DEMONSTRATION FARMING.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1921, Page 2

DEMONSTRATION FARMING.

STRATFORD MODEL FARM. LESSONS OF FOUR YEARS’ WORK. At the annual meeting of the Stratford Model Dairy Farm Society on Saturday, Mr. J. W. Deem delivered an address on the working of the farm for the four years it has been managed as a demonstration farm. His remarks concerned .ehiefly tko use of various fertilizers and the result of four years" experimenting makes interesting reading. Mr. Deem said:—

The variety and manurial tests have now extended over 4 seasons, and the results are consequently of increased value as- it must be recognised that anything may happen In one season, but when a certain result is obtained over a period of years it must be accepted as more or less definite. ■Swedes.—Last year I pointed out that in the manurial tests for the previous three years, bone, slag, and super gave the best average with 39 tons 18 cwt., and basic super next with 37 tons 15 cwt. With another year’s tests added tke figures are: Bone, slag, and super, 43 tons 10cwt., first; basic super 43 tons 7 cwt., seqond; and super and ephos third with 42 tons 19 <jwt.: ephos fourth with 41 tons-5 cwt.; super and slag fifth with 37 tons 14 ewt.; and basic slag sixth with 36 tons 1G cwt. From P’e above it will be noted that the basic super has practically caught up to the hone, slug, and super. Now, if we take the cost per ton of Toots over the “no manure” area which produced an average crop of 13 tons 10 cwt., we get the following figures: Bone, slag, and super Is 3%d per ton; basic super Is o%d per ton; super and ephos Is ephos Is l%d; super and slag Is 3%d; basic slag Is 3%d. These figures analysed again place basic super as the most economical manure for the swede crop .it Stratford. They further emphasise our previous statements that almost any good pliosphatic manure used at the rate of 3 cwt. per acre will give good results in the Stratford district, provided the cultivation is thorough ; r and from our experience at Stratford coupled with the results from the Toko field competitions we may safely say that the difference between a 30 ton and 40 ton crop of swedes is cultivation when the above unanure has been applied. For swede crops on the Stratford farm we have practically standardised at 3 ewt. per acre. This year wo tested 2 cwt. of basic super against 3 cwt. per acre and the figures are as follows: 2 cwt.., 39 tons 5 cwt.; 3 cwt., 48 tons 8 cwt.—difference 9 tons 13 cwt.

The poor results from the addition of nitrojen has been further demonstrated this ytar In a test between basic super, basic super and sulphate of ammonia, and basic super and blood. The figures are: Basic super, 52 tons 1 cwt. per acre (9d per ton), basic super and sulphate of ammonia, 38 tons 14 cwt. (Is 6d per ton), and basic super and blood, 43 tons 14 cwt. (Is per ton). All. these tests were carried out In the field, the manure and seed being sown' with the ordinary drill. In varieties Superlative is still in the lead with an average for the last two years of 50 tons IS cwt., Magnum Bonum coming second with 48 tons 3 cwt., Grandmaster being third with 44 tons 19 cwt., and Warrington fourth with l 38 tons 15 cwt. Three new swedes, l.e„ Webb’s New Empire and Masterpiece, and Sutton's Caledonian, were tested this year. So far as appearances go Matterpiece. Is Superlative under another name; of the other two Caledonian promises well and is worth further trials. Dry-rot has not been nearly so bad as last year, but Superlative again shows the most infection. On August 9, the difference between Magnum Bonum and Superlative was very marked. Soft Turnips.—These were again a good crop. The leading varieties for the 4 years give the following averages: Lincoln Red Globe. 47 tons 2 cwt.; Red Paragon, 46 tons 15 cwt.; Purple Top Mammoth, 46 tons 9 cwt.; Imperial Green Globe, 44 tons 10 cwt.; Hardy Green Globe, 42 tons 13 cwt.; and Romney Marsh, 39 tons 5 cwt. A very important point in these figures Is tke good showing of Lincoln Red and Red Paragon as compared with Purple Top Mammoth. Our experience is that they are just as quick as the Mammoth and a much better keeper. Our soft turnips have always been grown with 3 cwt. basic super per acre. When it Is mentioned that the best crop in the field competitions during the last 2 years was 40 tons 11 cwt. our average of 45 tons 9 cwt. for the four years must be considered satisfactory, and an indication that the manure is alright. Several new varieties were tested during the year but none of them are worth special mention.

