FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1922, Page 12

FARM AND DAIRY

FIELD NOTES FOR OCTOBER. Supplied by Fields Instruction Branch (Department of Agriculture). Pastures —These are now making good growth; all top-dressing shouldbe finished, but in late districts superphosphates may still be applied with fairly good results. Sowing down of pasture where spring sowing is successful may be continued; it is a good practice to drill lib of Budda Kale or rape with pastures sown at this time of the year. The kale or rape should be drilled in, the land rolled, and the grass seed sown broadcast on the rolled surface; then cover with light tine or brush harrows.

Green Crops—October is a good month to sow fodder crops for hay, ensilage or green feed. Mixtures of Algerian oats and tares or peas will be found very suitable. Sow two bushels of oats and one of peas or tares; any good phosphatic manure at the rate of 2cwt per acre will give good results, half super and half Nauru being among the best. Autumn sown oats or barley crops that are intended for grain or hay and have -been recently fed down should get one or more strokes of the tine harrows so as to loosen the surface of the land. Most people are afraid to harrow in the spring for fear they will pull out the crop, but there is iio danger in this direction.

Root Crops—Land intended for mangolds, carrots, or soft turnips should be well worked in preparation for sowing from the middle of October onwards. In the warmer situations mangolds may be sown any time now, but carrots and turnips are better delayed until the end of the month. Good varieties of soft turnips are Lincoln Red, Red Paragon, and Hardy Green Globe. Manure should be supplied at the rate of 3cwt per acre. Basic super or mixtures half super and half Nauru or Ephos or proprietary turnip manures are suitable. The reds may be fed first and followed iby the greens.

Mangolds—Prizewinner, Jersey Queen, White Sugar, and Long Red are the best varieties in the order named. Where a fair area is being sown it is a good practice to try two or more varieties. Small areas may be sown in 21-inch drills and hand hoed, but when the area is over y 4 acre they are best sown in drills 26 to 30 inches apart and given horse cultivation. Manuring should be liberal, not less than 4cwt to the acre, but scwt to 6cwt is better. Special mangold manures are very suitable> or mixtures of half super and half Nauru or Ephos, or three parts bonemeal. Generally it will be advantageous to add Acwt of sulphate of potash per aero to the above . mixtures. Salt is also beneficial, and should be broadcasted at the rate of 3cwt per acre just before seeding time and harrowed in. If kainit is available it may be applied at the rate of 3cwt per acre, in which case the potash and salt should be cut

Carrots—The best varieties are Matchless White, Sinclair's Champion, and Magnum Bonum. -Small ar&ss that can be given hand cultivation arc best sown in 14-inch drills; larger areas in 21-inch drills and horse cultivated. Seed at the rate of Ulb per acre. Any of the manures recommended for mangolds are suitable, used at from 3 to 4cwt per acre. Lucerne —September was a splendid month for cleaning up lucerne, and it should now be making good growth. If not already done, paddocks requiring cultivation should be given attention at once. All stands should now be closed up for a crop. Where necessary it may still be top-dressed with superphosphate at the rate of 2cwt per acre.