LUPINS AS GREEN MANURE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 239, 27 September 1930, Page 12

LUPINS AS GREEN MANURE

Among the various crops used as a medium for groen manuring, ths lupin has long been considered one of tbs best, remarkable results having follow ed the growing of this crop on poor land and subsequently ploughing it in. It is claimed that even soil of the very worst description, such as that which consists of gravel and sand, can bo brought into a fair state of fertility after rough cleaning by sowing one or two crops of lupins upon it. Land of a hotter description but suffering from long neglect has been made to produce a paying crop of oats after a single crop of lupins, even without tho application of manure. Tho lupin is a quick-growing plant and produces a largo amount of green top, which is so dense that it smothers nil ordinary weeds in tho soil. Tho best time to deal with it is when it is in flower, and it, is usually necessary, because of tho rankness of its growth, to cut it before it can readily bo ploughed under. It must in any ease bo dealt with before tho stems become hard •and fibrous otherwise there is great difficulty in getting it under, and tho stems will remain a long time before they rot.