AS GOOD AS A FERTILISER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 556, 10 July 1909, Page 8

AS GOOD AS A FERTILISER.

■THE VALUE OF TILLAGE. - That good cultivation is equal to a dressing of a: good fertiliser has been proved by the Government, agriculturist at the Capo. : A picco of land was selected, divided into plots, uniformly dressed 1 with a complete fertiliser, given' various numbers of ploughings, cultivated, sown to oats, and rolled.-; Each, successive plot received one more ploughing than the previous one. and the yields rose correspondingly .in steadily ascending order^ Plot 1— Once ploughed, yielded 7501b. oat hay per aero. r>;." Plot 2.—Twice ploughed, ; yielded 10001b.; oat Bay per'acre: • Plot 3.—Thrice; ploughed, yielded 18801b." oat hay, per"acre. Plot ; 4.—^Four.times ! ploughed, . .yielded, 33001b. oat; hay- per .acre. , ;It is stated that' equally striking results were/(obtained/ from the \ barley' 'and ' wheat plots planted during the past / year, when each- succeeding plot was cultivated onco more than the previous one.. The results of tbeso experiments emphasise. the importance of careful tillage, and ; show that, although manuring is highly, important, yields can be still furtner and profitably increased by extra ploughing or cultivating. In- India, where the peasants often find, it difficult to obtain fertilisers and' labour is cheapi they depend largely on obtaining good crop bv increased cultivation, and will frequently plough'.their land four or. five times.. . ..,