MANGATOKI FARMERS’ UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1922, Page 8

MANGATOKI FARMERS’ UNION.

ROOT GROWING COMPETITIONS. The first of this season’s crops entered for the field root competitions organised by thp Mangatoki branch of the Farmers* Union were judged on Saturday last, when Messrs. Deem and Glasson, of the Agricultural Department, made the awards jn the soft turnip section. Nine fields were judged, and, as will be seen from the results published below, Mangatoki can produce some great crops of soft turnips. The results were as follows:

J. P. Marx (Mangatoki). —Weight, 44 tons 13cwt; 89 points. Cultivation 8, quality 8; total 105. Particulars: One and a half acres following mangolds. Ploughed beginning October, disced tHfree times and rolled. Red Paragon and Hardy Green Globe, 15oz. Sown on November 15 in 14in. drills with 3cwt bone and super. Crop very nice and even. Red Paragon very good. Hardy Green Globe not quite grown and rather thickly sown. D. L. A. Astbury (Mangatoki).— Weight, 46 tons; 92 points. Cultivation 6, quality 7; total 105. Three acres following grass. Ploughed August. disced six times, harrowed and rolled twice. Imperial Green Globe, 11b. Three cwt super and bone, half of each. Sown end of October in 14in. drills; harrowed once after crop sown. Bulbs well matured; tops dying down. Slight traces of rot. Couch grass in evidence. Jas. Perry (Mangatoki). —Weight, 42 tons Bcwt; 844 points. Cultivation 8. quality 8; total 1004. Two acres off grass. Ploughed October 10, rolled twice, disced twice, and harrowed r»nce. Imperial Green Globe and Hardy Green Globe, lOoz. Five cwt Hodder and Tolley’s special mixture. Sown November I'l in 14in. drills. A very nice crop.

McGuiness Bros. (Hastings Road).— Weight. 41 tons 4cwt; 82 points. Cultivation 7, suality 8; total 97. Three acres following carfots and swedes. Ploughed October 25, rolled, disced and harrowed, and rolled again before sowing seed. Sutton’s Red Paragon and Imperial Green Globe, lloz. Three cwt Wilkinson’s turnip mixture and 6ewt lime. Sown November 20 in 14in. drills. Red Paragons keeping better than green. T. J. Hall (Lowgarth).—Weight. 39 tons 1 7cwt; 794 points. Cultivation 6. quality 8; total 934. Two acres off grass (Western Worths and clover). Ploughed beginning October, disced, harrowed. and rolled. Hardy Green and Imperial Green Globe, lloz. Two cwt super and bone (2 parts super, 1 part bone). Sown November 16 in 14in. Fair amount of rot showing. Very fine crop, but sowing a bit uneven. F. Willan (Lowgarth).—Weight, 35 tons; 70 points. Cultivation 7, quality 8; total 85. Two acres off grass. Ploughed middle August, disced six times, harrowed four times, cultivated once, and rolled twice. Hardy Green Globe, lloz. Three cwt Hodder and Tolley’s turnip manure. Sown end November in I4in. drills. Quality sound. Well drilled. Rather young, but will make a nice crop in a fortnight’s time. W. W. Clarke (Hunter Road).— Weight, 32 tons 6cwt; 644 points. Cultivation 7, quality 7; total 784. One acre following mangolds. Ploughed first week in October for second sowing. Rolled twice, harrowed twice, disced for resowing. Imperia] and Hardy Gr.-on Globe, lib. Three cwt blood and bone. Second sowing second week in November in 14in. drills. K. Schmid (Mangatoki).—Weight, 31 tons: 62 points. . Cultivation 5, quality 6; total 73. Two and a half acres following swedes. Ploughed beginning November. Disced twice, harrowed and rolled twice. Yellow Globe, 10oz.; 250 ]b per acre of basic phosphate. Sown November 18 in 14in. drills. Some club root showing. C. Brock (Hunter Road). —Weight. 34 tons 7cwt; 684 points. Cultivation 7, quality 6; total 814. Details for this crop were not supplied. At the conclusion of the judging the party was very hospitably entertained at afternoon tea by Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Clarke. Mr. Astbury, chairman of the Mangatoki branch ’ of the Farmers' Union, briefly thanked them for their kindriess. He also expressed his appreciation of the willingness with which the officers of the Agricultural Department always acceded to their request to act as judges of their various crops. The farmers were under a very great obligation to them for the very valuable services they were rendering to the farming community.—Star.