RAINFALL AND CROPS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 300, 2 December 1933, Page 4

RAINFALL AND CROPS

GREAT BENEFIT TO H.B. MOISTURE CONSERVATION ADVISABLE. That the present rainfall that is being experienced in the district would be of great advantage provided this moisture was conserved and the weeds were kept down, was the opinion expressed to the “Tribune” by Mr J. W. Palmer, Instructor iu Agriculture, Hastings, when discussing current crop and pasture work.

Crops generally were doing well, stated Mr Palmer, although there was a certain amount of smut in some of the oat crops. There was also a possibility that the rain would cause rust iu some of the ccrenl crops. Mangold crops were coming along in great order, and there were some fine young crops iu the vicinity ot Hastings. Now that the spin had fallen Mr Palmer advised that a thorough mulching of the soil bo given by cultivation, so as to ensure tho conservation of this soil moisture, which would be of .'rent value in the later stages of growth. Thinning of mangold crops was already being carried out, and in this connection Mr Palmer advised that where replacements and re-plant-ing were being done with tho thinned plants that those plants should bo placed in a wet sack or in water until they were required, for planting, otherwise tho plants would become shrivelled at the roots if left in the sun and would eonsequeiitlv not grow. Tho .removal of the older leaves on these plants was also recommended. Young lucerne areas were growing well, and Dlr Palmer recommended that some of these stands would benefit by topping when they reached the height of six or seven inches. This would encourage the plants and help to keep down weeds which wore growing in the drills. In a young stand weeds constituted a serious menace, and it was only by keeping tho weeds under control that tho stand could become firmly established. Similarly with mangold crops. A thorough cultivation served the dual purpose of keeping down the weeds as well as conserving the soil mosture.