FRUITGROWERS' CLASS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16946, 22 September 1920, Page 5

FRUITGROWERS' CLASS.

At the class for fruitgrowers on Monday night Sir G. Stratford, Government Orchard Instructor, announced that the linuJ meetingof the class for this season would toio place nest Monday evening. It would bo an "ope:; night," and ho invited members to bring as, many questions as \ they iiked regarding fruit-growing. Mr Stratford also stated tha't ho was leaving shortly on a visit to England. "Majiures ami Fertilisers" was the subject of the interesting and informative address given by Mr Stratford, who used the term "manure", as applying to stable manure, and "fertilisers" aa applying to artificial manures. Tho usual ar.s-.ver to tho question: Why is manuring necessary was, in order to supply plajit food absent from the soil. This was only partly ajx.uxa.te, and not being absolutely carrcct, \vtm apt to bs misleading. 110 showed that in the top -nine inches of ."oil there were • usually enormous quantities o. plant food (nitrogen, phosphoric ac.-J, and potash), and that when trees showed signs of lack of food from the soil it was duo 1o Bomr o{ the elements not being readily available: it wxts the function of manuring- to makj plawt food elements readily available. The ftrst tiling to afiocrtain was what element the soil lacked, ?£id in nino oases oat of ten it would be found that- it was not necessary tc apply manure, but that it would be neoresary to malse -the existing but dormant plant filaments -work and bcoome available. That could l>s done- by thorough airj complete cultivation. He did not advocate manuring except when it was absolutely necessaryy. As an alternative to cultivation, as a mean* of making the plant food in tho soil immediately available, he recommended green manuring—it was the cheapest way with the exception of applying stable manure. He advised the growing of a. crop of mustard to be turned, in as green manure; the best time to turn it over was just before it flowered: vetc&es, lupins (blue or White, but not yellow), oats, Cape boj-ley, PaT-trrige -peas, and horse beans were aiso recommended.