MODEL DAIRY FARM.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 March 1919, Page 3

MODEL DAIRY FARM.

VISIT OF INSPECTION. That farmers of the Stratford district do not yet fully realise the value of the work that '.a being done in their own model dairy !ar:n is evident, otherwise there would have been a very much larger number than 20 to accept the invitation of the committee to visit the farm on Monday. The committee is certainly to be congratulated on the work that has been done during the eighteen months the farm lias been running, and it is certain that each successive year will enhance its value to the farming community if they are only prepared to take note of the results achieved. Nothing in tho way of "ornamental" farming is attempted. The farm is being run on the lines of an ordinary dairy farm, and experiments are being made as to what pastures are most suitable, what is their best treatment, and also what fodders are best for feeding in spring, summer, autumn and winter, and how generally to run a farm to make it pay. From the entrance gate the road through the farm has been gravelled as far as the shed. On the right hand side is a paddock in stumps, as was practically tb|e whole farm when taken over. On the left hand Bide there is seven acres of nice temporary pasture sown in the middle of November; half of this was sown with I lb. of Buda Kale broadcast to the acre and the balance with 1 lb. of Buda Kale sown in drills. The cows have been grazing on this paddock. Where the pasture was sheltered by the drilled kale it has not been eaten so close'.y and looks the better. The broadcast kale being sown at the surface was mostly taken by brrda and the cows have been able to get at this pasture better. It is, however, too earlv yet to say which will do the better. In another ten acre paddock alongside, the temporary pasture was sown with two bushels of oats, which were cut for hay, a nice stack resulting. It would have been better for the pastures had the oats been fed oif. There is a fine sole of grass and clover, but not so much of the latter is to be seen in a patch where mangolds were grown previously as alter white turnips, aud there is also fine grass following Ruakura oats. Tho paddock would have done with more cultivation before laying down but it was necessary to provide pasture, and thia temporary pasture will last for two or three years.

Some; broken land near by has been planted with pinus insignus and eucalypti JffArthuri and eucalpyti viminaHi. There are only small plants as they will not transplant otherwise, hut they appear to be doing well, and will m&ko good posts some day in the near future. A walk through a thirty acre paddock shows the value of fertilising. Here 43 cows were grazing. Five acre's clos« to the fence had been treated to a top dressing of basic slag and five acres to basic super at the rate of 4 cwt per aera on September 25th, the balance being left alone. The basic super, being the quicker acter, looks the better so far, but there is plenty of clover in both fertilised areas and that the cattle know the difference is shown by the phi in line of dem;m*ation drawn down the paddock, the fertilised land being well grazed, whilst the unfertilised land, though to the eye there appears an abundance of feed, is untouched. The clover in it possesses no life. The fertilising evidently sweetens the pasture, It is the intention to fertilise the lot later and refertilise, with the idea of seeing how far pastures can be brought back. The cows are just an ordinary dairy herd. Last year they averaged 2<X) lbs. Testing and culling are to be carried out with the object of raising the average value of the herd. ThiE alone should prove interestin" ti.,™ °

There are numerous experimental plots showing the growth of different varieties of Buda kale and thousand headed kale; also how they will stand cutting. Some Soudan grass and Hungarian and Japanese millet are also shown. All have good growth now, but were very late starting and are unsuited to this climate. Some peas suitable either for rotation crops or for pig or cattle fodder were also in evidence, among them being the Canadian grass pea, which in its early stages was so much favored by the hares that it could not make any headway, but is now making great growth. It is very succulent. This lot was sown in December. There are a number of plots of carrots for variety tests and of mangolds for manurial testa, each having a tabulated placard showiug its name, date of planting, manure used, and later the quantity per acre will be given. A patch of mangolds, top dressed with three cwt. salt, were looking well. Various varieties of turnips and swedes w<>re also inspected, the" White Eg", Red Paragon, Purple Top, etc., all having their admirers among the early varieties.

A striking illustration is given of the I poor results of using old seed. A specialty is a few rows of some Egyptian | clover sent out by Captain HiVie. It ( does not appear suited to this climate, i and, as illustrating the value of a Pure 1 Seed Bill, there are numerous specimens i of new weeds with it which are thriving wonderfully well. The root crops for t the use of the stock were also inspected, 1 and much admired. They comprised ' two acres of turnip for autumn use, vis., Hardy Green Globe, a very large turnip, ' Lincoln Red, Globe, Red 'Paragon, and Purple Top Mammoth. The first named are very thick, though only Boz. to one acre were, sown, practically every seed c having germinated. Five acres of wedes. including Elephant, Monarch and ! Superlative, are for the dry cows in the ' winter, and 2% acres of mangolds, in- , eluding Jersey Queen for the spring, There is such a quantity of feed that it 1 will be difficult to use it all. The year f was such a good one for grass that a t start has just been made with feeding f out, turnips.

.Some discussion took place as to whether kale would taint the milk, and blow the cows, hut Mr. Deem considered that if cows were foil on kale for half an hour immediately after milking, no ill remits either to the jpilk or to themselves would ensue, save in the case of odd cows, particularly susceptible to blowing. Some white sugar mangolds were looking very healthy, and are said to he very sweet and much liked bv cattle. Some of the finer varieties of mangolds have the leaf worm, a small insect, that burrows in the tissues of the leaf and makes a network of hacks inside the leaf. Ey does not appear to do the mangold any harm: in fact, by retarding its foliage, he may improve it. The mangolds are sown' wide enough apart to permit of the use of the horse cultivator, Mr Deem stating that it did , good to loosen the soil about the roots. | Half an acre of Matchless White iand White Belgian carrots sown wide ! enough apart to allow of tie u»e of ttm

horse cultivator will make a pleasant food change. An area of cereals and tares, sown together, should provide an abundance' of hay. The first patch is Brown Skinleßs barley and tares. The barley, however, came on too quickly and rather smothered the tarea. Both being sown together, the barley is ripe, whilst the tares are not. Mr Deem says that the tares should he drilled first; then, when they are about three inches above the ground, the eereals should be drilled across. The drilling will not hurt the tares. Other cereals that are sown with tares include Huguenot wheat, Azof barley, Algerian and Ruakura oats. One bushel of tarea to -the acre is sown, and the object of the cereal is, of course, to keep the tares -up. At the conclusion the cowshed, with its up-to-date plant, driven by electricity, was inspected.