ROOT CROPS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1916, Page 3

ROOT CROPS.

THE ACREAGE COMPETITION.

JUDGES' REPORT AND COMMENTS.

r Messrs 11. King, J. If. Rowlands and Thos. Luxton, the judges of the field roots acreage competition of the Taranaki Agricultural Society for 11)10, have presented the following report:— The warm dry weather experienced ci, this coast last summer materially allotted the weight of both swede and mangel crops. Swede crops were not only lighter, but the quality of the roots was in most cases inferior to those we inspected last year. The average weight last year was 40',4 tons jier acre, whilst this year it is only 30>/ 4 tons. The heaviest crop last year was 07'/ s tons, and this year it is 4P/ 4 tons. Many crops are rooty and necky and cut hard and woody, probably caused "y the plants having been cheeked by the dry weather, combined in many cases with the riddling of the foliage l\v the lava, of the diamond moth. IVith one exception all the sweedes were drilled on the flat in rows 1-1 inches apart and received no after cultivation. The exception was one where the seed was sown in rows 20 inches apart with the Storrie ridger and the plants hand-thinned and horse-hoed. This field yvns very free from weeds, and the crop was far more vigorous than those receiving no after-cultivation. I The roots cut. free from woodiness and, from the appearance of the foliage, they would further increase in size. The plants showed no sign of having been checked in growth, although one would have expected plants on ridges to he most all'ected by dry weather. The weight of this crop was practically the same as Mr. Tate's, the larger roots having compensated for the greater space between the rows. COST OF CULTIVATION.

'A few remarks on the extra cost of using the Storrie ridger and after cultivation of the crop, as given by Mr. Topliss, may not be out of place here. In drilling on the flat an ordinary seed drill sows about 12 acres a day, 'whilst the ridger sows 8 acres. The' cost o{ thinning with the Storrie thinner is from two to three shillings an acre, and a horse hoe should hoe four acres a day, so that the cost of using the ridger and after cultivation would hj« ten or twelve.shillings an acre. Advocates for the ridger contend that lb* greater depth of good soil under th,* the crop is a great advantage, and, further, that the machine sows the mauuTfl at two depths, putting the bonedust or other permanent manure some distance under the seed, whilst it deposits the immediately available manure, such as super., in close proximity to it. We came across several cases Jn which part of the crop was growing on land that had been in swedes last year, and the inferiority of these partions both in weight and soundness was very marked. Jn cases where the lajjd had been ploughed at different times the best roots were on that fts>st ploughed, and all the best crops ware on land ploughed six inches and over in depth.

THE .MANGEL CROP. The warm dry summer suited mangels better than swedes. The average weight last year was 07 tons, and this year it is 54. The heaviest crop last year was 74'/ 2 tons, and this year it is <tf. The" lighter weights recorded this year are partly attributable to the first sowing in two cases having been destroyed by birds, necessitating re-sow-ing the Held and causing the crop to be a month later in starting. The roots were sound and of good quality, about the same size as last year, but'the take was not generally so good, there being more vacant patches. We think some farmers over-thin this crop. The rows are often from 24 to 28 inches apart, and the plants thinned to from 18 to 21 inches in the rows. We find in weighing the crops that ,vhen the rows are these distances apart the best results are obtained where the roots stand from !) to 12 indies apart. The best crop we have come across during the last three years was one where the rows were 21 inches apart and the roots thinned to from U to 12 inches. The weight of this crop was tons, and it would have been considerably heavier if there had not "been a ridge of poorer soil through the centre of it. We suggest that next year a portion of the crop be less heavily thinned, so as to compare results with those allowed a greater space. We came across a case where a patch of mangels had been drilled beside a crop of swedes, both sown the same day (December 14) in rows 14 inches apart, and treated alike, no after cultivation being given. The mangels were in every way the better crop. Mr. D. Alexander, of Til,;raugi, tells us he had similar results nimself this year. We do nos advise growing this crop without after-cultivation, but mention these eases as useful irops were grown at comparatively small expense. Following were the conditions under which the leading crops were grown;—

Class 129—Two acres fiarton's Super-

lative Swede.

