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Yates' farm seeds & manures, by Arthur Yates & Co. Ltd, 1929. Alexander Turnbull Library. Eph-A-HORTICULTURE-YATES-1929-cover
Yates' farm seeds and manures, by Arthur Yates & Co. Ltd, 1929. Alexander Turnbull Library. Eph-A-HORTICULTURE-YATES-1929-cover

Description

After felling then burning the bush, farmers would scatter seed by hand (sometimes known as broadcasting seeding) amongst the ash - as this Yates seed catalogue shows. It was hard physical work, but over time the burnt land was transformed into pasture. The seed often used was a mix of clover and grasses including species like ryegrass and cocksfoot. Cocksfoot was once a popular pasture grass for farmers to sow. Its seed was principally grown on Banks Peninsula then sold to farmers around the country.

Discussion

What is hay and why do farmers make it?

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