WHEAT-PRODUCING PROPERTIES OF SUB-SOIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5425, 4 July 1879, Page 3

WHEAT-PRODUCING PROPERTIES OF SUB-SOIL.

land which is about to be cropped jyithj We draw attention to thia in 5 thej ''hope that we shall induce farmers in other! jtPjv^^M'S** 6 ne character jof Ctli^Sw^ri^g ?^ta. Now that another analyst^ has been appointed by the the place vacated by Jlr jffr W Vi E. Ivey on his removal to Nbw -;Z^fand, partners wfio possess subßoilffjofj 1 which they'h'avereason to think well may • ■have them reported on by sending samples to the -card of --« 'the Secretary for Agric|il--ture, Melbourne." ■ ; ;.

, OETuaejSi^irf -title. Mr Howard, of Yorke'a Peninaula, recsntiyj addressed the Adelaide Observer. He .states that he has experimented on suEsoils with wonderful results wfteii 6ip6Bed to-'thes atmosphere f^'flpmeHimei "He .proceeds to mention tWat' in' "this ! : locality are two distinct varstfes £ of ;lfabsoil. f The first he describes ■as'being^ye^oWjsn^lor^ and of arlimey pharacter, found .from a foot to t^p^fe^'fr^m .the fliirface, arid in some instances "many 'feet in " depth. , He then proceadß :—',' The second is found lying on a bed of solid clay six inches from the^.surface,- and is generally found from r l|t»r:tOi2ft. in thickness ; this is of a-brbwn "color, and is between a loam and a clay. My experience with the first soil is that, where spread on tto»ftj|aoe jbo a depth of ;sin. there grew fully double the crop of healthy wheat that was seen on the good soil of the natural'StuSface attjadent'to it. The second soil mentioned * greater results still, there' 5 being fully three times as much growth' 'as the original surface produced utider' favorable circumstances. It was literally a. wall of wheat, so much so that theknife and sheath of the mower used for. cutting same, was completely hid from the view of ,the driver. I may state that in this case there would not in all probability have been a good sample of wheat had it.been left for grain, the plant being overgrown. The subsoil in this instance was spread 18in. in thickness on the buvface, and was exposed to the atmosphere two' years previous to its being sown ;; The evidence given as above is very conclusiye to me that our subsoil here ,- .(Whatever it .'may be in other localities) "-Would be as beneficial as an expensive coat of manure to ensure a crop of wheat.'.' . . The Australasian adds : — '\ We have, np direct communication with Mr Howard, but inquiry has led us to believe, that thtf, subsoil in question is a species of marl. . In that case a most valuable fertiliser exists in very large quantities, and has been very wastefully, even , nijuriously, employed. In this colony also the value of marly deposits is being gradually recognised. On certain parts "of the Bamboql, hills, such deposits have for some time past been resorted to by farmers, and used aa top-dressings for