THE LAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 192, 15 August 1925, Page 24

THE LAND.

LIME AND LIMING.

There can be no question that thousands of acres of land would benetit materially from the application of lime in one form or another. This i 9 particularly the case in those districts where cultivation accompanied by the application of heavy dressings of artificial manures is the rule.

At one time it was considered that liming impoverished the land, indeed this theory still prevails in some quarters. It is perfectly true that the presence of lime in any soil, by making the latter a more favourable medium for bacterial activity, facilitates the decomposition of organic matter and reduces the humus content; otherwise the theory has no basis in fact.

The most obvious effect of soil acidity is the complete or partial failure of certain crops. The majority of leguminous crops will not tolerate acid conditions, although alsike and white clovers are more resistant than other members of this order. Barley, wheat, and mangels are similarly very sensitive to sourness. The swede crop can stand a greater degree of acidity than most of those crops mentioned above, but it frequently suffers from finger and toe, or club root, when grown under such conditions. This disease will flourish in any soil of acid character, and the actual degree of acidity does not appear to influence the severity of the attack. Effects of Soil Acidity. Tn one case which recently came to the notice of the writer a crop of turnips was severely attacked, although the land upon which it was grown had a lime requirement of only two cwt of lime per acre, and contained 0.02 per cent of calcium carbonate. Hence the variety of crops which can be profitably grown on soils of an- acid character is restricted: In addition it is reasonable to assume that large dressings of artificial manure cannot be efficiently utilised on such soils. A sour soil does not constitute a favourable medium for the more useful bacteria whose function it is to convert plant food into readily available forms.

Certain crops, such as oats, rye, and potatoes, can be cultivated successfully on soil which is deficient in lime. The opinion has even been advanced that potatoes favour an acid soil, but for such a statement there is no justifiation. Granted that these crops can be grown, it is very doubtful whether it would not be more profitable, in most cases, to apply the lime necessary to neutralise the acidity than to adopt the restricted system of cropping which such a condition demands.

Many writers confidently assert that the application of lime favours the development of the common potato scab, and cases are quoted of land containing comparatively small percentages of lime producing badly-affected tubers. Such statements should be accepted with Teserve. as the question has not so far been adequately investigated. In the absence of more definite information on this point it ma-- be advisable to respect the general opinion and to apply the lime onjv after tho potato crop has been" removed. Any practical man should be able to tell whether his land is actually sour or not, but only by determining the exact decree of acidity in the soil is it possible to eseert.iin the mo*t economical and effective dressing of lime to apply. Lime Requirements. Acid soils differ widely in their lime requirement, that is. the amount per acre of lime necessary to restore them to neutrality. What might constitute a sufficient dressing on one field would be hopelessly inadequate on another. The question can be settled only in the laboratory, and a couple of comparatively simple analytical operations may easily yield information of great practical value. Sources of Supply. There are three forms in which lime is usually sold for agricultural purposesquicklime, slaked lime, slaked hydrate of lime, or hydrated lime as it is sometimes termed, and carbonate of line; the last takes the form of ground limestone. It is of great importance that agriculturists should realise the relative values of these three forms and be able to distinguish between them. It is probable that quicklime has some insecticidal value and will kill certain pests, but apart from this, those three lime compounds are equally efficient, unit for unit. Weight for weight, howtever, quicklime is much more concentrated than slaked lime, which in its tnrn is better than carbonate of lime. Fifty-six parts of quicklime are equivalent to seventy-four parts of hydrate of lime and to one hundred parts of carbonate. Carbonate of lime of good quality should thus be not more than one-half the price of quicklime.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that material offered as agricultural lime, or linger a similar ambiguous title, should not be purchased unless on analysis. Quicklime is usually obtained in the ground form. Ground limestone should to in a finely-divided condition- and capable of passing through a sieve having 50 meshes to the linear inch, otherwise its availability is adversely affected. This form of lime can be applied with perfect safety to a growing prop. Buy on Basis of Analysis. It cannot be too strongly insisted that lime should be purchased on the isa.me basis as are manures, that is, on analysis. A phosphatic manure is valued on its content of phosphates, a potash manure on its potash content, and a sample of lime should be valued on the percentage of calcium oxide •which it contains. Calcium oxide, which as chemically symbolised CaO, is the form taken by a good sample of quicklime. To compare the relative prices of two samples of lime, it is only necessary to divide the price per ton by the percentage content of calcium oxide in each case; this will give the price per unit. An illustration of the economy (Which may be effected by purchasing on analysis is offered by a consideration pf the following two samples: Sample A. Sample-B. Calcium oxide.. 87.0 p.c. 59.2 p.c. Price per t0n.... 43/ 37/ il'rlce per unit CaO Cd 7Jd Snmple A was cheaper than sample B. If sample B had been selected it would

have been necessary to have used about 146 tons to obtain the same amount of lime as was contained in a hundred tons of sample A. In addition a saving of approximately £55 was effected, and this by the information obtained from a couple of comparatively simple laboratory operations.

