THE LAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 229, 24 September 1920, Page 9

THE LAND.

By AGRICO__» CULTIVATION. it is now that the preparation of land for forage and root crops is the chief work of the farm. It is assumed that the great value of these crops will have secured for them the winter ploughing of the land where they are to be grown. The lirst part of the cultivation of the soil is that of ploughing, the care and the judgment with which this work has been carried out is tho chief factor in securing profitable crops. Different soils require different management: climate also demands the discretion of the fanner, similar soils in dissimilar climatic conditions cannot be treated alike. It is well known that land should be neither too wet nor too dry when it is ploughed, in the lirst condition the sod or furrow is turned up in large, clinging, sticky clods, they cannot be readily broken by the 4 disc harrow. The soil to the depth of the furrow consists of a mass of clods, there is no tine soil on the upper part to receive the seed, or a condition of tilth to encourage a healthy development of the root-system of the plant: and still with that full knowledge, how often is it seen that ploughing proceeds when, short of actually heavy rain, tiie land is in the worst order for the plough. The other condition, that t-f being too dry, is not attended with so great a loss, the soil does break down with the rain when it does come, and the farmer is more ready to leave the ploughing until the moister condition of the land will not impose so hard a task upon the teams.

The immediate cultivation "o be now considered is confined to the cultivation of the land for spring sown crops, as maize, millet. sorghum, rape, and legumes, as lucerne, peas, beans, and clovers. Iv this cultivation and at this time of the year there is no means of reconditioning the soil, if the initial mistake has been made of ploughing when it was in an unsuitable state. There may be the possibility of cross ploughing, but the season will not permit of great delay.

The ploughing that is the ~rst operation of cultivation should be performed when the soil is freely shed from the mould board of the plough; it may be said the best order is when the furrow is inclined to crumble or form into mould as it turns. The disc harrow, the great resource of the Dominion farmer, can then operate to its full power. With this useful implement the whole depth of the furrow may be brought into the best form for the encouragement of the growth of the roots of all farm plants. With the disc harrow on soil in this order, the lengthy work of the tine harrow and the roller on cloddy land, the result of ill-timed ploughing, is very materially lessened.

The ideal surface for the germination of seed and the growth of young plants is quickly secured by these means. That ideal is one in which the soil particles are neither so large nor so loosely packed that the rootlets of the young plants cannot secure the contact with those soil particles, that in association with moisture is necessary to plant growth, nor should the soil be so tine that moisture moves slowly and that air is excluded. As moisture passes tKrough the soil it draws the particles together: when these are dust-like the mass of earth becomes compacted, a surface crust is formed: this state is also harmful to the germinating seed, the close surface excludes the air that is needed, the young plants are unable to break through, the rootlets are restricted in their development. This happens on many descriptions of soils, and specially on those that are inclined to pack closely; it is on these that the stirring of the surface is of the greatest advantage. There need seldom be the fear, that even comparatively severe treatment, as with the tine and even with the Epring-tooth implement, may be attended with injury to a crop of which some plants .are appearing through a close, hard surface. There are, on the other hand, open light loose soiU where rolling is the better treatment. The roller exercises several useful effects on such soil. ft brings the particles together, the heat of the sun is more roadily absorbed, the warmth penetrates to a geater depth, the conditions for the germination of seed are improved, the stimulation of the development of the roots of plants is increased. This closer contact of the particles establishes the connection, or the capillarity, of the upper and lower soils. It is through this connection that the all-necessary moisture is supplied to the roots of the plant. There is to- be remembered that even on these light lands the surface may

become hard after rain. Then light cultivation remedies that state and restores the desired admission of air to the roots of the growing plant. There is no suggestion that these requirements are not entirely understood by the farmer, but it may be very much questioned if the immense importance of cultivation after the seed is sown is greatly appreciated; it may well be said that once the seed is bowh tillage ends. This iB a favoured country, still the farm practice of other lands may be useful here, and in no part of our practice does this apply more than to the cultivation of the growing crop. As an example, there is the mangel. The land is usually well ploughed and worked into a good tilth, liberally manured, and the seed carefully sown; there may be one application of a cultivating implement. The practice of other lands is, the first hoeing, with hand or horse-power, the singling, the further horse hoeing that 19 continued until the leaves of the plants meet across the drills. . The yield is very certainly largely increased in all seasons: even in those that are unfavourable there are no failures. Tillage of the mangel provides a cleaning crop, with us not only after the mangel, but after all roots, a greater weed infestation is manifested. Full and profitable crops of roots and of many of the most valuable forage plants may only be assured with good management of the soil and thorough tillage. MANGOLD SEED AND SOWING. With mangels seed at its present price there will be a tendency to economise in seed, and gappy plants may result. It is perfectly certain that if it took 81b or 101b of seed an acre to secure a full plant when the price was one half of the price that it is now, it will take just as much seed now to get a plant under similar conditions, and only disappointment and losb are likely to result if less than the proper quantity is used.

As with every other seed, a much thicker plant is secured when good seed is sown under favourable conditions. The conditions that give the best germination results with mangels seed are a fairly solid, moist bottom, and the seed covered with about three-quarters of an inch of very fine tilth; and it will germinate regularly and quickly. With less favourable conditions the percentage of germination rapidly becomes less. A soil that has been dried during the working always gives a poor germination, unless a good soaking rain has consolidated it and wetted it right through after the seed is sown.

Nor does mangels seed ao well among clods, even although the lumps are quite small. Clods do not cover the seed properly, nor do they keep the soil moist beneath them. All these things need to be noticed when determining how much seed to sow per acre. It is certain also that it is better to spend a few shillings more per acre on seed and make sure of a fairly regular plant than risk unfilled rows with the idea of saving. In some parts of the country, especially whare the rainfall is fairly heavy, 61b of mangels seed may be plenty; but given conditions that are the least unfavourable, the quantity should be increased.