ON SURFACE SOWING OF GRASSES

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 861, 22 December 1877, Page 2

ON SURFACE SOWING OF GRASSES

Mr President, papers have been 1 read before i his Insti tu. ion on farm- I ing m general, a v^on pioneer tarm- i ing ; the two exjieems of *• high ] cl^Mtoing '^dMj>^on^h|«d '^d i Aflat Ci _*^__ i /• &**. f •&M ! "' « raepl^pd ot^Vsurfaoe 80winy,L.on,,.the < otl^|no^having^been|K?ere i cussed«||and -as v the 1 ; wrij^r7i)elieye.s j that the? proper ** surface "sowing^bf grasses " on a farm, and more ' especially on a new farm, is of gre it importance --tor -'both the r individual 4 A fiirmeiv.and the public at large, he proposes m the present paper to offer ~for f consideration experiences gained- - m other, provinces and under, what he thinks, circumstances favorable f to* the acquisition of the disiderated knowledge. It may not be here out of place to define the meaning of surface .towibg,' seeing thajk' all seeds must necessarily be sown upon the surface. It is commonly understood to mean seed sown upon the surface of the soil," without, the- previous preparation of ploughing or otherwise breaking ground, . and this meaning we here attach to the phrase, this mode of culture being limited mostly, it not altogether,- to grass seed for past ure. In all newly .settled districts, pasture is the great disideratum ; without it, few places are capab c of producing grain ; grazing being tbe forerunner of agriculture; without it, certainly : Waikato would be many years behind what it is at this hour, and with it, we may anticipate a most prosperous future, with grain harvests so abundent as to rival, .if not outstrip our wealthy neighbours of the South. In the Whanganui district, a system analagous to surface sowing obtains ; that of sowing on the stubble alter grain has been harvested, aud harrowing after. Grass seed - wad at one : time sown with the grain, but it was found to diminish, m a marked manner, the yield of grain j seed sown on the stubble., succeeded m) well that it \ became there the recognised method. We have seen paddocks formed after , this manner, with feed so abundau. , that the sheep could not be observed ' unless they were siandiug. • Much depends ap n the soil, 1 whether heavy or iight ; and upon ' the primitive growth on the lan , ; what sorts of seed to choose, and i also m a measure at what season — j whether m spring or autumn, white i and red clovtr and cocksfoot being ' for the most part used as seed, unless ' these swamps have a retentive soil. r the growth having been flax and t tuij * there rye graias,- with whiie clover, will be proper. We have observed m the Turakina district surface swamps covered with lon^ manuka, such as is used for basket fencing, brought under cultivation m the most primitive, and at tbe same time most successful manner ; the soil being a not too retentive clay with some tour inches of Mac.' mould on top. Ihe manuka was cub and burned ofi iv the usual manner, the sumps being left a foot above ground, that they mivjht the mote readily, from the leverage i afforded, be r.moved when the roots rotted. Wheat and rye grass were ' then sown together, without l " chipping m " with the hoe (as i* , mostly dove under.;.;tbe._c*roura- - stances) aud drains a spade deep and same width, taken out at intervals of five yards, anu the stuff thrown i on the surface. The result of this proceedure was forty bushels of .wheat .to the acre, and a most 'ibxnriant crop ot c rye-grass,- which > was cut (the season following) with sickles — on account of the manuka • stumps— and some thirty bushels of > grass seed to the acre taken. In the i. autumn following, a roller passed over the land, removed all the 1 stumps, which, when gathered and • burnt, left an even surface of luxuriant growth. Br fore proceeding tp notice the ordinary fern- lands of the district, a word or two relative to bush grass ing may not be misnlaced. Although, foi'tjiqsj-ely for us, we have not the forest to contend ag^inpt— where for decades a plough cannot be used, and the unsightly stumps and logs, af>er an immensity ot labor, still cumber the ground — yet on the east and west we have considerable tracts of this same land which before