FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1915, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY.

THE FIFTY-ACRE DAIRY FARM. It lias been repeatedly stated that I the time is rapidly approaching when the dairying lands of South Taranaki will be subdivided into areas approximating fifty acres, and that such hold-, ings, well fanned, will provide a very comfortable income (says the Hawera Star). Already there are a number of such farms in Taranaki, which in the majority of cases are doing well. One needs only to pay a visit to Mr. K. Pierce's holding on the Denbigh Road (towards the Waihi beach), to realise how well a fifty-acre section, properly farmed, can be worked. Last winter it carried 30 cows, 10 yearlings, «uid two horses; the winter before that it carried equal to a cow to the acre; and during the previous summer it carried 57 cows, exclusive of any young stock. At the present moment there is an abundance of feed, the stock is particularly wellconditioned, contentedly grazing and lying about. All the cows are rugged, and it is quite noticeable how quiet and placid every animal appears to be. Stock in this condition must give the best milking returns. Although there is an abundance of rye and clover in the paddock in which the cows graze all day, Itr. Pierce feeds out to them each evening a liberal supply of green Cape barley, Which they greatly relish. The effect of keeping cows in this tiptop condition during the winter is very evident in the early milking season. Mr. Pierce has no specially first-class cows; he lias a good general average dairy herd, but during August he took 5501bs of milk daily to the factory on a 3.7 test from Ift cows. Cape barley for green winter feed, did wonderfully well on this farm. It was sown in March, and in August a test was made, which showed that the crop averaged 10 tons 15cwt t 0 the acre. A small section upon which a top-dressing of nitrate of soda, equal to lewt to the acre was tried, yielded at the rate of 12 tons S'/icwt, or a gain of 1 ton 7y 2 cwt over the untreated section. An adjoining small paddock of Italian rye was showing wonderfully strong and luxuriant growth, a foot high in places, and this notwithstanding that only a fortnight previously 18 cows had grazed on it for two weeks. This particular plot had 4cwt of basic slag to the acre topdressed on the pasture twelve months ago, and at the time of sowing the ryegrass seed 3cwt of super to the acre was put in. A small lucerne ;plot was in good condition, free of weeds, and with a good even growth of lucerne throughout. An adjoining plot of ground is being prepared, and in the coming season the lucerne area will be doubled. Lucerne cultivated such as this plot has been treated b.v Mr. Pierce must bring very handsome results to the dairy farmer, and will 'be a very important factor in the successful farming of small areas. A windmill pumps a supplv of good spring water to all the paddocks, in each of \rtiieh good serviceable concrete troughs have been placed. Altogether the farm is a model of the ideal 00-a'ore Taranaki dairy farm.