FIELD ROOTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1917, Page 2

FIELD ROOTS.

ACIUiAGB COMPETITION, 1917. Following is the judge's report of the field root, acreage competitions held in connection with the TaranaJii Agricultural Show:— The swede turnip crops we judged this year were very variaible. Those growing on coastal farms are generally light and not of first quality, whilst in inland, Tikorangi, Toko, Purangi, and bush districts generally they are in nearly all cases good and sound. The hot. dry summer we experienced, with its accompaniment of insect pests, was very trying to this crop, especially In coastal districts., where the rainfall was lightest. The ravages of aphis and the grub in the T>iamond imoth in many cases left the plants practically lea/fless, and but for the exceptionally favorable autumn many crops would have been ruined. Last year in many fields roots were very seedy cut hard and| woody in the centre. This year they are very free from that fault, but the centres (especially in those crops most damaged by insects) are discolored, and in some cases have hard dark spots through them. These discolored roots are at present palatable to stock, but probably as the season advances they will deteriorate in quality, although we are inclined to think, they will not decay. The practise of sowing swede seed from every coulter, instead of every other coulter in the drill, is becoming more general, and where no after cultivation is intended to be given we are satisfied it is a dockled advantage. The roots are more evenly distributed over the land, are of more uniform size, and less very small ones are gTown, and where tlie land has. been properly worked there are no blank spaces and few weeds. In these competitions two out of the three first prizes and all three second prizes went to crops sown from coulters. From enquiries we have made we gather that in sowing at the reduced distance it is advisable to sow rather less seed and rather more manure per acre, the increased quantity of manure being a quick-acting one such as superphosphate, so as to give the plants a start. . The advisability of ploughing gtftss land as earlv as possible for root crops was clearly shown in Mr. R Jones tmv nip field. 'The greater portion of it was ploughed in July and August, and after lavinf for some time, it was we!, disced and kept harrowed until the seed was sawn, the results being that a very even take was obtained; the roots are very even m size, there are no bare patches and no weeds, whilst on some two acres of the same field that was ploughed shortly before seeding the crop Is not nearly so good, the take is irregular there' beincr many vacant patches and weeds are present more or less throughout; the whole field was sown at the same time with the same quantity of both seed and manure. We found, as in previous years, tna,. in cases where turnips are growing a second time on the same ground tie crops are mostly poor and rotting badly, and in the ease of club roots (aHhouga we have not come across roow with thb disease amongst the crops judged) have seen several badly affected crops on land growing them two consecutive year* and we cannot be too careful m ease" where this dise-e is presen io avoid stowing any of (his class of plants on thesame ground, or en land on which diseased roots have been carted out and fed to stock. This disease is comparatively new to lis, at any rate in its present virulent form. We have m view a croo of eight acres of swedes in which everv' root was killed on one patch of over' half an acre, and on other smaller patches they have gone the same, whilst affected roots have gone o(T throughout most of the field. More than half the crop has been destroyed

Mangel crops were generally very uneven in 'take elbowing many Ibare patches. In some cases half the land was without any roots on it. The reason generally given is the destruction of the young plants by small birds, and in one case by havoc caused to the plants by the underground grub. The first and second prize crops were an exception in this respect, as the take in these cases was exceptionally good. We would once more like to impress on farmers the desirability of an early ploughing and long fallow whereby thorough cultivation could be obtained. The result of .July and August ploughing we find satisfactory. In the class for Carton's Superlative Swede, Mr. Evan Jones, of Toko, took first place with an exceptionally fine crop of even sized model shaped roots, all thoroughly sound and of fine quality. They were very regularly distributed over the ground and weighed sixty tons per acre (roots and tops weighed in); the crop was free from weeds and outstandingly the best we have come across. It was growing on rich low-lying land, ploughed out of grass in July and August six inches deep, disc and tine liarrawed regularly up to seeding; seed was sown at the rate of nine oz per acre on December 13 in drills seven incites apnrt with two cwt. honedust and one cwt. each of slag and super, no after cultivation was given.

Mr. V. J. Webb, of Purangi, took second .place with a good crop of thoroughly sound clean roots, weighing 45 1-3 tons per aero. They were fairly i:\vn. but not so good in this respect as Mr. •Tones', and the take was more irregular. This crop was not so much matured as most crops of this variety, there Vicing a considerable leaf growth on it. fart of the land was cropped with soft turnips sown in February, 1!H(1, and the balance ploughed out of grass five indies deep from Itth to 20th December. Disc harrows were put over it four times and three hundredweight of lime broadcasted oil the surface and chain harronvs run over it. fourteen ounces of seed was sown on January 1 and "2, in drills seven I inches apart, and from four to five cwt. of Sterling turnip manure sowi. at the I same time. The turnips were good on the whole field, 'but heaviest onVthat ploughed out of grass. Messrs Bundle and Laird were third with a good crop of medium-sized model shaped roots, sound and of good quality weighing 43 tons per acre. They were growing on high table land of good quality, ploughed seven inches deep at ■ the end of November and the beginning of December out of grass (virgin bush ' land). The tripod harrows were run ■ over it followed by the disc / harrows about four times, and again tripoded. On December 22 a little over one pound of seed was sown in drills 14 inches apart iwitli three cwt of Sterling turnip manure. In the class for Webb's Superlative, Mr. H. Foreman was first with a very 1 good crop of even sized roots, with much 1 foliage and more neck than we usually , met with in this class. They were sound with an odd root decayed, but

