OF INTEREST TO FARMERS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVI, Issue 51, 7 December 1909, Page 1 (Supplement)

OF INTEREST TO FARMERS.

GROWTH OF MANGOLDS

In an article 011 "Mangolds" in 'Leatints to I'armors,' Mr i'. Uillanuora, manager or tad Moumahaki exx 1 min, nas tne following:

rariuvio wno have visited Oouuuan.i ji' Ota go will agree with me when _ say t _c there is a marked auopctsa ... the southern provinces in the production of root-crops, and tho mode generally adopted of growing cliom in the North Island. v The southern farmers, like the British farmers, grow their root crops in rows or drills ranging in width from 25in to 28in apart. The land is generally ploughed in the fall or winter, and is then allowed to mellow with the winter frost until the spring of the year, when it is worked up to a fine tiljth with a cultivator and harrow. Thq modern disc plough is also largely used in the preparation of turnip lpnd. All weeds are then cleaned off the land, and the drills or ridges are raised with, a ridgingplough. The seed and manure is sown with a double-drill sowing-machine. In recent years the drill plough and the double-drill sower have Iron largely displaced by the double-drill ridger. This implement makes the ridges and sows the manure down in front of the concave rollers, and the seed down behind the rollers. The implement can be procured with either small mould-boards or discs. The latter will be found preferable when the land is rough, and where # there is a chance of running against tree roots.

"When the root-crops are sown in this way it is necessary to clean and eultirate the crop. The thinning can be done either with hand-hoes or by a turnip-thinner. If done by the latter it is always advisable to run through the plants with hand-hoes and single out those left in pairs. In thinning out either turnips, mangolds, kohlrabi, or cabbages, with a hand-hoe, the soil should be well removed away from the stem. This keeps the plants from throwing out too many lateral shoots, which are against the development of the bulb. *■ The singling should be carried out as soon as the rough leaf has been formed. With a ridged crop the iiorse-hoe or scuffler can be run between the rows, before, the singling of' the plants has taken place. This should again be done throughout the season, •nitil the tops get t-oo big to allow a horse to get- between tlie rows. "The cultivation of a root-crop has many advantages. In the first place, t keeps the ground finely worked and pulverised between the rows. This not only stimulates the growth of the roots, out it also keeps down the weeds, and conserves the moisture in the soil. It ■s a well-known fact that roots grown under cultivation will withstand a very nuch longer period of drought than roots grown in the ordinary manner, with little or no cultivation. This is tot only so, but the general quality ol che root is much superior, and "the .'leld per acre very largely increased .vhen grown under cultivation. A concrete example of this was very strongly exemplified at Reading Agriculturecollege in England last year. Three >lots of mangolds were grown 011 the 1 idge system 111 the manner I have just 1 escribed. The three plots were sown in the same date and under exactly the •ame conditions, and the plants were ul set out singly at the same distance ipart. One plot got 110 further cultivation ; another was kept clear of weeds >y hand-weeding, and the third plot was kept clean by cultivation as I have described. The plot'which received 11,, weeding and no cultivation yielded a crop at the rate of lo| tons per acre, vlilie the other two plots gave yields •it the rate of 40 tons per acre." The lifference between the mangold crop '.vhere the plots were kept clean and that where no weeding took place amounted to 60 per cent, of the crop. "In growing either of the root crops inder cultivation and where the plants ire to be singled out, it is advisable to sow a larger quantity of seed than vhere the plants are V> he allowed to ?row of their own free will. Turnip:eed should be .sown at the rate of Tom 14oz to 240z per acre, mangolds lib to 71b per acre, and kohlrabi or "abbage from 10oz to 14oz per acre. Many farmers make a very groat mistake in sowing mangolds' too thinly, 'he matter of a few extra shillings in ■>eed on a crop that will in ordinary ■ircumstances produce from -10 to /iO r ons of roots per acre is a mere bagatelle. One of the most essential things •n the growing of a mangold crop is to them closo on the ground."