewood purposes. Few avenues offer greater returns in proportion to the money expended than a conservative policy of tree-planting. Yet, in most parts of New Zealand the stock have little shelter from the elements and the paddocks have a bare and, in many cases, barren appearance. Trees are practically non-existent. Round the homesteads conditions are

little different. Tree planting has been postponed as unessential. Few practical men are there, however, who do not agree that up to certain limits tree and hedge planting, inasmuch that it provides the benefits already enumerated and adds considerably to the appearance of any property, is something worth while. In Victoria, though even there there is a regretta.ble lack of reafforestation in some parts, certain sections of the community, inspired by aesthetic ideals, have recently set under way a proposal to establish plantations all along the road between Melbourne and Geelong. Considerable interest had been incited in the movement. No reasonable man would suggest that much land which could be profitably used for productive purposes should be given over to trees, but on every farm there are waste corners which could be brought to show results if only they were planted in useful shelter or timber trees. Diversified Farming Provided the owner starts in on land purchased at the right value, intensive farming on small areas pays. Much of the distress registered to-day is due not so much to high land values

as to farmers having “bitten off more than they can chew,” and instead of satisfying themselves with small areas bought properties the development of which has proved beyond their financial means. Diversified farming also is a great guarantee of steady profits. Unbelievers and scoffers are referred to the district courts at the Auckland Winter Exhibition. Though the farm produce in most instances could have been displayed to better advantage, they are a splendid advertisement to Auckland and East Coast farm lands. Poverty Bay’s exhibit especially is a striking example of the revenueproducing field and garden produce that can be produced on the one-man farm by the owner with the energy and ability. Many of the farms from which the exhibits are drawn produce practically the full range. Pumpkins, maize, oats, butter, bacon, eggs, poultry—all can be produced to advantage by the one-man farmer, and returns and yield are commensurate with the ability and energy of the owner. Even in diversified farming, however, slipshod methods carry little weight. -Greatest results attend the greatest attention to system. There is always a market for the products of the diversified farm. Fluctuations of the world’s markets carry

TREES FOR PROFIT AND BEAUTY —A WINTER SHOW LESSON—MAORI FARMERS' SUCCESS —TESTING RESULTS

little weight, and a low market in one line is generally balanced by better prices for another. Near to the cities the small man is particularly blessed in the fact that he is generally more or less able to control his time of selling. Maori Farmers Show N.Z.— ~ Little over two years ago the Maoris of the Waiapu Valley, about 80 miles north of Gisborne, started out to show New Zealand that they could profitably occupy their own lands. Largely as the result of the efforts of the Hon. Sir A. T. Ngata, a large tract of land was mortgaged to provide t a working fund to build a factory and’ finance the native owners with cows, implements, machinery and the other essentials to the establishment of modern dairy farms. The land taken over cmprised for the most part the rich alluvial flats of the Waiapu Valley recently consolidated and not long out of the hands of pakeha lessees. Officials of the company purchased a large herd of grade Taranaki heifers which were portioned out to the novitiate farmers in herds of up to 120 and the factory commenced operations late in 1925 with 56 suppliers. Many were

found who predicted failure. The native, it was contended, could not stand the tie of the cowyard. After two years’ operations, however, he has effectively given the lie to pessimists and last year the production of the Ngatiporuo Dairy Co. was over double that of the previous season. There was no second grade butter, and 872 per cent, passed as finest. This season the company has bought up a further herd of over 400 Jersey heifers. The establishment of dairying in the Waiapu is a lesson in what can be done by co-operative effort. Comprising some of the richest grazing country in New Zealand, the bulk of the Waiapu Valley is owned by the natives. Every year old leases to the pakeha are falling in, and as the land came back to the native under old methods everything pointed to it being poorly farmed and. in many cases, allowed to deteriorate. The efforts of the Hon. Sir- A. T. Ngata have resulted in the country being farmed in a manner conducive to the highest staet of production. A Record of Progress To allow the recently-published report and balance sheet of the New Zealand Co-operative Herd-Testing Association to pass without comment would be most unfitting. It records almost unparalleled progress in the history of Auckland provincial dairying and registers a rapidly-increasing desire of dairymen to bring their herds up to the highest standard of production. The fact has been constantly placed before farmers that, even on present day prices, a general 10 per cent, increase in the average per cow production would bring approximately £1,000,000 annually into the pockets of the Dominion’s farmers. Not long ago the Dominion butterfat average p,er cow was round about 1701 b a year. To-day the position generally is not greatly improved. The New Zealand Association average for the past season, however, was 255.491 b of fat in 250 days. The average for 29 herds, comprising 151 cows, was 317.831 b of fat in 258 days! The improvement in the productive powers of some of the herds during tlio past four years has been little short of remarkable. The average increase of the Manawaru group in three years has been 751 b per cow. In the progress of the association since its inception is registered a desire of the farmer to link up with some system which will allow him to carry out a definite programme of cull cow elimination. It started in 1922 with six groups comprising 6,900 cows. At the beginning of the 1926-27 season it controlled 62.268 cows and, in addition, tested 6.464 cows for which no charge was made. The association also has in hand other schemes which will aim at the improvement of the dairy herds and the elimination of the cull cow. INQUIRERS’ SECTION “Co-operative,” Te Awamutu.—According to the latest returns at hand there are 1,360 co-operative dairy factories in Denmark, 46 bacon factories and 820 control societies for testing and improving the yield and quality of milk. In addition, apart from actual dairy societies, in all parts of the country 'credit, breeding, seed distributing and similar societies flourish.