Lime cannot produce such immediate and obvious increases in crop, yield as can nitrate of soda, and similar quicklyacting manures; but if the returns are less rapid, they are none the less substantial. Other Benefits From Liming. It has been shown at Rothamsted by means of dynamometer measurements, that liming greatly increases the ease with which land can be cultivated. This greater ease of cultivation is a matter of considerable importance, as it results in quicker work and, where a tractor is used, in a smaller fuel consumption.

Although lime is more generally classed as a soil improver than as a manure, yet it has a marked influence on crop nutrition. Most fertile soils contain a comparatively large reserve of nitrogen in the form of organic nitrogenous compounds; only in the presence of lime can these compounds undergo nitrification and thus become available as plant food. Again it i 9 possible that lime can displace potash in the complex silicates of the soil, %vith the result that this valuable manurial element is placed at the disposal of the growing crop. Lime does not increase the amount of available phosphorus in the soil.

It should be emphasised that land which is acid, even in the last degree, cannot attain maximum efficiency in crop production. For soil acidity there is only one permanent and satisfactory remedy; that remedy lies in tlie application of adequate dressings of lime. The Lasting Effect of Lime. Sir Daniel Hall has lately told us that it is not until the third or fourth year after liming that wo should expect to see much improvement on sour land, and that this amelioration may reasonably be computed at 10 per cent if we put enough lime on. But we must allow for its washing out, and this he puts at 4cwt per annum of quicklime per acre.

This waste of lime, which is leached or washed out, is easily overlooked. No limed soil in the British Empire has a more carefully recorded history than Woburn Experimental Station, and a glance at the results from liming obtained there over a longish term of years is most instructive, because the soil is of the light, hungry kind, which many farmers know, to their cost, is greedy for lime, and sometimes won't work without it.

Yet, on the whole, it is very gratifying to find how lasting the applications havo been, at any rate, the bigger ones, and how very quickly responsive the soil has been where liming was imperative, owing to the marked acidity of the soil. Even oewt per acre acted rapidly on wheat and barley; but more marked, perhaps, and of most interest to farmers who have limed in recent years fairly heavily, was the fact that the effect of a 2-ton dressing was plainly shown for ten years or more, without a further dressing. Indeed, so potent was it that for at least seven to ten years even considerably larger crops were grown, on the average, in several consecutive years, than was the case where more frequent dressings of 5 to lOcwt were applied. Effect of Small Dressings. Here another point comes in, worth noting by those who have not the means to apply heavy dressings. The small dressings mentioned, as well as one ton per acre, gave a more noticeable and immediate response than the two tons, though in some cases they would hardly- be economical, as we now know that these are many degrees of soil acidity. These can be tested, and we can use variable quantities of lime accordingly. Indeed, when the heavy dressing was repeated, the wheat did not at first respond, though the barley crop was increased the next two years after it was limed by 5 and 13 bushels, rather better results, it will be noticed, than we may commonly expect. Another point of practical import was brought out. The grain 'weighed better, some years considerably so, and th s at least makes for quality.

