ROOTS FOR PIGS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21198, 22 August 1940, Page 2

ROOTS FOR PIGS

PREPARATION OF CROPS MORE LAND UNDER PLOUGH WAIKATO PRODUCTION DRIVE Everywhere in the Waikato there | is accumulating evidence that farm- . ers are determined to play their full ! part in the drive for increased production of essential foodstuffs for Britain. More land has been put under the plough than for many years past, and the area that is being I made available for root crops should ensure a substantial advance in bacon production. No really extensive cropping is being carried out, the individual areas on the whole being small, usually little more than two acres and sometimes less. Pig production is the main concern of those going in for cropping. Farmers who have looked ahead i have already carried out their j ploughing, but it has been stressed J that it is not yet too late to put I ploughing in hand. Actual sowing is j usually carried out from November onward, but it is essential to plough early to have the land in the most favourable condition for crops. Co-operative Effort ■ A high degree of co-operative ef- ! fort has been demonstrated in the j ploughing programme in many dis- •; tricts. Farmers who are more forI i tunately placed as far as cultivating II implements are concerned, have been , j only too willing to aid their neigh--1 bours by the loan of the necessary . j implements. In the Matangi district, »' where there is a number of small . areas to be ploughed, a tractor has • been secured and is being made

available to producers at a reasonable rate. Waikato farmers are realising that more ensilage must be made in the district this year if there is to be any great increase in dairy production. No time can be lost at present, for early ensilage will provide the most nutritious stock fodder. Already some farmers have closed up their fields for ensilage and under the present favourable conditions harvesting will probably be considerably earlier than for some years.