STRATFORD MODEL DAIRY FARM.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1919, Page 2

STRATFORD MODEL DAIRY FARM.

FODDER CHOPS. At the annual meeting of the Stratford Model Dairy Farm Society, held at' Stratford 011 Saturday, Mr J. VI, Deem delivered, an address on crops frown 011 tlio farm during the year. Mr Deem said that an area was sown lu foddev crops for soiling purposes, at the rile of two bushels of cereals to one of tares, the manure used being basic super at the rate of ;! cut per acre. Tho following are tiie green weights of the various crops, nil per acre

T. C. lbs. (1) Algerian oats and tares 11 17 80 (2) Huguenot wheat 10 18 (14 (3) Russian barley 11 8 24 (4) Drown skinless barley and

tares 0 . 2 48 (5) Rualtura oats 11 l gs (0) Huguenot wheat 11 ll 48 No. 6 had a heavier sowing of tares and rot so much wheat. The result of this test suggests that, where a held is to be sown In a fodder crop, part should be sown with wheat cr barley, and part with Algerian oats, so that the feeding of one portion may follow on the r.ther. Tho cost of the crop was about £4 Ms 6d per acre. The feeding value of the fodder crop, as compared with soft turnips, was In the ratio of about 2to 1: A fodder crop can follow a. turnip or other brasslca crop with advantage.

SOFT TURNIPS. . Seventeen varieties were grown this year against 19 last year. Last season the six heaviest varieties were: Green Globe, Maminotli, Purple Top, American White Egg, American Purple Top, Lincolnshire Red Globe, and Red Paragon In the order mentioned, while this year they wero as follows: Greystone, Lincolnshire Red Globe, Mammoth Purple Top, American Purple Top, Romney I rsh, and Green Globe, with several othep varieties close up. The average for tho 17 varieties was 33 tons of roots and 15 tons of tops, or a total of 48 tons per acre. The Red Paragon, Lincolnshire, Red Globe, and Hard Qreen Globe, kept well and showed very little rot. Tho American Purple Top promises to be a very useful turnip. Seed was pown at the rate of 0 ounces per acre, and the same aanure aa last year was used, 1.e., basic-sutler at 3 cwt per acre. Several yellow fleshed turnips were tried, again, but were found too deep rooted for pulling to be fed out to cows.

SWEDES. Twelve varieties were grown against ten in 1917-18, when Superlative, Elephant, Monarch, Champion, and Keepwcll gave tho heaviest weighings in the order enumerated.. This year the heaviest weighings were: Skevlngton, 45 tons 19 cwt; Superlative, 41 tons 10 cwt; Best of all, 39 tons 15 cwt; Monarch, 37 tons 2 cwt; Champion, 36 tons 4 cwt; Elephant. 3(1 tons 4 cwt.

No club root was found on any of the varieties, but Superlative showed about 5 per cent, of dry rot, while the othor varieties were almost free. Superlative is more susceptible to dry rot, hut Is a tine swede for the Stratford district, and. appears to be more relished by stock than other varieties.

The average weight of the main crop was 34 tons 2 ewt, against 35 tons 4 cwt the previous year. Basic super at the rate of 3 cwt per acre was used for the main crop. A inanuria! trial was also conducted with swedes, all manures being used at the rate of 3 cwt per acre. The results show that the various phosphatic manures have given even returns, and that the addition of sulphate of ammonia was not advantageous, thus confirming last year's experience. The order in which the manures stand Is as follows:—(1) Faber Island Guano; (2) Basic super 2 parts, bone 1 part; (3) Basic super. As to the cost, allowing for errors In weighing, the results are very close, being from Is 4&d to Is 3d per ton of roots, and quite Justify tho deductions of last year, namely, that 3 cwt of any good phosphatic manure will glvo satisfactory results in the Stratford district.

MANGOLDS. The season was too cold for this crop and while the strike was better than last year, the roots were smaller, but very sound. The main crop consisted of Prizewinner, White Sugar, Lond Red, and Jersey Queen and they gave the heaviest weighings in the order named. Tho average for tho 2 acre 3 was approximately 10 tons per acre. The mangolds were sown in 28-inch drills at the rate of 4 lbs of seed per acre with manure as follows: 3 parts basic super; 1 part basic slag; nnd 1 part bonemeal, at 5 cwt per acre, plus salt 8 cwt per acre. Date of sowing, 6th November, 1918. Through an oversight salt was not applied at the time the mangolds were sown, but was put on as a top-dressing on January 12th, juat after the crop was thinned. The salt Increased the yield by 9 tons 3 cwt per acre, and in another trial sown a month later, salt, at the same rata, the yield by 10 tons 4 cwt. Last year the Increase from salt was 13 tons 9 cwt per acre. Further tests demonstrated that sulphate of ammonia Is of no benefit to tho mangold crop at Stratford, U appearing to be slightly detrl- j mental. Nitrolln was also used but did not i prove beneficial. i

