On the Land

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 798, 19 October 1929, Page 29

On the Land

Paspalum

AN EXCELLENT STOCK FOOD

ON the poorer class lauds in many parts of the Auckland Province paspalum has proved a profitable grass to the grazier. Especially is this the case in districts where there is a tendency toward dry summers. The wonder is that more is not cultivated in many parts.

One of the outstanding characteristics of paspalum is its ability to resist a long spell of dry weather. When all other grasses are shrivelled up and useless, paspalum will flourish and appear as green as In the best of springs. In many instances this characteristic has proved too much for the farmer who has not been able to keep it under control; it has got away on him, and much of its good has been lost. It is held out against paspalum that it cannot be controlled and that, apart from spreading, it grows into one big mat, making the paddock useless for anything else. Such is certainly the case where the grass is not controlled, but experience has proved very conclusively that the many good characteristics of paspalum outweigh the bad, and make it an extremely valuable fodder plant for farmers on poorer class !«nds, and also in districts subject .o long periods of dry weather in the summer. Paspalum should never be allowed to get away; if it is found that the stock cannot keep it down the mower should be used. In the Bay- of Plenty the writer has seen paddock after paddock where the grass has run to seed ?nd been practically useless as a stock food. If it had been kept under control, it would have carried twice the number of stock and done them well. The writer recently visited a South Auckland farm where the princi il pasture grass is paspalum. The paddocks were all in excellent heart, and the stock in the best of condition The farmer was a great advocate for the grass, and kept it well under con trol. To prevent it matting the disc harrows were run over the various fields whenever there was a sign of the suckers spreading to any noticeable extent. In this way, it is contended all the growth is diverted to succulent fodder, and more plants to the acre can be looked for. The grass is never allowed to seed, for at the least indication of this, the mowing

machine is put in. At all times the grass is kept in a most succulent state worth-while stock food. One rather novel use for paspalum is argued by at least one farmer. He states that his experience has been that it will finally choke out blackberry, merely on the principle of the survival of the fittest. On the other hand, it is argued that paspalum will give way to the better English grasses whenever the fertility of the soil is raised above a certain standard. It has been the experience of many farmers that, after a period of top-dressing, clovers and other English grasses have made their appearance. This, it seems, is a very effective argument to those who hold that it is impossible to eradicate paspalum once it becomes established. Paspalum makes up into excellent ensilage, and in a season of prolific growth the surplus can always be very profitably used this way. Viewed from every angle it seems that paspalum is an excellent stock fodder, and a most profitable one under certain conditions. Much more could be made of it in the Auckland province. JUDGING DAIRY CATTLE AN INTERESTING POINT An interesting point in connection with the judging of dairy cows at agricultural shows was raised at a recent meeting of Coal (New South Wales) Pastoral and Agricultural Society. The president, Mr. R. J. Ball, explained that an exhibitor could take a cow with a weak quarter and build the udder up by refraining from milking it right out for a week or so before a show. In this way a cow came along before the judges

stocked up, and unless the animals were milked it was possible for a judge to be deceived. He instanced the fact of dairy cows being bought in the saleyards with apparently full udders, but many of the cattle proved disappointing when the buyers got them home. He suggested that a condition should be added to the show schedule that the dairy cows should be milked out before they came before the judges. Mr. J. Morrissy contended *hat there was something to be said against this idea. Prom his experience he found that some cows could be milked out, and there was nothing left to impress a judge, while others treated similarly were left with a good udder to show their milking capacity. Mr. R. Spiers expressed the opinion that cows should be seen when milked, and also after milking, to be properly judged. A motion that a condition be adopted making it compulsory for cows to be milked was defeated.

