SOIL SURVEY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 207, 15 June 1936, Page 4

SOIL SURVEY.

OUTLINE OF ASHBURTON WORK. ADDRESS A'l‘ TECHNICAL SCHOOL An interesting address 011 the soil survey of the Ashburton County! recently carried out [by Dr. Grange and others, was given at the Ashburton 'lfechnical High School on Friday by Mr A. 19‘. Greenall, of Lincoln College, who is conducting the farm management survey of the County. The {principal (Mr W. Crawford) introduced the speaker. Mr Greenall opened his remarks by defining a soil management survey as a survey to investigate farm manage ment, and to discover the relationship between farm and soil. In such an investigation it was necessary to know the number of acres of the farm, the crops grown, and the stock carried as well as the manurial practices. Finally it was important to know the gross and net inécme from the farm, for no matter how good the crop it was valueless if the expemliture incurred exceeded the income return,

in making a soil survey, the investigators divided the district into a network of areas. In these areas they took, by means of an augur, representative samples of the soil, from areas about a mile aspart. These samples were then subjected_ to mechanical analysis, by means of which the soil was divided; into sand, silt, clay and organic matter. A chemical analysis was then made. 0f the three important plant foods, nitrates, phosphates, and potash, it was found that the chief deficiency in New Zealand soils occurred in the phosphate content. The speaker explained that not all farms on any particular soil type engaged in the same farming practices. Local differences oi rainfall and temperature probably caused these differences, though it was possible that for any one soil type there was, other things being equal, a; more or lesss ideal system of .iTarming for that type. Following on a soil survey a farm management survey became necessary, and this was being carried out in Ashburton. Mr Greenall remarked that all the farmers he had interviewed had rendered him every‘ assistance, realising that such "surveys tended to improvement in farm practices. . M r Greenall gave some of the differences and characteristics of the differ—ent soil types and their associated farm practices. Prefect Manson moved a vote of thanks to Mr Greenall, which was carried by acclamation. The principal expressed thanks to MrnGreenall for his interesting and valuable address.