Mangolds.—'During the past three years a good many varieties have been testes and this year the crop was confined to four varieties, viz; Prizewinner, Long Red, White Sugar, and Jersey Queen, and the crop was the best we have grown on the farm. These four unangolds have given the best results over tke period—their average weights for the four years being as follows: Prizewinner, 49 tons 19 cwt.; Long Red, 47 tons 19 cwt.; White Sugar, 43 tons 18cwt.; and Jersey Queen, 42 tons 12 cwt. The most satisfactory manure so far has been super 3 pts., bone 1 pt., slag Ipt., at the rate of 5 cwt per acre. Potash has been tested, but has not warranted the extra expenditure. Salt was again used at the rate of 3 ewt. per acre and gave an increase of 14% tons per acre. The increase in favor of salt for the four years gives an average of 10 tons 8 cwt. per acre. The main crop of mangolds show an average for the 4 years of 46 tons 2 cwt. It should also be mentioned that this is tke first year we have grown our mangolds on land that had been cropped the previous year and the results have beeh better.

Carrots.—Th area in this root was increased last season and like th© mangolds they were grown on land that had been cropped the previous year, and were more 1 uniform, in a much better crop. Several varieties have been tested on the farm, but this year the tests were confined to Matchless White, Magnum Bonum, Sinclair’s Chaunpicn, and Rennie’s Short White. For the last 4 seasons Matchless White has averaged 31 tons 3 cwt.; Magnum Bonum 30 tons 14 cwt.; Sinclair’s Champion 24 tons 4 cwt.; Rennie's Short White was imported from America and appears to be a selection from Matchless White. It promises well and will be further tested.

Fodder Crops.—These were again grown for hay purposes, and were very good. Sown on November Ist to 3rd, they were ready for cutting by the end of January. The following are the green weights per acre: Algerian oats, 2 bushels, Canadian Field Peas, 1 bushel, 12 tons cwt.; Algerian oats, 2 bushels, Golden tares, 1 bushel, 13 tons; Grey Partridge peas, 2 bushels, horse beans, 1 bushel, 17 tons 18 cwt. This latter crop was in splendid condition for feeding out green to cows, but not being required it was allowed to ripen) and was then cut and fed to pigs. Growing this crop again I would recommend peas and beans in the sa<me proportion. Golden tares were tested . against Scoth or Grey tares for spring sowing, and were much more forward at cutting time, and it would appear as if they are tie best for spring sowing.

Lucerne.—A small test area of this was sown in January 4. 8 varieties are being tested and the lucerne Is being grown under different systems of sowing. Lucerne is also being tested against cow grass sown on the same date. The idea is to give the cow grass the -same treatment as the lucerne, keeping careful records, to ascertain which is the most economic crop to grow at Stratford.

Top-Dressing Pastures. —The top-dressing experiments In Field 7 (bush paddock) are still interesting. At this time last year the basic super and burnt lime and super were the best with the basic slag close up. Tils year there is not a great deal of difference between those, three plots, but If anything, the basic slag is the best. Next to the above last year, the plots dressed with ephos, and guano and super, were the best, and they still hold this position. The plot dressed with Mt. Lyall rock phosphate shows no Improvement and so far as appearances go this dress-

ing up to the present has been useless. The area .dressed With carbonate of lime and rock phosphate is not much better. These results are very interesting at the present time when there is so muck: raw rock phosphate being introduced into the various mixtures.

it is quite likely that now we are getting those phosphates very much finer ground that the results will be quicker. Basic slag (both English and Belgian) has been used this year for the general topdressing on the farm. In -two fields Nauru phosphate is being tested ■ against slag.

Fertilisers and General.—lt will be noted from my remarks that basic super at tl?e. rate of 3 cwt. per acre has been used right through for our soft turnips. It has also given very flue results with swedes, being in second place and only three cwt. behind the bone, slag, super, and when we take the reduced cost it really stands in first position. At the Waimate West Area we have had splendid results from ephos and super (half and half) witl? turnips, and it will be noted that this manure gets into third place at Stratford.

Nauru phosphates are at present exercising, the minds of a great many farmers, and .great. things are expected from .them, but it must be I’emembered that they are to some extent, still on trial. I ttUnk there is no doubt that Nauru phosphate will very largely replace bone, ephos. and basic slag, in mixtures,'but. I think farmers would be well ad-vised-toot to use it : too freely as a straight out manure for root crops until it has been tried .out for -a season or two. Mixed with super, .half and half, or for tke wetter parts, 2. of,.Nauru to ono of super, should give good results.

We are testing these manures on the different root crops this year and we hope by next, annual meeting to' have some .reliable data for you.

At the conclusion of his address, Mr. Deem was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.