ROOTS FOR PIGS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21176, 27 July 1940, Page 19 (Supplement)

ROOTS FOR PIGS

PRODUCTION OF BACON CROPPING IN WAIKATO AVAILABLE FACILITIES Much emphasis has recently been laid on the necessity for some root crop on the farm if bacon production is to be increased, and as practically all farmers have indicated that they are prepared to do their bit in this connection it can be assumed that root crops will be sown on many Waikato farms this spring where no cropping has been done for a number of years. On these farms there are probably no cultivation implements apart from perhaps a set of harrows, but on neighbouring farms and throughout most districts there are fairly complete sets of implements which arc not fully employed. Strong local committees have this matter in hand and any farmers who are in difficulties as far as facilities for ploughing and cultivating are concerned., should contact the nearest local committee or branch of the Farmers’ Union and arrange to have the work done. Several fine offers of tractors and implements have been made and farmers should have little difficulty in having this work carried out effectively and with a minimum of delay. Thorough Cultivation The spring may yet seem a long way off and the sowing time for mangolds, carrots, swedes and turnips a long way ahead, but one of the secrets of successful cropping, and particularly with root crops, is early and thorough cultivation. It is a recognised fact in the main root growing areas that two ploughings are better than one, and that one early ploughing is better than a late one.

It may be too late to get two ploughings in now this season, but it is certainly not too early to have that one ploughing done. The weathering effect on the upturned furrow is not appreciated to the full by many farmers. The cold of winter, and particularly the frosts, sweeten up the soil and greatly improve its physical condition, while there is a very definite uplift in fertility as well. Farmers should waste no time in commencing their ploughing—if one farmer is not quite ready to start perhaps his neighbour is and the tractor and plough should not be permitted to have an idle daylight hour just now. The best results and incidentally the greatest area, will be achieved by doing only the ploughing now. By leaving the furrow slices up to the weather the maximum amount of benefit will result, far more so than were the land to be disced and harrowed straight away. If the land can be left in the furrow for nine or ten weeks so much the better, but this period will probably be decided by weed growth and growth between the furrows. Ploughing of Grassland Where land is being ploughed out of grass, a good discing before ploughing to break the turf is a good thing. This will .assist the turf to rot rapidly and will minimise growth between the furrow. It will also allow a more compact and consolidated seedbed at a later date.

Liming prior to sowing to roots is very desirable and from a half to a ton of carbonate of lime should be applied to the furrow after ploughing—never plough lime in. This liming will assist fertility and will help in preventing many of the fungus diseases common to root crops. That heap of farmyard manure at the cowshed could well be used to great advantage on the area where the roots are being grown. This should be carted out and ploughed in. There is no artificial manure that equals farmyard manure for the purpose of obtaining a high yield of roots. So let us get on with the job—let us get that ploughing done now so that the second litter that often proves an inconvenience on account of food supplies will be brought to bacon stage by the use of roots and meat meal—all that is required to produce a highly remunerative baconer.