MANURING RETURNS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 May 1938, Page 3

MANURING RETURNS

DETERIORATION OF HILL ' COUNTRY NEW ZEALAND’S BIG PROBLEM. THE FINANCIAL ASPECT. Undoubtedly the greatest problem facing the New Zealand hill country farmers is the deterioration of the soil which is taking place, and which will become more accentuated as time goes on, unless some definite steps are taken to arrest it, state Messrs A. W. Hudson, Lecturer in Soil Chemistry, and A. C. Morton, Lecturer in Sheep Husbandry, Massey Agricultural College, in a bulletin on “The Financial Aspect of Hill-country Topdressing.” It is self-evident that such country must deteriorate unless some of the elements of plant food, which are being removed continuously, are restored. The control of secondary growth and rank herbage by judicious subdivision, and the use of cattle along with sheep, is a distinct problem, and to the extent that such management prevents the country from reverting to fern and other secondary growth, its rapid deterioration as a suitable medium on which to graze animals is being prevented. This is a matter of management and efficient utilisation of the feed produced. It is another problem, however, to ensure that the carrying capacity, as influenced by the fertility of the soil itself, is maintained. No matter how ideal the system of management from the utilisation point of view, there is an inevitable deterioration unless some, at least, of the plant nutrients derived from the soil are returned to it. It seems clear that the only means of achieving this is to return to the soil, in the form of artificial fertilisers, some of the constituents of which it has been robbed.

Some of the factors influencing deterioration of hill-country soils have been discussed. A summary of these is as follows:—(1) The burning of the bush caused a Iqps of organic matter; (2) much of the ash from the burn was washed off the surface, and some of the soluble constituents were washed through the soil; (3) as initial fertility fell, clovers tended to die out, resulting in the loss of a valuable source of nitrogen; (4) hence, better grass species were unable to compete with inferior ones, which could more readily tolerate lower fertility conditions; (5) as the density of the sward has decreased the erosion of the more fertile surf ace. lay er by the. action of fain and wind has increased; (6). there is a continuous removal of plant nutrients in the carcases of stock. It can be laid down that it is the duty of any occupier of land to leave it no less fertile tban when it came into his possession. To give effect to this, and at the same time obtain a reasonable return for his labour and invested capital, should be the farmer’s chief aim. The following is an attempt to show how this can be accomplished on country which will respond to fertiliser as indicated. That this response is possible is not conjecture, but has been proved by numerous examples which have come under the notice of competent observers.

COSTS ANALYSED,

One is inclined to wonder why topdressing, especially with phosphatic fertilisers, is not more widely practised on that hill country where the effects of fertilisers are so obvious as to leave little doubt regarding the “payability” of their application. The reason for the neglect to use fertilisers more freely under such conditions is probably due to two or three .main factors. Firstly, there is the owner who, because of his property being unencumbered or only slightly encumbered, is making a good livelihood even when prices are low and who is not imbued with sufficient business acumen to view farming from a business point of view. Secondly, there is the individual, similarly situated, who would like to try topdressing, but is pot sufficiently convinced of its merits to embark on the necessary expenditure. Thirdly, there is the less fortunate farmer who, because of heavy mortgages, is unable to raise the money to undertake the improverpent of his country ’by topdressing, even though he may realise that it would pay him to do so. In 1925-26 W. J. McCulloch carried out a series of twenty experiments on the top-dressing of hill country, and the approximate average costs as estimated by him are used as a basis for these calculations. The cost of super is adjusted to present-day prices. Superphosphate (901 b bags) at nearest station £4 17s 6d per ton, transport —rail to farm, 15s 6d, transport — homestead to paddock, 15s; distribution (6 acres per man per day at 3cwt per acre), 15s 6d; tptal, £7 3s 6d. Hence the cost of applying 3cwt per acre is approximately £1 Is 6d or in round figures, one guinea, or 7s per cwt per acre. Carefully compiled records of the cost of topdressing 131 acres of hill country, at 3cwt of super per acre, in the Mangaweka district in the autumn of 1937 showed a similar figure. In the case of superphosphate, 7/6 per ton has been allowed for bagging in bags suitable for packing on horses, and railage has been allowed at 14s per ton. The present price of super, ex works, is £3 16s.

INCREASED RETURNS. A simple calculation enables a fairly accurate measure to be obtained of the increased return per extra ewe carried above the normal stocking. Such items as rent or interest, rates, land tax, depreciation on fences and buildings and so on, will not be influenced by an increase in the rate of stocking. The extent to which labour for shepherding will.be affected will depend on the extent to which existing available labour .can cope with extra stock.