THE VALUE OF THE QUICKLY WALKING HORSE. Interesting figures, which serve to show the value of the quickly-walking farm horse to the farmer, were reeentlv quoted by a British authority. He state's that a horse working ten years of 300 days put in 3000 days; if he walks 1} miles an hour for eight hours he goes 12 miles a day; therefore in ten years he goes 30,000 miles, and as 12 miles covers an acre, the horse pulls his share over 3000 acres. It is obvious that if the horse went two miles an hour he would travel 16 miles a day, and in ten years would travel 48,000 miles, or 12,000 more miles for the increased half-mile per hour; therefore, each extra quarter-mile a horse walks he increases his ten years' mileage by 6000 miles, or his share over 500 acres, or over 50 acres extra yearly. If he is one of a pair of horses his share would be 25 acres per extra quarter of a mile of pace per year. The extra value of a horse to the farm would be that of the value of ploughing 25 acres, less some extra food which it would call for. An extra half-mile would be the value of 50 acres of ploughing, and so on. The horse would not necessarily be ploughing every day; but he would do his gait, relatively in any other continuous; work, the 10 working years with an extra halfmile an hour would mean that in that period the horse would have 500 extra acres of ploughing to his credit; or, put-. t»ng the ploughing as,low as 10/ an acre, a gam of £250. In the face of this, it is pretty evident that strong, well-fed, quick horses, kept moving smartly. must be more profitable than weak," ill-fed slow ones. '

THE PROPER DISTRIBUTION OF MANURE. ArtHjcial manures often . do not uroducc their full effect, and blame is laid on them which is not perhaps deserved. A good deal depends on how they are" distributed in the soil, and ignorance- of

their properties may easily result in their being applied in an uneconomical manner, as well as in the loss which is Bometimes, we know, due to improper mixing at home. A good deal of study has been given by experts at different times to the best wny of distribution. Even the best, drills, Sir John Lawcs used to say, did not do the work very thoroughly, for manures must be very intimately mixed with the soil particles and soil water before they can function properly. We should note, too, that they do not tend to spread out very readily in the soil, as, say, oil would, and laterally their movement is extremely limited, it lias been found.

It is questionable, therefore, whether we-bury them deeply enough, and whether there is not too much done in the way of to'pdrcssing. Generally spoaldng, on rich land, experiment seems to; have shown the wisdom of a good covering even for manures which soon dissolve.

Sugar beet supplies many instances of this, as foreign trials' tell us, with sulphate of ammonia. Even merely digging it in was very unsatisfactory. There seems no doubt that this was partly due to injury done to the seed in germina-' tion-.when it was harrowed or raked in —a point apt to be overlooked—but this was 'not the only reason for the "success of; this method. The deeprooted - nature of the plant -supplies an-

other reason, which suggests that we should take into account the 1 root habits of the crop dressed. This was shown by the success attending even a nine-inch burying of sulphate of ammonia and nitrate, the former doing twice as well as the nitrate, perhaps because of the power which we know nitrate possesses of moving down into the soil. Even then the nitrate showed up over more ordinary "Methods, and a larger crop resulted.

A«ain, we have to consider that plants want nourishment at different stages of their growth, and the more thoroughly it is distributed through the layers of tlie soil the better the roots can get at the manure, as they require it. There are quite a number of points which could be considered, in fact, and yet some of us shovel the stimulating food on to the soil as if it were sand.

With turnips on the ridge we may go too deep, on the contrary, because the shallow roots require phosphates at a very early and pronounced period of their growth. The centre of the drills, too, may be dry, as they often are, when splitting is delayed, as it often is. Another reason for adequate distribution is to get at the moisture, which is diffused, as a rule, through the soil, and not confined to the top layer. It is the same with the bacteria, which have to break down the less soluble manures before they can be used.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. AMATEUR (ML Eden) writes:—l hare a black Punga that I wish to move to another part of the garden, fan it be done now V—The Punga can be moved now Dig a trench around the tree, about a foot from the stem, so as to leave a ball of soil attached. Dig the trench about IS Inches deep, or a littlp deeper. It should be deep enough so that the tree can be pulled over. Dig the hole ready to receive the tree before starting to lift the fern, so that everything is ready fur planting. Make tho liolf slightly deeper than the ball of soil, so that when in its now position the stem will bo quite six inches deeper than before. Watering will be necessary if dry weather occurs. If the fronds droop alfow them to remain hanging close to the stem, they will protect and keep the stem cool and moist. It.A.E. (Avondalo) writes: —Would you kindly inform mo if agricultural lime is of aiiv benefit to the soil where Tomatoes have been grown and have suffered from wilt? Last year some hundreds of mv Tomato plants died off with the wilt just at the time the fruit should have ripened. I also had Pumpkin vines gn the same way. I intend this spring, when the crops now in the ground are cleared off, to give a thorough application of lime. Do you think this will cure the disease, or is there any other preparation that I could use?—By agricultural lime I suppose you mean ground limestone. This will no doubt do the ground good and be of material benefit to the cropß, but I do not think it will cure the disease known as " wilt." This latter is a fuDgoid disease. I do not know of any preparation that it would be possible to use over a large area. Change of crop will be one of the best methods of control. Whenever you find plants affected, be sure to collect them and fire them, do not leave them on the ground to rot and be dug in. AMATEUR (Port Albert) asks:—(l) When Daffodils should be lifted, and if they should be lifted every year? (2) When should bulbs be planted? (3) What soil suits them? Should they have manure, and is fowl manure good for them? (4) What aspect Is best to produce early flowers? (5, i have an Aspidistra which has grown well, but lately every leaf has turned brown. It i« in a large pot with plenty of room'—(1) When the foliage has died down, usually about December. Every three years is. often enough to lift them. (2) January and February. (.'!) Not so particular as to soil. Any good, well drained soil will suit them. A medium loam is best No fresh stable manure should be used. *A little bouedust and basic slag at the time of planting is best. Fowl manure is not recommended. (4) A slope, facing north and sheltered from cold winds. (.">) it will commence to spnd out new leaves when the weather gets warmer. Do not over water. Probably you have given it too much water; being in a large pot, the soil soon gets cold and sodden. S.G. (Whakatane) writes :—I want to have some Pnnsies in flower about the end of October. I sowed one lot the second week in July, and another a week later. The boxes were placed on " downpipes " filled with hot water, and kept warm with an incubator lamp. I now place I the pansies in the sun on the verandah during the day aud on the hot pipes at night. Will the sun be too hot for them'' —I think you are treating them all right. The sun should not be too j

