CULTIVATION HELPS

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1940, Page 2

CULTIVATION HELPS

GOOD CROP INSURANCE AMPLE FEED NECESSARY A great weakness of New Zealand farming lies in the excessive reliance, especially in the northern districts, placed on the relatively favourable climate, which certainly gives more even distribution of grass jrowth than in less favoured countries. But every year there are many deaths of stoek due directly to starvation or to disease caused by partial starvation. Few farmers appear to realise that two-thirds of the grass growth occurs in four months, only one-third of the growth occurring in the remaining eight months. By saving surplus grass as hay or silage this unevenness can be partially levelled out, but there is still plenty of scope for the use of supplementary feed crops. By commencing cultivation work now there is ample time to prepare the ground thoroughly for root and greenfeed crops for the coming year. Tlie spring-sown cereal crops should be all sown by the middle of September, late barley crops being an exception. Heavy rains may make it worth while to delay sowing barley to prevent the crop from being drowned. As autumn-sow cereals are fed off they should be harrowed to aerate the surface and scatter clods which have been broken by winter frosts. For root and forage crops the soil should be brought to a good tilth — a seed-bed that is clean, moist, firm and deep. In addition it is important that the seed-bed should be fine from top to bottom. A superficial. cultivation that leaves a few inches of fine soil above a cloddy layer is mrf unfavourable to crop growth. The clods should be brought to the surface with a cultivator, if necessary, and broken down by roller and discs. Land for potatoes that has been skimmed in th'e autumn should be crossploughed ready for the worlting up and planting of the main crop in October. Every care should be taken to purchase seed potatoes free from disease. the only reliable method generally being to buy certified seed, since virus disease cannot be detected by visual examination. All possible use should be made of the implements at this busy time, though heavy soils should not be worked under unfavourable weather conditions. Farmers who cannot themselves fully employ their tractors, and few tractors are fully employed, especially on North Island farms, should endeavour to co-operate by hiring the-i to other farmers not possessing one.