One thousand extra ewes carried will yield a net return of about £675, or 13s 6d per ewe. In other words, it would be possible to incur an expenditure of about 13s 6d per acre per annum on top-dressing, or some other operation which increased the carrying capacity by one ewe per acre, without losing thereby. Similarly, an expenditure of 6s 9d per acre could be incurred without loss if half an extra ewe per acre was carried. Obviously an expenditure of 13s 6d per extra ewe, which would leave no margin of profit, would not be very attractive. However, any lesser expenditure which would enable the extra ewe to be carried, would yield a profit equal to the difference between the actual expenditure and the 13s 6d. A summary of the variations in the Current Account and Values of Increased Stock from the first to the eighth year of topdressing on a 1000acre farm is as follows. (Debit balances are preceded by the “—” sign: bb v, tn -w W o qj ° 2 <o - ° § -ago 7S

OCII 141 iUiU 11UI Although the debit balance in the current account amounts to £954 in the third year, it is more than offset by the value of increased stock held. The last column headed •'Balance" shows the loss or profit which would result if the farmer sold out at any stage during the first eight years of the top-dressing programme. The loss shown in the first two years is based on the assumption that he would not receive payment for the subsequent effect of the fertilisers applied during these years. It is clear that on the basis of the increased scale of carrying capacity adopted, the only risk of incurring loss arises in the first two years. The position in the ninth and subsequent years compared with that prior to top-dressing is as follows: — Annual Value of Earnings. Female Stock. Position prior to topdress- : — —r» o i n 1 A ACt

DETERIORATION ARRESTED. The importance of arresting the inevitable deterioration on hill country has been stressed already. The topdressing programme has not only arrested deterioration, but has actually increased the earning power, and hence the capital value of the hold-

ing. The extent of the value of this increase is a moot point and largely a matter of opinion. Sufflice it to say here that the increased receipts from the sale of stock and wool of £757 represent about 15s per acre per annum. This has resulted from an increased expenditure of £489, or roughly 10s per acre per annum, leaving the sum of 5s per acre per annum as the net increased earning capacity of the farm.

It is an accepted fact, too, that hill country improved by topdressing almost invariably yields better lambing percentages, and better wool yields, resulting from the higher nutritive value of the feed throughout the year, and the possible correction of some mineral deficiencies. The extent of such an influence is impossible to assess, but it can be taken as something realy worth-while in most cases, and would add in no small measure to the improved financial returns as shown in this article.

In the example quoted, the application of 3 cwt of superphosphate, once ip three years, increases the carrying capacity of 11 wet sheep per acre country by one sheep per acre with a satisfactory net return. Although this assumption is justified in some instances, we do not suggest that it is so in all. We venture the opinion, however, that there are large areas where the improvement from topdressing will be greater than that specified, while at the same time realising that there are also large areas where the improvement, if any, will be so slight or so slow, as to make improvement by topdressing a doubtful economic proposition. NEED FOR INVESTIGATION.

One thing is very obvious, and that is the need for investigation into the extent to which deterioration can be arrested and carrying capacity increased by systematic topdressing, on all our major types of hill country. The form which such investigation should take is largely a matter of opinion, and may vary with conditions. In any case it does not come within the sbope of this article. We would suggest,-nevertheless, that trials of fertilisers should be combined with the sowing of subterranean and/or white clover on soils and under conditions suited to them, because it is abundantly evident that the improvement of soil fertility is very closely connected with and dependent on the encouragement of leguminous plants. Further, although we have based our calculations on the use of superphosphate because it is commonly the most effective phosphate, and phosphate deficiency is usually the most serious limiting factor, we realise that other phosphatic fertilisers or other soil amendments or plant nutrients such as lime and potash in particular, may be as or more desirable and necessary.

In presenting the' foregoing it ' has been necessary to adopt uniform prices for stock and topdressing throughout, in order to avoid the uncertainty of price fluctuations. These may in them-

selves determine whether or not topdressing will pay. It is an obvious fact, but one which does not seem to be fully appreciated and acted ’-upon, that there is more chance of making a profit from any farm improvement carried out when prices for stock and commodities are low -than when they are high. Unfortunately the individual who can afford to lay out money On improvement often lacks the confidence to do so when prices are low, and the less fortunate who have to raise money cannot do so because of the lack of confidence of the lenders.

£ £ £ 1st —540 364 —176 2nd —861 716 —145 3rd — 954 1010 56 4th —759 1010 ' 251 5th —553 1010 457 6th —337 1010 673 7th —111 1010 899 8th 127 1010 1137

ing £317 £1440 In 9th and subsequent years 585 2450 ■ .1 - Increase .... £268 £1010 — —