ROOT AND FODDER CROPS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1916, Page 3

ROOT AND FODDER CROPS.

AN INTERESTING REPORT. Following is the report of the judges (Messrs H. King and U. V. Tate) on root and fodder crops for dairy stock inspected,by them in judging for the Autumn Show: — We found the soft turnip crops were not generally so satisfactory as last year. The crops were not so heavy, and rotten roots were in many cases more or less prevalent. We were told that where heavy dressings of artificial manures had been used the unsoundness was most pronounced, and certainly the worst crop we came across in this respect was one where the land had. been dressed .vitli 7ewt. per acre of artificial manure, composed chiefly of superphosphate. Generally the e'rops in bush districts were both'heavier and sounder than those on coast lands, attributable, no doubt, to the greater rainfall experienced this season away from the sea coast. Maize craps we found exceptionally good, and very heavy yields Of this fodder have in some cases been obtained, especially where the crops have been grown in sheltered situations and on good land well worked, the .height of some of these crops running up to 15 or Hi feet. We suggest to the Society that in future better staging facilities' be provided for this class. It is one in .'which considerable interest centres, and could be made both interesting and instructive. The following are the conditions under which the leading crops were grown:—

LUCERNE. In the class for lucerne, Mr. Blackball again takes first place, and although it U questionable if the district is suitable for producing this crop at its best, we are satisfied that in this case it is being grown successfully, and a valuable fodder for dairy stock profitably grown. The plot is now in its second year, and sa satisfied is Mr. Blackball with it that he has sown another .patch this year. The lucerne is growing in a sheltered paddock on which pigs had previously been running, and the soil is evidently in thoroughly good heart; add to which Mr. Blackball ploughed the land deeply and broke up the subsoil by running a Planet Junior cultivator after the plough, the combined workings giving a depth of about a foot of loosened soil; the land was limed, dressed with inoculated soil, and the seed drilled in with manure. A good plant was obtained, which madesuch vigorous growth from the start that any weeds coming up in it were smothered out. and the plot has received no hand cultivation? In fact, the only labor spent on cleaning has been running the cultivator and tine 'harrows through it twice rn the winter and removing any weeds harrowed out. No manure has ■been applied since seeding. Mr. E. Bayley's plot of ducerne is 1% acres in area. It is growing on exposed flat on high land; lie has a good take; the crop is fairly even, free from weeds and is looking well so far. Mr. E. Griffiths' half-acre is interesting, as showing the necessity for thorough -winter or early spring cultivation of this crop. Mr. Griffiths' instructions to have the plot well disced in the winter were hot attended to, and the result was that grass came up so strongly in it that early in December a crop of hay, in which scarcely a trace of lucerne could ■he found, was cut, and after this the land was heavily disced, the -harrows being put over it some twelve or fifteen times. It was then tine-harrowed and the weeds carted off, with the result that when we saw it in February the third cutting of lucerne was being made.

ROOT CROPS. In the class for root crops Mr. George Marsh was first with a nice crop of Garton'a hardy green turnip. This was grown on level land, formerly in bush, but. which 'had been cropped and then laid down in grass for ten years. The grass was ploughed down about five inches deep carry in November, well disced and dressed with ground unburnt lime at the rate of two tons per acre a few days before seeding; lib of seed per acre was sown in the second week of November with 3cwt. of manure, composed of equal parts of basic slag and superphosphate. The crop was a good one, but over tliicU; it weighed 36 tons per acre of thoroughly sound roots, not a .single decaying one being found in the field. Adjoining the plot judged was one sown the same day, receiving exactly the same treatment in every way, except that no lime was applied to it. The turnips on this plot were not so vigorous, alt-hough the roots were nearly as large, but they were more mature and the foliage was changing ,color and dying down, whilst that on the limed plot was iffiieh stronger, of a dark green, and in full growth. Mr. A. Morton had a ■ nice crop of Sutton's Imperial Green Globe turnips, weighing 33 tons per acre. The take was very even, but the turnips were over thick. They were sound, with ait. occasional patch showing an odd root decaying. The crop was growing freely with a vigorous top growth, and hail not come to its maximum weight. (The same may be said of Mr. Marsh's crop). The turnips were grown on level land formerly in bush and broken up this year for the first time. The land was ploughed seven inches deep and well disced just before sowing; seed was sown towards the end of November at the rate of eighteen ounces per acre, with 3</ 2 cwt. of manure per acre, composed of basic s'iag and Bothwich's rape manure in eaual parts. Mr. G. Gibson had a good crops of Purple-top Mammoth and Imperial Green Globe turnips, sown in strips for experimental purposes, the Green Globe cropping quite as heavily and keeping better than the Monarch. It was a good take, and the crop was very even, but showed some decaying roots. The Purple-top Mammoth were commencing to get pithy; the crop weighed 38 tons per acre. The crop was grown on level black sandy soil near the sea coast. The land was broken up out of grass last year and cropped witli swedes. It was ploughed, disc and tine-'harrowed, rolled and sown on August '24 with Vk ounces of seed and 2'/ 2 cwt. of rock phosphate per acre. GREFA T FODDER. In the class for green fodder crops, Mr. Hannah was first with a very line pateli of Craig Mitchell maize, very even, averaging about 12ft high and running up to loft, green to Hie bottom and very sweet and succulent. The crop weighed 54 tons per acre. It was grown on a well-sheltered piece of land that had been cropped for several yenrs, but allowed to get in a very weedy state. It .was given three plougliings and well disc and tine harrowed and dressed with 1% to Zcwt. of burnt lime .per acre, sown ■about December '2O with a 'bushel of seed and l%cwt. of superphosphate broadcast ed to the acre. Mr. A. Smith's %-acre plot of Hickory King maize was very even and a good crop, weighing 42y 2 tons per acre. It was grown on a low flat in papa country, which had previously grown a crop

of swedes and one of mangels, both carted off the land. It was ploughed for the maize Sin deep three weeks before seeding. The seed was sown broadcast, and %ev/t. of basic slag applied at the same time and well disced in. REGRASSIXG LAND. Before concluding, your committee would impress on fanners that more care should be taken in sowing grass seed for permanent pastures. A great amount of good has resulted from topdressing, but if fanners examined their pastures they would in many cases find a large percentage of undesirable growth, in producing which a considerable quantity of manure is practically wasted, and the: quantity of butter-fat returned is nothing like as good as it would be if pastures were regrassed every seven or eiglit years. In a li<;ht soil, such as most of that in the Taranaki district, ■pastures after having been down seven or eight years generally want renewing, as they not only become less productive but to a certain extent they become cowsick. Old pastures broken up in summer, well worked and sown with oats for green feed, with a good dressing of manure, would produce feed, and at the same time sweeten and clean the land for regrassing.