A TRIP TO MOUMAHAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 308, 23 May 1911, Page 7

A TRIP TO MOUMAHAKI.

(By Our Durham Eoad Correspondent.) • I Arrangements having been made a few 1 days ago, and Tuesday, Kith May, being the date fixed for a. party of farmers to visit the State Experimental station at Moumahaki, a large number o£ residents of the Dudley and Durham roads left Inglewood on the day appointed, the weather being perfect. The mail ' train was stopped at the Moumahaki station for the convenience of the party, which numbered 27 all told, and who quickly transferred themselves into vehicles which had been sent from the station for their convenience. On arrival, the manager, Mr. Primrose McCon nell, stated that it would be as well to delay the inspection until after lunch, ■which would be served in a few minutes. The large dining-room was just filled when the crowd sat down to n very nice dinner of meats and vegetables which were done full justice to. Mr. 'cConnell then conducted the party through some very nice paddocks to inspect the Ayrshire cows recently obtained from the Sunnyside Asylum' herd, which were duly criticised. In reply to questions, it was stated that some of the cows' records were up to 10,0001b of milk for the season. The three-year-old heifers came next, the critics of the party venturing their opinions pro and con. The paddock 9 passed through looked simply perfect regarding olcanli*ws of pasture. The remark accredited to; Mr. DUnlop . (one of the visiting Scottish Commissioners) "that it was tfie cleanest farm he had seen since lie had left Scotland," was fully borne out by its appearance, and also as the walk round progressed. Small sections had been substantially paddocked off for the testing of grass as to the feeding nature of different manures, and each plot's cost and return was explained by the manager, who answered enquiries relating to same in a very concise manner. After leaving the plots a large field from 1

