VALUE OF FERTILISERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1052, 16 August 1930, Page 29

VALUE OF FERTILISERS

INCREASING PRODUCTION N.Z. POSSIBILITIES The sown grassland of the Dominion is about 18,000,000 acres, and the area is being slightly extended. These grasslands aro responsible for an annual output of about 250,000 tons of meat, 70,000 tons of wool, and 140,000 tons of dairy produce. This works cut at about 30 lb of meat, 91b of wool, and 171 b of butter-fat an acre. With normal prices, the annual value of grassland products is in the vicinity of £55,000,000, and it is anticipated that this figure could quite easily be doubled by the more intensive application of scientific grasslandmanagement. All over the world the talue of such management is fast becoming recognised, not only by farmers, but also by other interests. Of the 18,000,000 acres of sown grassland, about 5,000,000 are used for dairying and 13,000,000 for sheep and beef cattle. However, a very large area of the dairying land is in a more or less unimproved state. If, therefore, 4,000,000 acres is taken as the area used for dairying, the average yield is about 70 lb of butter-fat per acre. When it is considered that under the present conditions yields ol over 3001 b per acre have been realised, me potentiality for an increase in dairy products is quite evident. hi fat iamb production, highly topdressed farms are now carrying six and seven ewes to the acre, which be [ore top-dressing did not do better '"an two. When we take into con ■'deration the fact that fertilisation and special grassland management is only in its infancy as far as New Zea and is concerned, the outlook for both |’dr dairy produce and sheep is qxcep- - I'onally promising. .“ttensive inquiries show that the “eapest Production of butter-fat per ' r( has occurred where the larger ■'mount of fertiliser has been used ° r instance, dressings of 3cwt of dP er an acre give a far greater non of profit than dressings of lewt dor acre. -mt*? 116 tlle neec l f°r fertilisation can- - I.' Oe stressed too strongly, the neces ’ *’ °f Proper fertilisation to suit vat w U * ar types °f so il must be closely _ tched. Proper fertilisation may , nn one treatment under one set of dn-ns, and a wholly different •Ulnient under a different set of concitions. soil 1 fencral, the less exhausted the ’ I* 16 greater the acreage of rekort.mve soil to be treated in proUj * on t° size of herd, and the less loss ne,;f * f° r additional grazing the ]eoiii lnt , ensive wi *l be <he treatment 'ho . "hile the more exhausted r«*nn°.i smaller the acreage of Rank . 6 s °il to be treated in prothp n to size of herd, and the greater nioro , ? e ? *°. r additional grazing the to ho 'htonsive will be the treatment be used. of‘i.® re application of fertiliser —even ant ep st , right fertiliser —is no guarmanat, 0 ' Profitable results, as proper sement is of equal importance.