NITROGEN FOR PLANTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 639, 16 October 1909, Page 8

NITROGEN FOR PLANTS.

. QUICK FARMING AND SCOW. V - • .A" .USB J\oli HOOFS.. .. *"If'there lvcrc a pronounced demand for;hoof ipa'niire' iii .Ndw.-Zcalaiid it would Tdf course be. I bbtainablo'..' Sucii: manure is oiio". of 'tlio' byproducts of ■ freezing ivorks/ but'/ is Jot-' usually Sold I sVpafately.'. 'but ■as '"part of thatniystm-" dus '.but : potentmixturo .called "blood, and bone;'' It-is a" slow : acting nitrogenous manure/ and'there are : cases in. which slow -action is v.oty,: desirable. '.The 'farmer who'grows rape'or" kaleV.or.vkohUrabij jor. any , succulent. crop , in which-leaves-aro vnlncd.recjuires at the roots of his crop mora .than, anything,, else (except v.-ater) • a - steady .supply;,of.;nitrogen/';. Sulphate „of -ammonia or nitrate pf.soda.gives up.the ;1 siipply of nitrogen iii "great-gulps that quickly tho supply, and then, alter the iea'st* comes the' famine,..and the' plants grow "sulky.'' Different manures havo their - particular- ways of acting, and\'the farmer will manure', most profitably, who suits :the- manure and' the -mode- of ' applying .it' ..exactly. to the .' needs'-'of VHis -"particular crop: The .. turnipgrower who wishes to "rush" his young plants pasts the'"fly" stage/ and uses' superphosphate for., that purpose-may., with, good effect, add also •a. quick : nitrogen.- Those 'hvo. : ..qualitie3 are ho doubt the chief things, considered in the .manufacture", of.'special. turnip.; manure: The turnip-grower looks for, a quick' start, and does . ' the "subsequent.: growth be";more leisurely, any, cas_e, .it. is root, hot 1 top,, that •: he ■■wants,'-'and^his phosphate .gives, it. On the ; dth"er.» hand,': th'o grower of leafy . crops for for ; age,vthe. grower, of .fruit, the-ordinary domestic or-market/gardener, ; and, the; farmer who is ; putting '.down . land, to permanent pasture, each desire'that the manure; applied shall exercise 'a-mrdlonired 'efTect' upon' thel'crbp;;.:- For -tins. ,'purposo' {he, nitrogen-in.hoof, manUrd:.is -in ; .the -right- condition. ' It is one of';tho*-weaknesses associated:'..with T.the. ordinary>i itrogen'ous'..fertilisers that their, virtue may:be'.quickly,\yashed away .by:.heavy »rain's, - because' th'ei r ■ nitrogen .is' too soluble.- In -the srow'er-.fo'rm' nitrogen exists in hoof ■ material.,-it-:,is.\ yielded up' so slowly :"that' : the; plantsi to.. make use of -it and no,no, need; be.:, lost:'-an,.poor d'rehhrd's'where; of'.chrre.ct. cultiyation, the growth 'of'branch and fruit-is inadequate, slow-nitrogen'will effect an .'improvement.; In light'.'soils, 'where*teaching ,by 'r.raifi "is- most feared/;the slow' 'nitrogen: has' hope' of 'doing whrk. '. Arid' for rpermahenbgrass -it is'the ideal;,thing.", The hoofs of-the sheep andrlambs. 1 which ;New tZealand ' annually'- freezes',"- andbf,, the c'.attle killed;" lyould;' if Separately ; treated; yield a Substantial supply: of fertiliser.:lt' would analyse; out' at ': about 12: per.- ceiit. -nitrogen, and could'be -sold at about JEG per. ton. ' Pifre dried :bl'ood -mahurc, which .- is very ~ rarely; used, hero ■^xcent'in:mixtures, gives about; the .same analysis- in -hitrogen. .but ' -cpsJsV.ft ."ttle. .more money.''' Blood ,acts ,more quickl.Vi than., hoot manure. I 'but' is: less permanent. ..Years' aco one • of -the - Wellington freezing, companies ~did,j)Ut on the market "special hoof manure, but>apparently tile demand at that; time,was.,very ■}im ; ited.''' : for.'the -sale was discontinued, and .he hoof rmatorial.now-'.is embodied. ip;-tho .hloau and bone", product . , ' Honi "is, similar <u its composition to. hoot, but 'it "lias" a smaller chance ;of ;boinc;i onverted into fertiliser, because of.'-its ~t:ilu3 ~«? export. . : : " >, ■