CLOVER PROFITABLE

GREAT STOCK FLOOD SOIL ENRICHED The ideal place for clover is on the farm where livestock is kept, more particularly where the stock is cows, pigs, and young animals. On the other hand, where but little stock is kept, and especially where the supply of fertility is maintained by the use of fertilisers, the clovers are among the most valuable crops that can be grown, as a source of humus and nitrogen, and to keep the soil in good physical condition. The growth of clover under favourable conditions enriches the soil. The plants obtain a large proportion of their supply of nitrogen from the atmosphere. It becomes a part of the leaves, stem, and roots. A crop of three tons of clover hay from an acre of land will contain about 1201 b of nitrogen, yet after the production of this crop the soil will contain more nitrogen than it did at first, for the roots and stubble are very rich in this element, and by their decay they become a permanent addition to the soil. The nitrogen taken from the atmosphere is left where it is within easy reach of the subsequent crops through the agency of the clover plants. DEEP ROOT SYSTEM One thing that commends the growing of clover as a means of improving the soil is the fact that it has a deep

system of root development, and brings up mineral fertility from depths that cannot be reached by other plants, and makes it available for crops that have shallow root systems. Clover sown in grass mixtures is of great benefit to the grass crop that succeed the clover, which is in most instances short-lived, and many plants die each year, and the decay of their roots and stalks goes to furnish fertility for the other plants that survive in the pasture. It is this decay of the roots and stubble that accounts for the heavy crops of grasses that follow after the clover has ceased to grow. On many farms, even where, clover fails to make a suitable stand, it will pay to use the seed in all the grass mixtures. Crimson clover is a winter annual, and wherever it can be grown it is very valuable as a catch crop or for green manuring. One of the most useful clovers is cowgrass or perennial red, and common red clover, which closely resembles it, but is earlier, is also highly esteemed. Alsike clover is much finer than either of the last-mentioned, and it thrives in soils where red clover fails. It is especially suited to clay soils, and land that is too wet for other varieties. White Dutch clover is of great value in pastures. RIGHT CONDITIONS Successful clover-growing demands that the soil conditions are right. It is unwise to experiment w r ith this crop until an effort has been made to bring the land to a condition that makes success reasonably certain. A welldrained, deep, mellow' soil, that contains an abundance of humus and mineral fertility, and that is free from acidity, will produce good stands of clover. The two common causes of failure with this crop are a deficiency of organic matter in the soil and acidity. The addition of green manure or stable manure, and the use of lime, will readily correct these conditions. The best method of applying lime is to spread about one ton of ground limestone an acre as soon as the land is ploughed, and harrow it in while preparing the field for the snail seeds with w'hich the clover is mixed. Care should be taken when sow'ing not to cover the seeds too deeply, as otherwise a large proportion will fail to come through the ground, and a thin stand will result. Clover is Nature’s choicest gift, and it is well worth while striving to get it established, and afterwards to treat it in such a way that it w’ill be able to cary out its functions properly and efficiently.

PALESTINE FARMING RAISING NEW CROPS New' staple crops are being introduced into Palestine. Among those that are being tried out by the Palestine Department of Agricultuie are nuts, flax and sunflowers, the department also giving much attention to the fertilisation of the soil. This work under the department is largely directed toward benefiting the local Arab fellaheen, or peasant farmer, because the interests of the Jewish settlers are so well cared for by the Zionist organisation. Because of the success of the orange show' at Jaffa last year, the event was placed on a permanent basis and a second show held recently also was well received by the large crowds it attracted.