hot for them at this time of the year. You will need to give them plenty of well rotted manure to keep them growing. T.8.F.8. (Utiku) writes :—I nave a lot of Wallllowers grown from seed. They look to mc as if diseased (sample enclosed), and there is no scent from them. Can voti tell mc what is wrong with them? I am told Rhubarb should be lifted every year and exposed to tlie frost. Will you "tell mc if this is so?— The Wallflowers are double flowers, and these are not so sweetly scented as the singles. You can do nothing with them. They are beyond treatment. I should think the best thing to do would be to pull them out and burn them. Try the old fashioned singles next time. Rhubarb should not be lifted every year: in fact, every ten years, if the plants have plenty of manure, is quite often enough. When Rhubarb is grown for forcing in heat, the roots are lifted and exposed to frost, as the stems come away more quickly. After such treatment the roots are no good for three or four years. If you want Rhubarb, plant it in plenty of manure, give it n good coating of manure every year, and do uot lift it oftcuer than every ten years.

P.IT. (Grey I,ynn) writes: —I have a Tecoma hedge two years planted. It did well until March last, when the foliage started to turn yellow and fall. At present there are few leaves loft, but the plants appear to be holding their own. There is no sign of borer. Do you think it will revive again? I am sending a few twMgs for examination. —The trouble has been caused by the wet autumn. I should say the ground where the hedge is planted Is inclined to be very wet. However, I think it will revive. There is no disease on the twigs sent. Tecoma usually loses its leaves if it gets a check due to cold and wet, etc. E.J.B. (Otahuhu) writes: —A large Lemon tree, looking perfectly healthy, heavy crop of fruit, now in flower and young lemons beginning to set, but the fruit Is starting to form nodules on the surface. What Is the cause, and can it be remedied?—lt is duo to a fungi, a-kind of rust. Spray with lime-sulphur solution 1 part, water 30 parts, or Bordeaux, 4—t—4o. Spray as soon as the fruit has set, aud give several sprayings at intervals of about three weeks or a mouth.

•WHAT ROTATION MEANS. A question often asked by amateurs is, "What do you mean by rotation of crops?" Strictly speaking the word' rotation means * "going round" and rotation of crops means going round in a circle as regards cropping our land. A survey of our crops enables us to divide them into two divisions. Firstly, we have the root crops, of which Potatoes and Jerusalem Artichokes at once occur to the mind. In this group are included such as long Beet, Salsafy, Parsnips, and Carrots. Secondly, may come leguminous crops. These are Peas and Beans of all kinds. Thirdly, come Cabbage and surface crops. These include all kinds of Greens, Turnips, Globe i Beet, Kohl Babi, etc., and we must not forget Lettuce, Endive Radishes, etc. I