many years must be Utilised. We allnde to the ranges of the Pirongia and tho Aroha, Op the range dividing the Thames Valley from Tauranga there is some of the finest land m the province, and, what is as surprising as it is fortunate, this range is mostly a de d level on top, being a denselytimbered platgau, with easy access from the east, Those who have seeu the dense forest of the Butt Valley, near Wellington, and know what it now is, can predict a prosperous future for this tract After falling, log-rolling, and burning forest, the seed must be sown m the autumn, the first sowiugs being ••! cover, cocksfoot, and timothy, although m many districts where the sub-soil is heavy, Or m the valleys where there is a luvial deposit, ryegrass succeeds. Tbe time for burn-, ing for-sr land is m the m nths of Fe rmtry and March, and on np account m any. other. The Maoris burn tff thiir wairen.. a>, or bush clearings iv those, mom.s, and at no other time, m eonseqm-uoe of tin immunity then obtaimd fioni weeds , and undergrowth, especial y the | nox.ous popero, or, an Europeans ; term it, bmcibul — a sort of deadly- ■ night-shade, which i« pilars to be < inimical to the growth of anything '* eke, Jt w li>i-ft"3 p^tivfc clearings a |

Le ran thr.-ugu the out timber lithe* ear. ier thau February or i a ter than March tht* place wil. be . hen abandoned, although many < rionthslffiy ha^ve been spent piv- s^ Jariiig fffl[ burning m the proper | »oa|^. S|hey, will ou h*o, ace-aunt i '•^P^W ao l^« nde^ the I "^fctffl" ' ex ß^^ n Qir?-the I tl&Hh^ltliei^i^sli ivould Be fruitless. It is not of r jourae likely that they would allow the |-roper months to go by without burniijgf so' that the mentibtt of a ; B belter burning mit of those months would be superfluous. The natives are* so -careful not to burn Before February that they will not even smoke near to where they are hfpiiig the timber, but s«noke,aud make their fires for cooking a. ways at a safe distance. Surface sowing is comparatively «*n inexpensive way of primarily obtaining pasture, the seed being the most costly iiem. Beginners would, therefore, do Well _-'to lay down a certain number of acres at first, m order to obtain see J, thereby saving a great ouday for the seed W 1^;! 111^ especially s»ving m the direction of carriage, always a mosi expensive item m farming, amounting on many places to a lari/e profit, the &ving of which is so muohigain.. There are so many farms' so far removed from a market that they can only at first pay as grazing farms and sheep. waiks, and here, of course,' the earring.- of quantities oi seed would be out of the question, the expense of transit being m many cases an insuperable objection, to obviate which seed must be grown •m the place. The happy resul* would not only , be m having the seed when required, and knowing • bat it was good, but the paddocks on which ie was grown would be ot the greatest value towards the proper working of the farm, and the hay, after thra-hing, could be restocked, and be used as winter provender. The subject which more. nearly concerns those present may now be considered, i.e., surface sowing on tern land, or fern inixel with tutu (or tv akihi, as it is called m thest- ! districts). Some of these lands seemingly, according to climate an. i geological formation, appear to grass much more kindly hau others. In the Patea district, for instance, cocktifuot and white clover take so weli and with so little troube as to t.ppear almost indigenous to tht -oil, and m the Poverty B.y dihfrict the same obtains with rerpeci to rye-grass. Burn off where yon may m these favored districts— favored at least, m this respect— the congenial growth appears immediately. This state is what may b. termed self-sown : that which has been carr ed by cattle and distributed, but where the natural growth of fern has been great, prevented from appearing uutit cleared by burning. On lands 1 ike these where teed seems to -spring spontaneously, surface sowing is an easy process, but there aie places where a stubborn habit has to oe combated, and the work is correspondingly laborious. A good burn is much better than cutting with the scythe, which has sometimes to be done m paddocks where the growth ia stunted, the