SUMMER FEED FOR DAIRY

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 318, 21 November 1888, Page 7

SUMMER FEED FOR DAIRY

One of the greatest drawbacks to profitable dairy farming on farms other than swamp lands is the difficulty of keeping up a full Supply of food of a succulent character during Ihe months when the ( weather is dry "and warm, and when the pastures have become scant. Under such circumstances the secretion of milk falls off rapidly, and it is with great difficulty that it can again be increased during, at Wat, that season ; the result is a serious lessening of the butter yield-, and of course a corresponding diminution in the cash l-eturns. How is the eul to be avoided ? tThe reply is, by a judicious rotation tof crops, t>r rather, by a system of catch and other crops. Immediately the oat crop or early Nvheat has been cut and removed from the paddock let an acre or so, or as much as may be required, be immediately ploughed, harrowed down, and sown with tares and r^e, or oats drilled in or sown broadcast. Drilling will probably be the most suitable plan. A couple of hundredweight of superphosphate per acre drilled Jn with the seed^will secure a rapid braird. Manure should always be drilled in \vith this or any other catch crop, for the Reason that the bulk of soils are not rich enouglij after 1 producing a corn crop, to fofce on a forage crop with the rapidity that is necessary. Tares sown in the end of February and beginning of March, treated as recommended, will be ready for the dairy stock in favourable situations, about the beginning ot September, and will carry the stock on till the grass springs. Land treated with tares Vrill be greatly benefited, by the crop smothering the the weeds ; even sorrel has to succumb to its rotting influence. Every farm should have a fair breadth of lucern. This being a permanent crop, it does not enter into a rotation. If the land has been properly prepared for it, it will continue to yield three cuttings for at least five years. The Queensland farmers depend almost entirely on this crop for feeding their stock during the hot dry summer months, Its deep roots get away from, the heat into the subsoil, and with the application of a little manure by way of top-dressing we hare known lucern to last for eight or ten years. Having provided the stock with early spring feeding, the next question for •consideration is how best to provide for the latter summer months when the pastures have been burned up. Tares may again be sown in September and October. Those will be ready for use fur January cut. Perhaps the best of nil forage plants for spring sowing will be found to be ordinary maize. We know of no plant which will produce as much weight of green feeding as maize, provided always that the land is in a high state of fertility, but this applies to all crops requiring a rapid growth. As a forage crop only five years out of six it can be relied upon to make a vigorous growth. It is, however, susctpcible to injury from frost, vtod it should not be sown till about the •end of October, when danger of severe frosts will have passed away. The richer the lirtul the better. We may mention that it is grown to perfection in some parts of England, producing as much as 25 to 30 tons of green feeding per acre. It is grown for the purpose of making ensilage, but it makes excellent green feeding for cows, which are extremely fond of it. About two bushels of seed will be required to sow au acre; it may be drilled in drills nine inches apart, or ploughed in with three cwt of superphosphate of lime. This dressing will not be too much, and will be found to pay better tban a lesser quantity. When the plants commence to bloom will be the proper time to begin cutting for soiling. It should not be given to cattle with wet upon it. A safer plan will be to cut each day's supply the previous day. By adopting the system indicated, much of the lighter lands of the colony could be successfully devoted to dairy purposes, which otherwise could not be attempted. The area required each year to be under such crops for the support of a dairy of twenty-five cows would not exceed ten or a dozen acres, with say, a ton and a half of artificial manure, at an outlay of about £12, or a little over £1 per acre. Any practical man will, we think, admit that the investment would be a safe one, for. it must not be forgotten that by the system advocatad more stock could be kept, more manure would be made, more' butter would be produced, and better porn crops would be the result. Finally, now is the time to prepare for -& crop of raajze, and . a final sowing of tares. A few acres- of mangolds and carrots should be provided. Avoid turnips asSnjmical to good butter production. No farmer<Sver came to grief by providing his dairy slock with an ample (no waste) supply of forage crops, while crowds have failed from a neglect of them.

The following new scale of fees to be paid by local bodies to the Audit Officer for arbitrations, and special, and ordinary audit has been gazetted : — (1) Arbitrations held by the Controller and Auditor-General between two local bodies under the authority of any Act in that behalf, — Whore the time occupied in Buch arbitration does^hofc' exceeds one day, ten pounds,; for every of part of a day in excess of one d&y, three pounds. And such charge shall be paid by each of the local bodies, concerned, ia such proportion as the Controller. and Auditor-General directs. (2) Special auditErrnadeby the Audit Office,, by order of the Governor, under the authority .of any Act in that behalf, —For every day, or part of a day in excess to one day, occupied in such audit, two ! pounds. (3) Ordinary audits under the authority of any Act in that behalf, — For every day occupied in such audit, at the rate of two pounds a day ; a day being reckoned at six working hours.

" Matilda," fervently exclaimed the love-bolfn youth, " luatrna longer endure this suspense and uncertainty. I must, know my fate this night-, Fo<- months I have carried your hnnge ,in my heart. You have been first in my waking thoughts, last in the memories that have filled my midnight vigils, and your lovely face has been ever prosent in my restless dreams when sleep has kindly sought to ease the ! burden that oppresses me. You have been the— the— " " The lod estar of your existence, and the Ultima Thule or all your hopes, Mr Clugston," suggested Matilda, observing that the young man hesitated. " Why, how did you know what I was going to say ¥ rt he demanded in astonish^ ment. " I got it from Jenny Jones and Mary Wheelhouse,* replied Matilda ; " it's the same thing you said to them. I can repeat the whole speech) Mr Clugston." The Napier News says that the wool clip of Hawkes Bay this season will prove fully 30 per cent larger than the clip of last year.

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