Sometimes the rotation is arranged rather differently. The ground is heavily manured the first year for the Pea tribe. It is not manured again for the second year's crop, but deeply dug and limed, possibly being dressed with wood ashes at the same time. It is then sown with Parsnips, Carrots, etc. The third year it is again manured and cropped with greens and surface vegetables. This is an economical way. It is not advisable to grow Potatoes on the land one year and Parsnips the next without giving any manure. But if the ground was rather lavishly manured for early Potatoes, greens can be planted thereon without doing anything further in the way of manuring and then with luck two crops are taken off the land in one year with a single manuring. BEGONIAS AND CANNAS. Tlie dormant tubers of Begonias may be started by half-burying *them in boxes of sand and leaf-mould. Spray them once or twice a day to encourage them to start. Very high temperatures are unnecessary. When some roots have been made as well as leaves, they may be potted up, or divided to give increase if desires. Cannas may

be treated much in the same way, though they are not at all tender or fastidious. Some people start them into growth and then divide them, but this division may be carried out and the pieces potted without any previous preparation. A moderate amount of water will be sufficient till they have made some roots and leaves, after which an increasing quantity will Contribute to vigorous growth. BORDER CARNATIONS. In favourable districts—that is where the weather is fairly mild and the soil is of a light rather than heavy character —border Carnations wintered

PLANT OUT BORDER CARNATIONS. in cold frames may be planted out. Indeed it is desirable to plant early in light soils to get them well established before dry and warm weather commences. Use lime rubble in the soil.

ONIONS. Autumn sown Onions may be transplanted at the first opportunity -when the soil is sufficiently dry to be workable. Level it without any further digging, if this was done in the autumn. Then treat it equally all over and rake it perfectly smooth. The next

operation is to mark off the ground at the proper distances. Twelve inches is usually sufficient unless very large sS b ti 1 e o ,in b e U . lbSaredeshed; ""' MARGUERITE CARNATIONS. These are invaluable for giving P l en ty X?ti£rt ?°f h ' iD 15 « ht ' rich 8 °» liiht soß y ' a^ 8 \ C T ring the Beeds *i 0» light sod and shade with paper and a cf c of £\*s «ntil the seedlings app ear after whloh they should be ° J^ exposed to air. Pick them out when large enough to handle, allowing three o n n he a s lT cc be ,, ween them > ™* S3 on a shelf , n the greenhouse where they win get all the light avaSble When well established they can be removed to a cold frame and eventual hardened off prior to planting out Select a sunny site, well dug and moderately manured, and in planting oS^eT** • S , tak « a »* S niinf ' .°T time in September the plants can be lifted and potted up in suitable sues, placing them in a cod frame until they recover from the moling. The,, transfer them to the sreenhouse allowing a temperature of | bout flty degrees during the day with a Ll of five degrees at night and givin- air f it° Ver Thev C °^ [t ' lon * ° l,tsi ' e P--ot it. They will soon start blooming again and will be greatly benefited by lore potting them give them a good soaking of water so that they will lift with a g oo d ball, o f , oil to tho^rooi.

VIOLETS. Violets may be planted at any time now when the ground is in a fit condition. The character of the soil is not so important as is sometimes thought, for Violets will thrive in any soil, provided it is well drained and deeply dug and any deficiencies made up with manure. Lime is highly beneficial and should not be omitted. If in the form of powdered chalk put on four ounces to the square yard, ordinary lime can be. used more sparingly. Dead leaves and leaf mould may be used in liberal quantity. We have only to remember how the violets bloom in the hedge rows where leaves decay year after year. Wood-ashes will supply potash and help to improve the mechanical conditions of the soil while farm-yard manure will greatly improve the quality of the flowers. In planting make a hole with the trowel so that the roots are not jammed together. Press the soil firmly about

each plant and if a dry period sets in afterwards give a good soaking with water. Almost any piece will grow in spring, but the best plants will naturally be those which have been prepared, from runners the previous summer. Remove all lateral growths as these take away from the vigour of the plant. Strong growing plants like Princess of Wales should be planted at least a foot apart, with 18in between the rows. The hoe must be kept going constantly between the plants if success is to be looked for. Weeds must not be tolerated, noT should the ground be allowed to get hard or caked. Aa summer advances numerous laterals will arise from the crowns and must be removed. It will be necessary to go over the plants several times for this purpose. Double varieties, such as Marie Louise, will do with a foot to fifteen inches betwen the rows. — j