grass after the burn springing, p more evenly. I* is a moot point whether Jt be the ashes that conduce .to .the -Stronger' growth Or whether it be ihe action of the fire m acting both chejn-caJly ap|d mechanically ..in . pulverising the soil, It seems only reasonable to believe that both exert an influence for good. .However that niay be, it is certain thai a burn, wnere obtainable, is both less expensive and more beneficial than first cutting. This doctrine, of coarse, relates mostly, if not altogether, to fern. Where there is other growth,, such as manuka and flay, the former has to be cut, and ihe' letter gpiibjbpd vp — quite a serious financial ni'itter, if a necessary one, as all know who have farmed land of that description. ]$.anuka land, it may be remarked m passing, can jbe pjeared m the winter so that it can be sown m the spring, say about September, but it should no be allowed to lay tool long so as to become rotten or so sodden with the heavy rains tbat a fire cannot run through. The bettei lime, however, for sow*ng is m the autumn, when the clearing can be effected m good tinje during the months of summer, au,d be £n better condition for burning than when taken m the soring, In the southern portion of this island, where surface sowing has so largly and so successfully obtained, they burn off tht fern and tutu m Fe.ip-ry and iViarcbi- Tn February, rather than March, as it sprouis earlier at a time when the young an<} tetter shoots are cut off by the frost, which stjll further retards grpwth. If Jjupnt m March, aa many, if not most farmers do, the fern doos not aj pear for some five months, when the keen frosts ..re mos-ly gone ; it h»s, therefore, » better chance than i* it had been bur**t a month earlier, sprouting at * tipie when henvy trusts covered ihe Kroiiuii, Tlj© yputhepn f.irmers 3oiisider that by burning at the.-c .lines, aim sowing about » fortnight ifier bur..in_., to .allow the a.>hes to jool and undergo certain chemical i ? .anges, th rt t the grass will spring i •ud have more ifc-n four nioi thg \ aetore the i'ern sprouts, when they Jau judiciously htock with cuttle, s vho nip the young fern, auu so s k4st m its e^termuittuon, | (

Connidei'ai.ie oon-roversy Ims I existed botween the advocates of < hari-oiviiigiii the seed af t « r sowing, ; I f^tfmStoteoS^ letting it < r? 1^ I *^ Fv d Jike H " the 36 » t^ v ft%4.°_«f%»^i onlooker I m^WFwP$$ rW' » ,rufica ,UOHt - < mv o *MT n 'sk i W ! ° l W c t" harrow- l lOl[< W • i^ 00 * 1 ' After j Pf wgfyttbrig pleiitj^bf seed, the i pand S ma^be $itheg>"harrowed or a . 11 iek sheep be* "allowed to run t over tbe portion sown. We via > for « many reasons, ureter this mode, as j the lpuiia~*i£pftT a "cerfcaiF extent i evt-niy mauured, and the trampling i «Bi'eoially to grass seed (m contra- . disrinc' irirf to'clovers) acts the parts *\ of haiTowing and roiling, giving nn i even impression tho seed, and , consolidating thei gr-.und— a most essential requisite. It may be. objected tqthft plan, thath Jpe^seed may be taken up ; by tiie feet " of ihe ahei.p, wli ich might/ to some minor extent, be the ca^e, but they could ' not carry muen m this raaune.*, aud 1 would, have- to part with it, before going many yards, implanting it into places denuded by other sheep, and so over the whole area sown. How ever good this plan might be to the young sown grass, it might not be coire-pondiugly beneficial .%> the flock (though, too, it might not be very hurtful,, which, to our minds " 'should be disturbed as 'little as possible by driving). But,* farmers who looked to obtain good pasture • ior their flocKs, might argue, and not uiireaaoucbly either, that all the driving their fl., G k mighc' Freceive would iiof do them any great harm, vvhereas the advantage acsruing a ould altogether outweigh the evils resulting from disturbing the sheep. Were the Hooks to be driven ovei •and sown m the spring, considerable inconveuiehce and some damage might accrue, as the ewes, would be either heavy m lamb or dropping heir lambs, and, the wethers would ue required for the butcner. The case, would be different m ihe autumn, so iar as the ewes au.i robust spring lambs were concerned j farmers could then use these without uiy great detriment ?o their flock. f, however', after sowing, and before -he laud could be either harrowed or d. iven over, heavy rain were to come on, these other means of impressing aid consolidating might be dispensed .vi, h, for the rain would imbed the quite tar enough into the sjf. 1 ish and soil which always so .obtains -if. er burning, and ihe consolidation Aould be perfect.. We ni ust ali •iave noticed how firm our garden lecame ufter he .vy rains, al.hougi. .inuiediately befu*e ih«y were dug or forked, so compact i .deed 1 as to [ require a fresh app.ic.it.ou of tospaiie. W fi iiave no iced repeated .j , •tnd fur several couseuaiive „. ears iii .he =*'i Whanganui, Turakiiia anu Upper Rangitikei districts the force of these observations with regard to heavy rains alter bu rning and aurrac« siwmg, and the abuodaa l 1 am* .■ixiuiurit growth which followed. If lain could always be depended upon, ' Aye might safely dispense with »U ' other means bf burying the " seed, and predict a successful aocomplishmentof the objec. m view. Iv the district of Taranaki, surface* sowing is one ot the principal, ways 1 iif securing, pasture. In a commu--3 nicatidn received from Captaih. Wil--3 ison, of Manutahi, Taraiwki, he * writes :—*'V\Vith. regard to the'man- ' ncr m which we work new country fc here, we find it js better to get land * 'hat m the -first instance has been L ' as little burntover and 'as uiuch.iii > its wild state as possible : that is, 1 covered with dense, strong fern and r tutu": (and m some cases six^oßeight 1 feet higu). This wo' burn off m ■ March or late m February, and oarefully sow from five to six pounds of 1 clover, mostly white, to the acre. ■ In the spring, this shows quite i green all over, and when the. fern ' is springing. (about October? here) 1 we stock as heavily as possible with | young cattle, say from iB to 30 1 months old, as we find that they are .better fer the purpose than grown • ones. If heavily stocked, the fern 1 will have b t eeri pretty well kept down d >ring the slimmer, and m . April we sow mixed grasses (mostly 1 rye) On the clover, keeping it as 1 short as ppsgjble. For this purpose ' the cattfe are taken off fqr the winter nioßtly, and tiie country again heavily stocked m the following spring, and we find that by the second av^tijinn a gird sole- of pasture comes, which improves every year under judicious luaiwgement. Of course, the heavy stocking required at first is rather hard on the cattle at tiijips, but I fjnd that my ! and is ipjpjoyjng papidfy under - his process, and' that I also make a fair profit out of the cattle. There •-.re paddocks here made m the above manner, which are equal to anything I have seen laid down by he plough. The land here is all of one class, originally dense fern and u,su. Wedo not use the harrow or any implement whatever." 7 To our ciind, the great question m relation tp this discussion is i How are we best able to get rid of ] the fern that the grag- may prevail ? Tho answer to which is -judicious ■ •stocking after sowing, and burning < at the proper sensop, 'ljie fi.x. i answer is so ojbyioii;,ly trijte that it i needs not to be further eh_brced, « am', although the ttn.h Of the latier i be equally palpable,' the time does * not seem to have been thor uglily "■ ascertain*!. We take it that J .nu- t ary is the proper month m which s -o burn the fern— n.-t late m the month, but Jn the first two weeks, aud possibly the last' m December, I 1 and we euforce this principle from \ our own expedience, and especially i

Irom that of the uativea. The na- j tives, who from time immemorial have uaed the fern root^os food, are or were moat careful to >m«t espeoially nob to burjnljt oaStt the |H(»pe^senßon. The3§|ißre bfit-i ticulurlyroarefui no|ybfex m tbej tirsc Weeks? 61 Janmry^jest thh} should destroy the|Jvitaj|^ of the^ root, tlieroj|eing afterwari^, so they allege, no^sfcrorrg grdwtn?"for s^ifte, seven or «ighb yenra \ When they dee a pieue of stunt^.^fern m good a WHru "—(burnt m the eighth month), and they date from J.me —that being- somehow their first month y "he tahi^ksti^ harb'i i"~ fe £^ nipnth in^^ which, fungus « is eateri). The liatiyes barn \w as 10 procure strong f ern iv March, Apn), and m Novem)jer. Ta trying for fern ■ root -iroi^in high l ei-n, ex|jectiug to find -gbpjd samples! ' the natives know at bnce > if the fernd .