DRY FARMING

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 19 June 1913, Page 3

DRY FARMING

(By R. BROWNE, Hawera, in the Wanganui Education Board's Leaflet). There is some misconception as to exactly what dry-farming is, and how it is practised. As in the Northern District, we have special soil conditions that necessitate this treatment during a part of the year, a thorough appreciation of this procedure is advisable. Dry farming consists in so treating the soil a» to make best use of the natural reservoirs of water in soil and air. Now, in Northern Wanganui district, rain falls plentifully during winter and spring. Ther*|l less in early summer, and dry cond-tons follow in late summer and autumn. The rainwater freely percolates through our surface soil, and through the sub-soil, but is usually checked from 12 to 30 feet down by a bed of clay. This is the water level. From this, it is again sucked up as by a sponge through the spaces between the soil particles. The smaller the spaces the greater the climb, and the firmer the soil the smaller the spaces, hence very plainly the lower levels of the soil should be firm to bring water to the roots in the upper layers of the soil. Therefore, in dry-farming, if the sub-soil has been loosened for any purpose, to let in air, £>r.._o add manure, it should again be consolidated by rolling, so that water may rise freely through the capillaries, i.e., the spaces between the particles of soil. Think how this is done (1) in the garden, (2) on the farm. Now, during hot weather, evaporation is very gTeat, and the air is filled with moisture in the form of vapour, but as plants do not take in water by their leaves, they will wilt or die in a mois-ture-laden atmosphere if the water absorbing parts, i.e., the roots, are not well supplied. If, however, the air were cooled, the moisture in it would be condensed, and fall as rain or dew. Fortunately, the soil can draw upon this stor_fiouse when there is no rain. How Is this"" Tf we take the temperature of the surface soil, and also that of the lower levels, we shall find the latter temperature much the lower. Therefore, if we can encourage the hot, moisture-laden air freely to enter the soil, some of its moisture will be condensed in the cooler levels, and that is where the roots are eagerly waiting any moisture that the soil may yield them. I It is quite plain, therefore, that the top layers of the soil should be loose and friable so that air may freely enter. I How is this secured (1) in the garden, <.2; on the farm? Have the barometer readings any interest in this tion?Ih dry; farming;, then, We have two ways of bringing moisture to the roots : (1) compacting the soil to bring up supplies from the lower storehouse (2) loosening the surface soil to let in some of the water from the upper, or air storehouse. When the latler cannot be prae* tised with safety we place straw, weeds, lawn mowings, loose soil, etc., on the surface, and these have the same effect. It is well to remember that the drier the climate .and soil throughout or during any part of the year the greater must be the attention directed to this kind of farming. As we have not a very dry climate along tne West Coast of this island, dry farming is practical only during the dry period of the year, and only on soils that naturally let the water freely percolate through e.g., drift sand, and in special soils as for example the sandy ones formed from the material derived by decomposition from the rocks carried down by old-time rivers from Mount Egmont and other volcanoes.