CARROTS. In the main orop Matchless White gave 0 weighing of 28 tons 10 ewt and White Belgian 27 tons, while the beat of the yellow or red varieties only weighed tons The same manure was used as for mangolds. A large percentage of both Matchless White and White Belgian bolted to seed, otherwise these crops would have been heavy.

KALE. A small area of Buda Kale (New Zealand grown seed and imported seed), Early ICalo, and Thousand-headed ICalo was grown for testing purposes. The Euda Kale gave the heavl&i weighing and the the quickest to respond aflw being ci\tj again tl>o local (HawerM grown seed was the quickest tn germinate and gave fully three tons more weight at the tirst cutting than the imported seed, and maintained this lead i|\ the second cubing. SWAMi CROPS. Small areas of Japanese Millet, Hungarian Millet, Sudan Grass, Egyptian Clover, Arthur Peiig, Early Minto Peas, and Canadian Grass Peas were grown. The millet and Sudan grass grew well in February, but the first frost wlpca them out. The pens, particularly the Arthur and Grass peas, are worth a fitfthe* trial. MANURING-

Field No. which was divided into two parts and manurod with ephos and slag in the spring of 1917, hap continued to do well. When grazed tjiis year by horse* thoy allowed a decided preference to the slag aroa. Field No. s.—Thla field was divided in'.o three areas ift the spring of 1917 and dressed with basip super, slag, and ephos. The a«a has been continuously grazed by cattie. At present there appears to be no marked difference in the various top.dressings. Field No 12.—Ten acres of this paddock were top-dressed in September, 1918, five acres with baaio alag and five acres with basic super at the rate of 4 owt per aero iri uaeb case. The pasture on this area mm poor, having been down for over 20 years. The result of the top-dressing was very pronounced. Tito basic super was the quicker acting, but ai present there is a fair solo of grass with a wonderfully improved clover content on hot'i top-dressed areas, while untreated areas show very little clover. These areas are now green and closely cropped by stock, wh.ile the undressed area is dead and quite neglected. This hitter aroa has sine? been divided into nine portions top-dressed with the following manure* at the rate of 4 cwt per a pre:—? (ij flasio super; (2) lime 2 parts, super 3j parts; (H) basic phosphate; (4) control, no manure; (5). Guano; (i>) Guano 2 parts, super 1 part; (7) ephos; (8) basic alag; (l>) ruck phosphate. The result# of these dressings- should be interesting. PASTURES. A field of approximately seven acres which had grown swedes the previous ypar was sown down to pasture on November 12th. 191&. In one half one pound of Buda Kale per acre was drilled In, the ground rolled, and th* grass seed broad-eaated. On the otlw half the kale seed was mixed with the gross 3eed and the whole broad-cashed. On the first half the kale paipp UP well and made fair growth for a month, after which the growth was slow. The crop was ready for stocking on January 20th. On the other half very llttlo kale made Its appearance, and what did up fell a ready prey to the turnip fly. Tho grasses on both areas germinated weft/ but ** present the area on which the kale wa* urilied appears tp bo the better past»v, ' rinh root was fairly bad in the i**? nn * } i.i s ftrGl . Tljq adjourning with the same gras» mixture, plus two bushels of oats; thft PTas were cut for hay, the resuits very striking and show the advantage of sowing with a fodder crop In preference to tin oat crop.

When the farm was taken over a small paddock of four acres known as field .6 had been broken up some years previous and had not been sown down, consequently it bdcamti a solid mat of poa pratensis. In the spring of lftlT the. area was ploughed and given a heavy seeding of oats and Italian rye, from wtiicu a crop of hay was cut. The following March the land was reploughed and sown again with a heavy seeding of oats and when these were nicely through tho ground, 10 lib per acre of Crinißbn CloVer was broad-casted. Th& clover made vety NHle'JjMwth''ifnttl the spring when it made taptd growth. The oats and clovor pr-ovldo da lot of feed' during the spring mouths, •riie fcaddock was again ploughed In February, If) ID* and sown dotjvn to .permanent pasture. At this ploughing there was very little couch to be seen,