^^'#^pfe«rnli :^tife-^S|- S e a . son, as -they only find indifferent roots at the surface, not at J all suitable . for food. They :theii burn this same fern either m March or the latter end of February, of m November, and the fern comes up strong, aud throws its roots both downwards and laterally, and m two years they ha?e a plentiful crop. The Maoris made certain < *roi" or forn-rqbt preserves; or ■ " f rahui " .s they were termed, and gWrdewith- a jealousy so intense that any infracciou of \U laws was met by death on the spot. They possess; td their preserves of fish and of fowl, 'and even "rahuid " wha . we aciempt to exterrainatp. Tliev bad their "raiiui " for r tts, which at, cercaiu seas.insi formed us great sport for them as iocs our pheasant season for us. And they considered these rodents and their flavor .savory morsels ; but amongst all ! these "rahais" not one was so strictly regarded as " that ol tlu- " roi " or fern root, which m thesu earlier days of M.ioridom was oue of their staple 1 articles of food — was, m fact, their daily bread. On this •ccouht were the r so careful no i to do an>, tiling, that woul j m any way in* erf. re with the wroper growth oi the fern, and woe be to them who did not respect their " rahui " • who either wifully plundered their preserve^ or negligently fired it m the wrong- season. -• „;.. If then this doctrine of not burning tern -until sometime about J 1 n 1 tary be aoc ;p,v e< l as curreci , bow careful should we be not to wast ouv money and time m hurning-off at tho wmug aeas.m. It eveq W^ follow m the footsteps of those who have for 30 years burriei aud sown m tlu-. it v utu 11, We may j dou btless,: accom p taU rauiih, but it is after the fashion of working laborously with blunt t »..ls. The kauri tree may be felle . • with dispatch by : a woodman with an axe not over sharp, but m how much less time, aud with how ranch gieat«r ease ar»d comfort could the >ame be accomplished by a skille workman who, adopts the mi ire scientific' method of keeping hisax. : m tho Lest possible order ? So it i.-. with him who would begin on the rough fef n patoh. If a more reasonable way can be discovered thau the old ways made made-saprwd^as. it were, by prescription, by all means letifc be followed, and followed- with alacrity none the -less bedause '■ a Maori has been the guide?/ They who for * centuries had to comba with thefera, and who have madeir subservent to their maintenance. Although it would seem to be » law m nature that man must only learn irom his own .dearly ■bought experience, and not from ; that or others, however palpably it may. Be thrust upon his notice, we \Ough surely to be philosophers enoug tri accept the expyii^noe o> those whose bein^ wholly oej.ende*" upon their acting m aouordauce wi'l. their observance of the past ! In the medical world, it was} lon« thought that no medicine could be inr-roduced into the system which would exterminate the zymoti: principle without also destroying the life of the individual, but- pro. feßsor Polli, of Milan discovered that a certain salt (sulphite of soda) could be borne m considerable quantitie> wiil)out being injurious, and with results as to the destruction of morbid fermentation, which were absolutely wonderful, although he was high!) successful m more than 100 trials, yet, with mnch praiseworthy modes y, he iavited his medical btetbern to join wUh hini m experiments that the absolute trath of his trials m this respect might be fully verified. As it is m one science, so must it tje m another. Agriculture, from having been plassed as one of the Jowliest of pursuits, has been ad vanced to the dignity of a science, and ih this bciwiice the experimenc of burning iv January is urgently advocated. The.object of apparently .thus digregsin|f is to enforce the value of . eyperimpnfs. Experimental philosophy must always take precedence m its importance to the theoretical. The adage that an ounce or jprHptfce^ is worth a ton ot theory hyperbotically true, yet the two must go hand m hand, and when applied to Vigiicultural science logically worived out, the result is enlarged benefits to mankind, removing tor, cenuries the lears of Malthu> I mid kindred philosopTiers. But. , w^.hout |t comparatively soon woulu the earth oea.^e to produce suffi^cient sustenaiice for the human rape, ,-r ( JJ/scussion on KS.-iA.y < Air, James Knuciuian taid he won.d 1 ike to.nak M ior: . •> ilson whut-ier Ik •] jurposely omit ato tnentio a'sik^ among < 6 gi'a~&>g suitable for surfuo < if) tliou^bt it one of the bepb kindi pi <

