Canterbury is recognised as one of the main cropping
areas in the Dominion and the climate and soil conditions are
particularly suited for this type of farming. Nevertheless,
the greater part of the land is in pasture.
Of the 2¾ million acres of cultivated land, 1¾ million acres are in grass over
two years old, and about ¼ million acres are sown down in new
grass each year. Cereals and pulse crops occupy about 6 million
acres and fodder crops about 1 million acres. The 9
million of crops are sown in rotation with pastures which remain
down from 2 to 10 years or so, and the young grass is
sown at the end of a cropping programme. Fat lambs are the
chief source of revenue from the grazing of the pastures.
Owing to climatic conditions these pastures fail to provide
the necessary feed at two period's; namely in winter and early
spring as 'a result of low temperatures, and in summer and
early autumn as a result of drought. It is necessary then,
to provide the supplementary feeds for, these two periods.
Turnips, hay, chaff, greenfeed, oats and Italian ryegrass for -
the winter and early spring, and greenfeed, rape, soft turnips,
etc. for summer and autumn periods. These supplementary feeds
are essential, but they are costly to grow so,that any feed
which can be secured from pastures at these times will lower
the cost of producing supplementary feeds and will be more
valuable than a heavier production during the periods, when
feed is plentiful.[Show full abstract]
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