Dry Farming.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43071, 21 March 1907, Page 2

Dry Farming.

Mr John Rennie, of Doyleston, in the “ Farmers' Advocate,” publishes his ex- pp perience of what he calls 4 dry farming * as follows: —' * I find in growing turnips and mangolds on my land lam late m the season before I can get them fed ott. Last year it wa? well on in November before the mangolds were finished; this year it was November Ist when the sheep finished the turnips (Fosterton s Hybrid). This is too late for a crop mmost seasons, ■■ .j■; even with irrigation; so the past two . seasons I have tried dry farming. The y '-■ scarifying to lift the roots loosens the top soff a little, but the soil is generally trodden firm by the sheep and pigs, and with the dry weather gets very hard. I plough with a disc plough 1J to 2 inches deep? this kills all weeds that have come up. After the next ram I plough again, getting down another inch or two. ine two ploughings make it easy to harrow, - and it will then hold all the moisture that falls. I plough a third time m February or March, and put the seed m after the first good ram. If there are _ , average autumn rains, the grass gets a good start, and will grow all the winter and make good teed for the. ewes and lamb 3 in August and September, when most needed, and the ewes ke- pin good health. Mine were fed last year on this to the end of September; I threshed last year sixty bushels to the. acre, and expect to thresh as much this season if / the weather keeps favourable. Of course by this style of working I lose a crop, but I reckon I make mere off cue good crop than Iwo bad ones, and have more pleasure in the working.” ' (