I which barley had been taken was next] j walked through, and the critics here had. their curiosity appeased—the evident thinness of the after crop of clever, etc., being explained as being caused by the very dry weather which had affected the whole country. The paddock in which Japanese millet, tares, kale of several kinds, silver beet, carrots, turnips, etc., was next gone through. Mr. McConnell duly explained to interested ones the different manures, the value of the crop, time of planting, etc. The millet, it was pointed out, was more suitable than maize, as it was not so easily broken down, that it gave a great supply of green fodder in January and February, and that it left a good after growth for ploughing in. Mr. McConncll's opinion is that it is a most vahiaM* fodder plant. The kale experiment which had been tried at the request of the Eltham branch of the Farmers' Union, showed that that plant taints the milk, ■ and was therefore not desirable for « dairy cows. The experiment with silver beet, which grows a luxuriant crop, showed that sheep did not take kindly to the plant, while other cattle took to it greedily. The swedes which had been ; planted with various kinds of manures j looked a sorry lot, the ravages of the J fly in some instances being very noticeable. The manager was of opinion that superphosphate encourages club-root in swedes, and he stated his intention of further satisfying himself as to the fact, and thought that basic superphosphate (a manure made by adding lime to the superphosphate to correct the acidity of the latter) tended to (ward oil the effects of the disease. In describing the crop of tares which had been harvested, it was stated that the crop had been something astonishing, being nearly Vft. high—as a green fodder crop farmers would do well to obtain more information anent this plant! The after effects of planting tares, it being in the legumin-) ous category, should prove beneficial to | the soil in rotation cropping. I under-1 stand that nearly InO experiments had been carried on in this field during the season. The crop of carrots of all brands, shapes and sizes was much admired, after which the party was conducted to a large field of mangolds, the size and quantity of which causing many of the party to express the wish ''they had 'cm home." A number of enquiries anent this crop were duly an-' swered, and the crop of swedes on which were a number of bullocks was next enquired into, and sundry opinion expressed. The appliance in use on the farm by which hay is fed to cattle grazing off turnips was also commented on —all voting it a splendid labor saving and fodder saving device. On the way to the lucerne field, the party was askea to note a paddock in which prairie grass and clover had been planted and from which a crop of rape had, been taken. Regarding that rape crop,, which was one of a kind seldom seen, it is remarkable that it had practically no rain, and the i experiment goes to show the value of > green manuring, as a crop of crimson j clover had been ploughed in before the rape had been sown. The artificial dressing consisted of 2cwt basic slag and 101b I sulphate potash. In six weeks sheep were turned in on the crop, and in the face of the drought then in full "•go" (the crop was planted in December), the lesson to farmers is a most important one. The lucerne (many of the party had never seen the plant) attracted much attention, as did the crop of hay taken from the paddock, and as the Agricultural Department is trying to find suitable localities for the plant, there is no doubt more will be heard about it in future. A plant with roots nearly 7ft. in length had been dug up and forwarded to the Auckland show. So, as a drought resistor, lucerne should be very valuable. The visitors returned i to the I ' homestead, and waiving the invitation to [ inspect the nursery, proceeded to the 1 poultry division, which proved attractive ] to many present, and the up-to-date cleanliness, etc., of the buildings, the variety of the birds, etc.. were duly commented on. The agricultural implements, amongst which was n new horsedvawn cultivator, were also examined, as also was the store-house, in which were placed boxes of potatoes and pumpkins for seed purposes. The samples of the former were much admired. Over 70 varieties had been tested, one, if 1 remember rightly, called the (lamekeeper, returning equal to 17..'14 tons per acre. The cowshed, in which concrete-laying j was proceeding, was next inspected, and , from expressions made by the manager t it is evidently intended to inslal a dairy herd in the near future, and the majority of the visitors welcomed the news • a? being a move in the right direction, considering the important dairying district in which the farm was situated. The plantations for shelter, the different hedge plants, the method of trimming, etc., were all commented on, while the fine tobacco leaves in the drying shed were not overlooked. When the watch indicated that a "move on" had to be made, the party again assembled around the large table and partook of more eatables, after which 31 r. 1). Todd, in a few terse remarks, thanked the manager for I his hospitality and attention and called I for three cheers for the farm and its '' manager, which, needless to say, were I heartily given. 31 r. iWcConnell. in re- ! plying, thanked them for their kind and i appreciative remarks, and siid it was a j pity the parly had not come earlier " l in the season, and had a slv dig at the i' j sport-loving fanner, when he remarked j i' 1 ! "that it was said they had no time to] come earlier aa they could not leave

their farms, but he had an idea there! were sundry race meetings which they | would not ——," the rest of the Ben-1 tence being lost in the hearty laughter which greeted his remarks. There was ( no doubt as to what the contention was, and there is also no doubt as to i-ts truth. That farmers arc taking an interest in the experiments being conducted on the State farm must give pleasure to the departmental officials, and should also put more heart into the efforts ot those at work on the farms. That permanent good must result to the farmer no one, surely, will deny, but when a combination of from twelve to thirty farmers wish to take advantage of the lessons provided by a visit, say twice sr three times during the season (when the crops are just up and later on before they are cut) if the Railway Department does not make more liberal concessions than at present obtained, the object of the farm will be stultified. A concession of a first-class carriage for second-class fare is not inducement enough, and a special effort should he made to give the farmers, when they make a large party, the benefit of an extra liberal concession. I fully expect an agitation to that end will result from the visits of the numerous parties that have gone to Moumahaki this year. The following is the list of those who comprised the combined party from Durham and Dudley roads:— Durham Road: Mr. and Mrs. T, Corney, Mr. and Mrs. W. Langley, Messrs. ,loe and F. Corney, Riekard, Simpson, Cheevcrs, F. T. Hodges, J. and A. Bridgeman, W. Wheeler, and G. Mehrtens. -Dudley Road: Mr. and Mrs. B. Codd, Mr. and Mrs. J. Gotle, Mrs. Goller, Messrs. D. Todd. D. Egan, IT. Codd, J. Hodges, I. Broadmore, Paulgcr, Holland and Parli.