YOUNG FARMERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19721, 11 December 1926, Page 23 (Supplement)

YOUNG FARMERS

BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ CLUBS TARANAKI AND WANGANUI COMPETITIONS. lii the past season these competitions were again carried out in the North and South Tarantaki and Wanganui districts on similar lines to those of previous years. Mangold and carrot crops were grown in all three districts; in Taranaki calf clubs were also run. The interest in the competitions continues to increase, land the results obtained are gratifying. Boot-Growing. The season on the whole was not very satisfactory, some plots being either wholly or partly spoilt by a dry spell at sowing-time unduly retarding germination. This was followed by a wet January that made cultivation difficult at a time when it would have been of most benefit to the crops. Some of the districts also experienced a fairly dry autumn that was not conducive to heavy crops generally; it was noticeable that most of the heavy crops were grown in rather damp situations. The standard of cultivation and general care of the plots showed an improvement on previous years. The mangold variety grown wUs Cross and Sons’ Gitaunt Orange Globe, which proved to be satisfactory, only a few cases of roots not true to type being found. The carrot variety was Sutton’s Matchless White, which was rather inclined to premature seeding, but otherwise satisfactory.

Seed was supplied for 506 plots, as compared with 429 plots for the preceding season; 313 plots, or 60.8 per cent, of the entries, completed, as compared with 66.4 per cent, for the previous year. This falling off in the number of the plots judged as compared with the seed supplied was partly due to the poor germination of a number of the crops ,thc reason for which has already been mentioned. This was particularly noticeable in North Taranaki, where only 54 per cent, of the crops for which seeds were supplied were finally judged. Plots destroyed by stock were not so numerous as previously, but there is still room for improvement in this direction. Some parents also pulled their children’s plots before judging-duy because they happened to be pulling their own. If those parents do this sort of thing, and also do not take sufficient care to keep stock from gaining admission to the plots, were to take a little more interest in the work, then the percentage of completions would be a good deal higher. However, it is pleasing to note that supervisors, teachers, and the majority of parents take a very keen interest in the welfare of the clubs.

The average weight per acre of the 184 mangold crops judged was 50 tons 12 cwt., compared with 47 tons 11 cwt. the previous year and 56 tons 14cwt for the 1923-24 season. The dry spell during the autumn did not have the same effect on the deeper-rooting carrots, and 149 crops averaged 40 tons 5 cwt. per acre, against 35 tons 12 cwt. for the preceding season. The average yields per acre for the various districts were: Mangolds—North Tarantaki, 52 crops, 48 tons lOcwt.; South Taranaki, 58 crops, 56 tons 14cwt.; Wanganui, 74 crops, 47 tons 7 cwt. Carrots—North Taranaki, 41 crops, 29 tons 14cwt.; South Taranaki, 57 crops, 43 tons 17cwt.; Wanganui, 31 crops, 47 tons 14 cwt.

The heaviest mangold crop—ll 6 tons 17 cwt. per acre—was grown by Gordon Martin, Upokongaro Schol (near Wanganui); the heaviest crop in 1924-25 was 101 tons 7 cwt., grown by Clarence Morrison, Turakina. The heaviest carrot crop was grown by Ray Wallis, Okaiawa School, who had a record crop for the competitions of 76 tons 13 cwt. per acre; the best <?rop in the preceding sdason was 66 tons 13 cwt., grown by R. Calvert, Hillsborough.

Championships. The placings for the championships were as follows, the places named rec ferijig to schools in each case:— Mangolds. North Taranaki: Vail Penwtarden, Tataraimaka, 104 tons .11 cwt. per acre, 1974 points, first; G. Penwarden, Tataraimaka, 98 tons, 193 points, second; Teresa Fabish, Tataraimaka, 83 tons 1 cwt., 179 points, third. South Tlaranaki: Harry Willis, Matapu, 100 tons 8 cwt., 1944 points, first; Lloyd Walker, Oeo, 95 tons 12 cwt., 1854 points, second; Bertha Widmer, Mokoia, 95 tons 12 cwt., 1844 points, third. Wanganui: Gordon Martin, Upokongaro, 116 tons 17 cwt., 205$ points, first; Clarence Morrison, Turakina, 108 tons 6 cwt., 205| points, second; Dave McDonald, Alton, 13 tons 3 cwt., 203 points, third. Oar rots. North Taranaki: Cliff Tyrell, Rahotu, 67 tons 7cwt., 1541 points, first; Jeff Longstaff, Huirangi, 58 tons, 148 points, second; Alex. Hamil, Rahotu, 44 tons 13 cwt., 140’ points, third. South Taranaki: Ray Wallis, Okaiawa, 76 tons 13 cwt., 162’ points, first; Stanley Colemian, Te Roti, 71 tons, 160 points second; Una Glynn Ohangai, 57 tons 6 cwt., 1571 points, third. Wanganui: Sybil Lethbridge, Waitotara, 66 tons 7cwt., 1561 points, first; John Middleton, Waverley, 63 tons 19 cwt., 1542 points, second; Dorothy Dunlop, Fordell, 57 tons 4 cwt., and Janet Train, Waitotlara, 57 tons 1 cwt., both 150 points, third. THE SEASON’S LAMBING NORTH ISLAND ESTIMATE From information furnished by Inspectors of Stock in the various districts the average lambing for the cun rent season in the North Island ia estimated at 84.35 per cent. With 7,503,200 brecding-c'wes in the North Island, as shown in the 1926 sheep returns, the number of lambs is estimated at 6,329,338.