iJT» *??, wintot ,o kmw whether Major WiJeon adreatted (he coving oj *&salfe£ r Wilß0 ° had ul-o B P° kl •»' °* • l|P |l^ r J« grass beiri t»k > off ti-fre Jiand whiohihad been burned and surf cc fcl^'i c / wou| d like to unow whelber ; t r?^? Cleniilj W « h ttbo *" "»e etumpfl *i, S* 1 " I^* Ue would a ! 8 ° '*<> to *P tffiF?'*'* UM< >f 8«or eight pounds LhTiS * h^ ore ' rte qa«'« with ™S^ ° d ! d UOt behefe tbe'aehes word awarthsand there burned, the grass would take far better where the fire had paW [^"j" j'i^t ßOwin X waß a paddock called the pWdook at pt.huhii.i'Tw land was originally covered w th high tUree. m® J! antb » ai ' asked, whether Major WiUon did not thiofccow-grass better for aurfooe sowing >than red clover. Cowgraosjwould last so mnoh longer, and was uoMlaageroui to cattle like red clover. Ln Canterbury red dorer would only last tt buu| two or three jeani, and if any cattle or shiep were brought frotij England and put upon red olover, one or two would be amoat sure to be lost ; there was not this danger from cow grasa, which lasted nye or six yeare. Vijiiv Ferguison twked how much grass and olover seed should be *own to the acre, Bad whether horrowing after oowin* was recommende «.. Mr. Oholmodeley desired to know why it was customary to sow red clover first ttl 'd rye erase afterwards. Mr. Joun Runoinjan -aid that essays w^re.read to incite diteuesion. Members were not discussing the qa^s ion, the* were «o»finin| ihempelres (o aski g questions. Lt would be better if BO rne of hose who had m ,i.ne pa »t tri-d nirf«ce sowing m tins district would give their experience. He would like to a «k M»j«>r Wilson to wnat. purpose the natives apply the land wne^ they bun iv December and January ; and whether there was not a great ufferenca between land norih of a me rawn from the Bast Cape to tiawke's Buy n d south of it, whether luud south $ L °t take t!ie seed much better than •lorth. He wo .X advocate burning not earner than the end of February, and ■Jowujjg , D March. He also believed that just as good a result wmld ba obtuined by sowing five pounds of seed to the aore as would be got by sowing ten pounds. Ie thought it o« no use to sow m the spring. It might do on swamp land, I. had had no experience m that kind of i »nd. AUike was one of the best clovers tor wet land, he would also recomuieud timothy grass. a] # X Hunt quite agreed . with Major Wilsou us to the time of Bowing. When •he young f«ru slioot* up it tempts the oattl«* upon it, and wherever a beast puts us foot the grass sprang up. fl had tried harrowing, but » div uot do. Only where the erourid was trumpl. d the grass oame up. Wit » regard to seeds, he ould advocate red clover, als ke, a little white, oorksfaot, timothy. Mr. Clarke would like 'to hear ihe xpeirience of some gentlt nun present ,wno.fiad tried surface sowin,. He *oula uke to ask whether « 8 luxuriant crops of lover could : be obt mcd Jrom suif.ee sown land as trdiri pi u,he l.mi. It. was a v«*y imjortant qu.asion. or if as : resultß were obtained lr. m eurfuo sowing .as (rom ploughing . aid iymg town, it was 'ioi desirable to go to the i xpence of- plou bing. Mr. Cane sud aiioul len rars aao ho h*} sown some gnus s«ed on the Burfa c, ■»nd bad a ye y good return He foufad the irje gra s bnioother.o b) Hit- rapd growth pi plover. He ih jf> K hi. a m»iter o five pouuria to ihe aoro quite sufficient for surace sowing, and qnte as good a» a larger quant ty. Be ht*6 not noticed any particular different between the grass «ur/aoe s»wu on his laud Mnd K rußs on ploughed land, exept that the oottle .-<eeined to see atter the laite*- more than he farmer. Tue grass s« ems coarser on surtada sown la tut than on other. Mr. Williams did not agee with what ilr. Famham had i-aidub. tit cow grass >«nd red clover. 