practically the crop was sound and of good quality, weighing >S&J tons. It was growing on good level land, ploughed seven inches deep out of grass eardv in October, one lb of seed and 3%cwt of manure, composed of two cwt. of bonedust and the balance equal 'parts of Kphos and super : were sown in drills 14 inches apart in the first week of December and no after cultivation given. Mr. G. :L. Andrews was second with a good crop weighing 49 tons per acre of smallish roots of fairly even size, sound and of good quality, evenly distributed over the land nut generally over thick. The crop was growing on mostly good level land, ploughed five inches deep in September, out of a field containing much of one of the varieties of couch grass. We found the land clean with very little couch visible. The land v/as harrowed six times with the disc harrows and twice with the tine harrows, and 20 oz q{ seed was sown In drills seven inches apart, with four cwt. of manure composed of 'bonedust, 1$ slag and one of super on December 14. This crop was heavily seeded with ttye abject of smothering any couch that might show u,p, tout in our opinion rather less seed would have answered the purpose and larger roots wuld have been prduced. Mr. G. L. Tate was third with a rather over thick crop of medium to small roots, sound and good, weighing 49J tons per acre. They were growing on low lying rich drained land, ploughed six inches deep out of grass and rubbish in November, well disced and sown in the middle of December in 14-inch drills with lib seed and IJcwt. of manure, composed of equal .parts of PhosphoGuano, super and bonedust. In the class for any variety of Sutton's swedes, Mr. K. Jones was first with a very good crop of Stitton's superlative, weighing 63 tons per a*re of sound, rather neoky roots, of good quality. This crop was growing in the same field and received the same cultural treatment as the first prize crop of Garton's Superlative. Mr. G. L. Andrews was second with a good crop, weighing 49 tons of smallish roots., sound and good, fairly evenly spread over the ground, but rather thick —part of the same field and received the same'cultural treatment as the seeond prize crop in Webb's Superlative competition. The estate of the late F. Kuuckey was third, 'with a good field of 30 acres of Sutton's Superlative, weighing V) tons of medium sized roots,, rather ncckv, 'but sound and good, evenly snrcad over the land. The field was cronped with turnips fifteen years ago, and has 'been in grass ever since until it was ploughed for the present crop six inches dee]) in August, and after lying for some time was well disced and kept worked until seeding. One lb of seed was sown on iDe'ecmber 10 in 14-incli drills with three cwt of manure composed of bone and super. In the class for the best half acre of mangels Mr. P. Godinagh was first with a good crop of mixed varieties weighing 701 tons per acre; a very even. crop, lather over thick and with very vigorous top growth and some under sized roots; quality good and sound. The land was ploughed eight inches deep out of crass the second 'week of 'August, harrowed every fortnight until seeding, three cwt. of salt was broadcasted and tl'e chain harrows run over it just before sowing seed. The first week in December eight lbs of seed was drilled in rows 14 inches apart- and five cwt. 'super. After the seed had 'been up a fortnight two cwt. of coarse salt per acre was dressed on the plants. The crop received two hoeings and was free from weeds.

Mr. K. Hellicr was second with a good crop of medium sized roots, sound and good, a very even take, but where from press of time they had not been thinned they were overlhiek with a considerable number of under-sized roots. The crop was free from weeds and. weighed OS J tons. The land was ploughed six inches deep out of grass in August, allowed to lie for six l weeks, then thoroughly disced and kept harrowed until seed was sown. Five lbs of seed was sown the end of November in drills 21 inches apart with six cwt. of bone and super in equal parts. After the seed was up the planet junior hoe was run through them, and afterwards the hoe was used with cultivator teeth. Mr. T. C. Wilson, of Waitara, was third with a good crop of medium to large roots of good quality of the variety Jersey Queen, weighing 65% tons. The take in this crop was irregular. Land was cropped with turnips last year, 'and ploughed for present crop six inches deep October 15, and well harrowed and sown with six lbs of seed and six cwt. of super guano and a little nitrate of soda on November 2. •H. KING, THOS. LUXTON, Judges.