GRASSES: THEIR SUITABILITY FOR WAIKATO SOILS.

Waikato Argus, Volume IX, Issue 720, 4 August 1900, Page 4

GRASSES: THEIR SUITABILITY FOR WAIKATO SOILS.

Tuk following is the conclusion of the paper read at the meeting of the Tamahere Branch of the Waikato Farmers’ Club It is a most difficult matter to arrive at anything like a correct estimate of the value of the different grasses from analysis. During the past 50 years agricultural chemistry has been almost entirely neglected, and this is the more noticeable ns every other science has made wonderful strides during that period. Sinclair, Davy and, Liebig are still the highest authorities on the analysis of grasses, and since their time no one of real ability has devoted sufficient time to the subject to acquire fame. A few German chemists of doubtful learning, but undoubted effrontery, have certainly professed to make remarkable discoveries in agricultural chemistry, but in most oases they have been nothing more than plagiarists. As stated at the beginning of this paper, more than twice the number of plants are able to thrive on a given area when there are a number of species growing together than when there are one or two only. This is partly because each kind requires a different class of plant food. From this it can be understood that each kind of grass must vary greatly in chemical construction and value for feeding purposes, and the various '‘chemists—including the three great names before .'mentioned—have attempted to prove by analysis the different constituents of the various grasses and the value of each fur stock food, Such analysis must be practically worthless without being accompanied by an analysis of the soils on which the grasses were grown. For, inasmuch as nitrogen is a common food of all grasses, and when a number of species are growing together, and when the supply of nitrogen in the soil is limited, it follows that the plants cannot absorb more nitrogen than is procurable from the soil. But if the same class of plants were growing under the most favourable circumstances and supplied with an abundance of nitrogen it would probably be found that in the latter case the grasses contained twice the quantity of nitrogen as in the former. These remarks are made to show that great caution should he exercised in accepting any table purporting to give a correct analysis of the different grasses for the purpose of comparison of their feeding values ; and the met that the grasses may be able to absorb a certain amount of nitrogen from the atmosphere does not alter the case in the least.

Some grasses are able to gfow on any class of laud, fcift their value for stock food greatly depends on the quality of the soil on which they are grown, YORKSHIRE FOG. There is no grass thought so little of or spoken about in sueh a eonteniptuious tone as “ Yorkshire Fog.” If a fanner wishes to run down his neighbour’s paddocks, he says they contain “ nothing but fog.” In the Waikato’s farmer's mind “ fug ” is everything that is bad and worthless. But docs “ fog ” deserve all the disappobatiou heaped on it ? So far from the writer, of this paper being of that opinion, he has given *• Yorkshire Fog ” the pride of place. Not because “ foe ” is the best grass or because it is desirable to sow it on any of our soils, but, because without “ fog,” Waikato would not hold the position it does to-day as a grazing country. “Fog” has proved itseif a true pioneer, in spreading through ti-tree, into the halfdrained sour swamp, and, in fact, anywhere where it was possible for a bare spot to be found, fog throve. In the early spring, when teed has been scarce, many thousands of hungry cattle have existed almost solely on “ fog,” and its succulent herbage has tempted them to trample till solid and fertile many an acre of rotten swamp. Some months ago “ an expert ” expressed the opinion in Waikato that fog was absolutely useless for feed. Never was a greater error made. It is true that stock cannot thrive on “ fog ” alone for any length of time, but neither can they on any other single grass, and, for the matter of that, neither can man thrive on bread alone. But in the early spring, and, in fact, all through the winter, “ fog ” is a very useful grass, and, on good land, stock will fatten on it till it comes out in flower. If allowed to seed, its leaves wither and' quickly rot, and for feeding purposes the plant is useess until it grows again the following winter. But even in this state it is Ivaluable if ploughed down, as it quickly decays and.must help to form humus — that essential substance in our lighter soils. Sir John Sinclair classes “fog” as being equal to cocksfoot and far supeior to perenial ryegrass for nutriment ; but as before stated, such a comparison is worthless without showing the class of land on which the specimens were grown. It proves however that on

nood lanrl “fog” is superior to ryegrass taking it for (.’ranted that the latter is grown .on inferior soil. Although paddocks arc sown with an ordinary mixture of seeds they are found after some years to eoi.Ms’t veiy hugely of fog, yet the latter Brass cannot he raid to interfere with 'he growth of other varieties ; but as the other grasses dm out from any cause, fog, I eiug the earliest to shake its seeds, sows the hare patch left by the decayed grass before the later grasses have a chance to do so. If, therefore, mowing is practised, as suggested, when “fog” is in flower it should he found an eflectice means of keeping it in check Most grasses demand a soil suited to them or they do not thrive ; hut in our climate “fog’’ seems to crow anywhere. Certainly it grows beat on rich land, and the writer has seen a large area of “ fog” standing six feet high when its seeds were ripe, hut it seems to adapt itself to any sort of plant food; aud in fact it seems he of the same class, us some animals are satisfied with anything so lony as they get u belly full.

I’EUEXN lAL RYKCiRASS. Hitherto Waikato farmers have overestimated the good qualities of ryegrass in about the same proportion as they have undeservedly abused “ fog.” Ryegrass lias been sown more extensively than any other crass end it must be admitted with results lar below expectations. It is called a perennial, but unless sown under special conditions it very rarely lasts more than two seasons on our lighter soils. It is, however, truly a perennial on our stronger lands, provided they are well drained, as sourness ol the soil nnd stagnant water kill it at once. To succeed it must lie sown on good land and under conditions to suit it. Being a surface rooted plant, and what may be called a nice or particular feeder, it soon exhausts the soil of the constituents which it requires, unless the land is good and fairly stiff. This is why ryegrass seldom lasts more than two seasons on light land, and it is only reasonable to assume that it exhausts tire soil of its special requirements, so far as its roots extend, during the first year. Taking this for granted, and considering the fact that the grass dies before its time it is more than probable that its feeding qualities are very inferior after the first season. Many Waikato farmers assert that it is useless to try to top off cattle on grass sown more than one year, and probably ryegrass is responsible for this impression. Good strong growing Yorkshire fog contains better feeding properties than unhealthy ryegrass. Some graziers claim that stock prefer ryegrass to other.grasses, but this is a mistake, as it has been demonstrated by sowing paddocks with alternate strips of ryegrass and cocksfoot that both sheep and cattle prefer the latter. Sinclair experimented very largely to find the feeding value of the different grasses, and after his researches he classed perennial ryegrass as being far inferior to a number of other grasses. It is most nutritious when the plant is well matured and provided there is no ergot on it (to which it is peculiarly liable) the grass is at its best for feeding qualities when its seeds are nearly ripe, and having a large heavy seed with a small proportion of husk is one of the few grasses which stock are fond of at that period. One good point about ryegrass is that its leaves and seed culms never get hard and tough, and even when in a ory state it is easily chewed by stock. Stock can always be relied on to eat down the seed culms of ryegrass, and that fact together with its rich green leaves gives a padoock of ryegrass a fine appearance. These qualities undoubtedly enhance the value of ryegrass in the eyes of some farmers who cannot bear to see a lot of 'unsightly seed culms in their pastures, but nowadays it is necessary to study more than t looks—even in grass. Ryegrass cannot be said to he suitable to make a main grass for Waikato and though its advocates claim that it grows more feed during the first season than other grasses, yet it is safe to say that a mixture of dun oats and cape barley would he found to grow both bulkier and better feed than ryegrass, and this without being sown thick enough to injure the mixture of other grasses.