OBSERVATIONS ON LIMING

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 19 November 1932, Page 7

OBSERVATIONS ON LIMING

COMFARATIME APPLICATIONS

In an article oil liming Mr Cecil Pawson. lecturer in agriculture. Armstrong College, refers to the acidity of certain manures and also some soils, and a few extracts may prove of local interest : . , , . , “Certain crops are tolerant to acid conditions —e.g.. oats 1 and potatoes—though even in. .such eases it would appear to be sounder practice to give the soil its requirements of lime. Sulphate of ammonia and superphosphate are generally used on the potato crop, and "these manures are not likely to yield the maximum benefit under conditions of lime shortage. The lime should not be applied directly to the potato crop, but incorporated with the soil in previous cropping.’ After dealing with the lime requirements of certain plants and different soils, he says: “At Cockle Park, for many rears,' slag gave a better result on /swedes than did ssuperphosphate. Tt was only after a good liming that superphosphate gave the better results on swedes.” Tu many trials in New Zealand sirnev and lime have topped the poll for weight of cron, and if the cost of the various manure mixtures had been taken into account the points in favour of /super and lime would be greatly increased. Slag is much in favour in Great Britain and it is also favoured here when the price is right, but the New Zealand price is probably about double that of the British price and this places it under a disadvantage* when compared with other manures. Superphosphate, is water soluble, and. therefore, immediately available. The unit cost of the phosphates contained in it is not much more than half of the unit cost in slag, and by the addition of lime the detrimental'effect on germination can l>e reduced to a minimum.