In this class Air. 0. u Tate was first .vith a nice crop of good-sized shapely roots of good quality, perfectly sound and weighing 41'/. tons per acre. They were grown on rich drained swamp land ploughed six inches deep out of grass and disced iive or six limes. One pound of seed per acre was sown in the middle of November, with 2ewt. of manure composed of super, and bonedust in ei|i\al quantities.

lII'. \V. J. Croasdnlc, was second with an even crop, very free from weeds, weighing .'SI tons per acre of thoroughly sound smallish roots of line quality, which hud not reached their maximum weight. They were growing in naturally rich level land, formerly in hush. It was ploughed six inches deep out of grass at the end of December, twice disced, chain harrowed and sown with ill) of seed per acre on January 18 and lewt. each of super., bonodust and blood and bone. Adjoining the swedes Mr. Croasdale had an exceptionally iine patch of (Jarton's hardy green turnips tor spring feeding.

Mr. K. D. Ansford was third with a fairly even crop of medium-sized roots of good quality, but having some decaying loots throughout. They were grown on level land formerly in bush, and ploughed seven inches deep out of grass in August, and well disced in November and December, chain narrowed twice, and sown with lib seed and 3 1 /. cwt. of liorthwick's turnip manure on December -i. The crop weighed 36'/ a tons per acre. Class 130.—Two acres any variety of ■Sutton's Swede. Mr. S. ToDliss was first with Sut-

ton's Superlative, weighing 40 tons per acre, and second with Sutton's Vp-to-Date, weighing Ii(! lons. They were both good crops very free from weeds, of large roofs, necky. but of good (juality, with an odd root decaying, but so few that the crop was practically sound and had very heavy, bright foliage. They were growing on good level land, ploughed six inches deep out of grass during the first week in October, double disced in November, and, before seeding, disced twice on the angle, twice tine-harrowed. On December \i, 12oz. of seed and 2ewt. bonedust, lewt. slag and lewt. super, was sown with the Storrie ridger in rows H> inches apart. The crop was afterwards hand-thinned at a cost of 12s per acre, and horsehoed. J[r. .T. Hale was third with a rather uneven crop of Sutton's Superlative, weighing .'li! 1 /, tons per acre, of thoroughly sound roots of good (juality, but rather rooty and necky. They were growing on broken land in grass and blackberries last year. It mas heavily disced before jdoughing and ploughed six inches deep early in December, harrowed and sown with %\b seed. P/jcwt. Calcutta bonedust, and lewt. super per acre on December 14. The crop was free from weeds. Class 131.—Half-acre of Mangels.

Mr. L. Andrews was first with a good crop of Prizewinner and Yellow (Jlobe, weighing 07% tons per acre. The land was clean and the roots sound and of good quality. They were growing on land cropped with mangels last year (an old pig paddock). The land was disced, well worked, and 4cwt. of manure, composed of bonedust, slag and super., in equal parts, applied. The mangels were transplanted into rows IS inches apart and 12 to 14 inches apart in the rows.

Sir. C. Sorrensen was second with Prizewinner, weighing 57'/. tons. The crop was fairly free from weeds, roots sound and of good quality, crop rather uneven in fake, and roots would have been larger but for the birds having destroyed the first sowing. The land was in oats last year and ploughed eight inches deep last autumn, disced twice a month to keep weeds down, tine-harrowed and sown with (illi seed and liewt. super, in the middle of November. The crop was thinned with hand hoe and horse hoed.

Mr. <i. H. Herbert took third place with Jersey Queen, clean roots of even size and good quality. They were growing on level land ploughed out of grass six inches deep two months before sowing, disced and 51b of seed and 4cw(. of I'etone root manure sown in rows 2(1 inches apart with the Storrie ridger on Xovember 5. The crop weighed 54'/ 3 lons per acre. In our award this crop was erroneously put down as Prizewinner.