LIMING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 239, 7 October 1903, Page 7

LIMING.

Clay soils, when wet by rains, are not

.jierim's enough to allow the water to pass through (hem with sufficient rapidity. Tn fconsequenco they become water-logged, and ihe air which is necessary for the healthful development of plant roots within the isoil is excluded. In dry times such soils I :al;o readily. Liming is an effective preventive or remedy for all of these conditions. Upon certain loamy soils containing considerable clay, liming often renders the surface more friable and less liable to form i crust upon drying. The improvement of Irninage brought about by liming is one of the most effective means of preventing surface washing. When heavy rains occur on limed soils the water sinks into the soil instead of rushing over the surface. Soils which are composed of siliceous sand are frequently benefited by being rendered more ciimpact by liming. On such soils

ai-lionite of lime is preferable to air or

iv.-itor slnc&ed liioe. owing to the caustic nature of the latter, and the best material

to employ where it is obtainable is a clay 'marl containing a fair amount of carbonate of lime. The clay as well as the lime '.ends to materially improve the physical condition of the soil. It should also be the aim to increase the amount of organic timtter in such soils by the use of muck and prahlo muii-res, or by the occasional [ploughing under of a green crop or of sward.

I l'asl: rainy weather has made it: difficult 10 cojie with, weeds, especially upon lands not.siih.ieel to high culture previously; still, young seedling crops have to be freed and kept clear of weeds if they are to prosper. Advantage lias to be taken of dry weather to ensure this, theugh other parls of the garden suffer. Given sufficient length of Hry .weather, tlifK should be no difficulty about Hie matter, provided the surface soil is well broken up with the hoe and stirred lo the depth 0 f about an inch. If. on the ptlier ham], thunder rains become frequent —as Ihey are prone to do in seasons where they have commenced, as in the present rear—hoeing alone will not suffice, where irass and oilier weeds abound amidst seedling onions, etc. it becomes imperative to npi-oot them, then remove them from the "n-ds, a m | the (|iiicfc"st way to get over the work is to toss them into heaps in the alleys.or beside the beds, for future removal, .'neerop must be cleared of them promptly it his to succeed. After such heavy rains ns nave been experienced, young crops— ;-wallow rooting—suffer to an unwonted ox--tout if a week or more of dry weather,with really hot sunshine, succeeds -them: so much '•">• that they will be benefited by superficial wntorl-nes, in b>n of which, where not apni!i"(l, the inch-deep stirring of the surface Boil is a great palliative, as it will lessen me power of the sun and draw up nightly FoillO of the super-abundant moisture existing at this time in the lower stratas and piiosoil.

CPlery.-The early part of October is a Rood time to sow ,-i box or pstu of celery, !,' j" ants from this sowing being rcadv to Want out in November, and another may il made now. a square or round earthon™'>e Pan will provide space for ;l large fcumber of'seedlings. Place a layer of nooks on the bottom, and ov.<«r then a nice A. ;"'* ri(,aip d material from ihe compost, "nij, may consist of loam, leaf soil, mixed mi n some decomposed manure: all broken "v • ! lui '. ,y - aml incorporated well together. 2,?' lf (I, ' y - finrl hrlng-ln a nice crumbly < miitim,. Press down, and make fine on *> sura,,, Then klvo a ~ Pnt „, W!lt cring With hot water, which will destroy insects oi otber injurious matter which may be in 51..,-, fhi , '"" ' 11 - li " l ''l well. HPOd mar be ''* ™ the surface, covering with a JP kliis of very fin,, soil, which press g»n quite ~,.„tiv over ilk, seed with the bt.'hL Pnt ° r "'" ' l0 ' Ir ' l - r '» e " " "inure B l-iv',7 "r PI '"" ''•'"'• ;1! " 1 ''" V(>l ' +l,iH wlth ami ~'L ? loss '"' pnnPl ' ll> exclude light Ii oth,?. Nt r ,m,v ' ltUm f ™" the soil, or, to 2LT onls '. tokp,, '» the soil and seed in LS!- V mo, *t "'"'lltlon. which favours ■i ■ ""•,• A of fSOde*. is Dot ,},»,i y i SK nnfl LlH ' P" n °' - bo * m " s t brid so If" ", pr,sition w, "' rf ' "»« f l''-v and BY sooi -i! T"p thf> Sl,il frnm t,ln base - talffh*" i' f „ ' K°. , ;m«iint" in about a forttoiMrfiJ . - r ' Sol ' m "*' : ~n examined freltli« inniil 'mmcdiately (here are slims of Martim* „? ': nmi "- throiiffh remove the W KllJ*« tlirrmarli. Ihe -lass may bo raisl> ii im h S . n , as '" nrr ' M ' fl lnoi-f ' -•"'''• tiltinsr fcjsn „;.,; '".; ,f - r "■•"•'' flay until il ran be Sm, * T" , : L Place th,. p ;1 „ pooW ."' " , f " f ' : "' fh " lsc -'- and in a for tlo g od'l" '° V"" 1 ,X " bp " n " ffmaMl week or ♦„ *" senninato. During the next and whn„ ,'" sep,l| i»Ps will strengthen, y tn prick out singly on _ bed. The ■ vpr of „ c mnrlp ttrM }> y W"s (I °™ «i tb'is thrL.7 i nro n f ' MV ,ncbp * thick. On sraoothlV '"'''".'V 1 * Koil - Presainsr firmly and inches ~_,«. r'V °"* fl,f ' Sft(»dllnjf« three s°Pfl 'nin ■ ft tl,om '"nrcfully from the 'T x ' ,f sllrfitly loosened by be ~.:„. . S '?' n "tflo. the seedlings fflflV Btf-,,V."'i tll,,r;lvv " with the younu fibres ami r C; mJ* ,10,p win ' n dibber forge v,i l„,'; f . ? r " v ' h 1 " s, '"' £ the roo t s , jnwn mar ',:,,/'"- '' n, '- ,llprl '"'- T ic seed leaf tbVr i,; t tlu ' •""''• w,,i,,n wi " -'"'"ife bn'i-iofl f ,°, Gnh ''' or KrowitiK point is not wm-rl, wiVr P a Jr r n,t, ° over afterdpcp - -.-,7, • - vnn '' f '- Little attention is are re< il < '" w,, "''in::- "ntll the plants of cn„v_ n r '"omoval. previous to which trpnim t ' y m,Kt h;,v " m] y "posed Btoc -v r„ tn mn 'ntnin them hardy and Dhnll' len1 enp hes for the reception of the JK bo nny time during l\,>-„ *,'"' th " are in the frame, flr-'n « , " m " t 1n inf,,,PS willf> - "nd « foot Hi/i h«* " P '' ul n "n oll IIIVPI ' " f manure oti som« *°__* a "' l di " n in ' covering with Pn :. 0| n '" soil removed. Plant a single Hi,'. ,-",",' "" >IIPS r "' 10 ine-hes apart, down uiiridio. The plants should lift out of "i'l'ser.v beds with a good ball of roots In J* i'n S0 t,K ' r " wi " I,r ' lM1,: ,ittl( ' difficulty Imiiv V * hin " Ihf,|Jl - Succpsslonlrt B«-,-lngs f "ybe made for later plants.