'In thiß distrK the red ciover lasted much longer than cow grass. The latter laßied onl} four or five 3 ease, while clover lasted much longer. The heaviest crop of red clover he had obtained atMatama a wub from a puddoefc which b d ben sown me years. He gu te agreed with Mr. Hunt's remarks. He oid not believe that any one had had us much m the surface sowing of grnss'S as him. self, or had obtained mor.- successful or unsuccessful resuus. He lad 50 0 »cfe* at Matam.ia, -omn t.me a«o, m the (iddle of March, and lie would not 4ive now 4510 Jor th- lot. Mr. Henry Ei^nolds advocated plough« ing wherev-r possiblp. Hs experience wa; against Burface sowing, ln tiawke's Bay, where there wns a nine-stone subs -il -ur:ace Bowing di 1 very well. In snamp they were generally o-melled to suiface s. w. The grasses he reoumm ndod were timothy and cow graus. Mr. John Pisiier »atd he had ilone very well with snriace a wm^. AstT xowing he oloVcr, he (tad given tie grouud a turn of the harrows. Tt.e reaulta were almost as good as upon piongi-ed land. d« bad louud sheep did not fat en so >yell, bat he had fan en d cattle upon it, \i ter putting stieep upo.i it, the cow grass ued out. This be did t.ot attribute to he land haviug been ear Lee sown, but the stieep had ate whu heart out of it. fle BObeequeuily to k a 01 op of wheat off it, and tue crop was heavy. The land 10 vow coveted l with dandelion, but he attnbu ed that to the seed m the Wheat, M .' K<eyuoldii bad sown grata on the awubbl' «ud burrowed it m, and the reauiC aad been very ns'4 f The Presidr^o a'|d that; wherever ib <vas possible 10 p oug •, ii should be done. Ut course or. hi. is and m swamps it nai aometimvs impositiole to plough, but by p.oogbing wb«re poßsibie, aud twlace siming the rest, more lani wou.cl be got imder grass than by aurfaoo sowiug extensively. Ue knew the paddock referred to by Mr. Ruuciman, it was sown during the y«ar m which he came to the oniony, t.e resulla were to etli fuob-rv that larmorsI armors thought it the easiest thing maginiible to lay down eraaa m Hew Zeaiandi Br>wnß I Bland wan gown, and an islaand m tue' Munakaa, but it wa« bo. n Been that all IS a* Zoalaud land would nob take grass iik- the paddock at Ocahuhu. Down south the iand was much more suitable for eurfaoe sowiog. The iat<. Sir Donald Maclean sestac.Wnsafmoßt wholly surface sown, aud m now carried 40.000 to 60,000 sheep. On al< QuC lan^ where it was possible to plough ii is preferable to do bo, ' % ' M*jor Wilson then rep ied, and said he wasgiadtnure had been a considerable ■monut of disoa-'bitiu on hio pi»per. vVitb regard to Mr Knucimxn's quesfiqn as to wile t her he hud purpo ely ousted to mtucion alsue, ho w*b Ht-rry lie had torgoct^n to mention it. Al<6gi tner he >euarded it aa a very valuabl kind of clover for autface sowiuk. With rpgaf4 to Chw difforence botweun the land Hi rih of the East- (Jape i>nd S^ubh of i^ hiß expetience baa been all i.i the Soutli . At Wuanganui th re was no hine-utone suboil, yec Darftoe sowiug was carried 0|» •vith very successful reßultb." He i-nougiu • opw-grass preferable to red olot er. He ha»'i' ine>.ded to include it m »lio list of trusses for surfacb sowing. The reaion rye grass waß s wu afttr the cover w«», because 6JI iaod wanUn gono hdating f«r rye grats. Eye ami wanted feeaTjey UfiW tj»n cI9T9F.

t

oid.nary luuu, ie wae preterable to sow timo by and oookafoot, on I^.tf d ," titaohy grows well, and sheep Ukejt "TSeIC It war rather jbiwrkaWe that mi ha eoawe grass -.hould be so well liked by Bbeept Ac to ' De I h "i' ? «f tf ; f J7; eras- taken off tie ti tree land spoke Jf m his essay it was nottill the^econd year that the orop was harvested. -Mr Fer.usson had a-JBed huh hOWrmooh seed was required to the acre. Ho W rec mm/ad »rom 6 to 8 pduhde of plover, to th« aore, and if tbe Und waa heavy, 10 ponnds of ry« grass, but .not other wi-4. Iv P»«- *, the land tak • |ac gat apoutaneoualy, the cattle carry t it about _.„«* it «. F re^-. In Whaugaiiul. White clover seemed to do lietter than »» W-i.ks.to. The bees innoeulatea the seeds m'.ie, aud they are fuller and larger than here A vote of thanks to Major Witaon for his essay, was unanimously passed on tbe motion of Mr Clarke. Mr Fan.ham seconded*