A. AND P. SHOWS

FIXTURES FOR SEASON A. and P. Association show dates have been fixed for the 1929-30 season as follow: OCTOBER 16, I”—Hawke’s Bay, at Hastings. 22, 23—Poverty Bay, Gisborne. 23, 24 —Marlborough, at Blenheim. 24 Ellesmere. 30, 31—Timaru. 30, 31—Wairarapa. 31—Amberley. NOVEMBER 6,7, S—Manawatu, at Palmerston North. 7 Ashburton. 8— Rang-iora. 13, 14—Waikato, at Hamilton. 13, 1-4—Wanganui. 14, lo—Canterbury, at Christchurch. 19— Waimate, South Canterbury. li>, 20—Thames Valley, at Te Aroha. 20— Bay of Islands, at Waimate. 21, 22—North Otago, at Oamaru. 20, 21—Egmont, at Haw era. 21— Kirwee. 22. 23—Nelson. 26, 27—Otago, at Dunedin. 27—Wallace, at Otautau. 27, 28—Stratford. 27, 2S—Whangarei. 25, 29—Clutha and Matau. DECEMBER 3, 4 —Gore. s—Hauraki Plains, at Paeroa. 10, 11, 12—Southland, at Invercargill (Royal Show). JANUARY 22 Waipukurau. 28, 29—Horowhenua, at Levin. 29 —Helensville. 29, 30—Rangitikei, at Taihape. FEBRUARY I—Opotiki. I—Kawakawa. 4, s—Feilding. 5-—Whakatane. 7 Woodville. 8— Rodney, at Warkworth. B—Kaikohe. S—Clevedon. B—Upper Wairoa, at Tangiteroria. S—Te Puke. 11, 12—Tauranga. 11, 12—Dannevirke. 14—Pah i a tu a. 14, 15—Franklin, at Fukekohe. 38, 19—Masterton. 19—Wellsford. 25 Mataraata. 26 Marton. 26, 27—Ohura. 27, 28, March I—Auckland. MARCH 5 Katikati. 5, g—Waikato Central, at Cambridge. 6 Towai. 12—Morrinsville. 12-17 —Hawke's Bay autumn show, at Hastings. , 27 Temuka and Geraldine, at Winchester. APRIL 21—Mackenzie County, at Fairlie.

TWIN CALVES

QUESTION OF BREEDING Where twins are born and both animals are of the same sex, both animals will breed. Where a heifer is twinned with a bull, the heifer, as a general rule, will not breed, but the bull will prove a breeder (says “Hoard’s Dairyman”). In most cases where a heifer is twinned with a bull, the heifer iB not a true female, and does not have the fully developed organs. This is explained on the basis that ordinarily the twins will be included in one membrane, and for some reason the circulation of the blood from one calf to the other tends to destroy the development of the true female organs. If the twins are born in separate membranes, as is sometimes the case, a true heifer develops. This is somewhat unusual, but is the occasion that gives rise to the opir ion that when a heifer is born twin to a bull she may prove to be a breeder. This happens so infrequently, however, that it is considered unwise to raise the heifer unless she may possibly have come from an extremely valuable cow, and one desires to run the chance of her proving a breeder. Ordinarily the heifer calf is best disposed of for veal, but the bull may be raised for breeding purposes. TEN GOOD POINTS

ADVANTAGES OF ENSILAGE In the September issue of the “New Zealand Journal of Agriculture,” Mr. J. W. Deem, Director of the Fields Division, deals extensively with the making of ensilage, and concludes his article with the following summary : (1) Weather does not to any extent interfere with ensilage-making, consequently grass or special crops may be cut just when they are at the right stage of growth. (2) The making of ensilage Is one of the greatest helps in grassland management, and, by providing a sure and economic means for the removal of surplus grass, it enables the fanner to keep his pastures in a fresh green condition. (3) By proper management and a full use of ensilage it is possible to utilise grass economically during ,the flush period and thus get a high return from the money spent on fertilisers. Economic butter-fat production an acre is far more important than the average butterfat-production a cow. (4) By providing good succulent fodder in the non-growing periods, ensilage enables the farmer to keep his stock in good condition and carry a sufficient number to enable him to make a highly profitable use of the greater proportion of his grass during the flush season. (5) For feeding during dry spells in summer, and for autumn, winter, and spring, silage is excellent. The yield from silage-fed cows is equal to that of cows fed on the average green crops. (6) Coarse grasses and plants, which have very little feeding-value when made into hay, make very useful silage. (7) silage may be used as soon as it is saved, or, if properly made, it may be kept for a number of years. (S) Cows fed on silage and bay come into profit in better condition than cows fed on hay and roots or hay alone. (9) Silage can be made from most fodders that are grown for stock. (10) A good supply of ensilage is the best insurance policy a farmer I can carry. It provides a high-class succulent fodder for any period of the year. Cattle numbers in the United States : remained practically stationary during 1928, the estimated total at the end of ! the year being 55,751,000, compared ' with 55,681,000 12 months previously.

| The exports of agricultural imple- ] ments from the United States last | year reached a total of 116,000,000 j dollars, the highest on record. Canada, j Argentina and Russia were the three largest purchasers.