FOR THE FARMER.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 2049, 29 November 1924, Page 2

FOR THE FARMER.

LIME IN LIGHT SOILS. AN ENEMY OF WEEDS. Light gravelly soils suffer most from the deficiency of lime: Nature provides such soils witli only a small amount, and any addbd disappears quickly, owing to the porous nature of t.lio soil. On one part of a field sown with barley >the crop was so poor that it had to be ploughed up and a whale season ■was missed; examination showed that portion of the field to be extremely sour. On another portion of the field the crop was satisfactory; analysis of the soil' showed that that portion of the field contained a small supply • of chalk. Among a clover crop on anotnei field there were large patches of sorrel so. dense that they could: be seen from a long distance. Over the greater part of the field the growth was luxuriant, but on the portion, of the field alluded to the clover grew in patches only. When Hinder corn this portion, was characterised by the prevalence of mayweed. A record of the history of the' field showed that about thirty years ago it was heavily dressed with chalk, but, the work having been interrupted before completion, the infertile portion never received the dressing, hence its acidity and, iufertilo condition. Another similar case is given. There are also other ills which follow from lime deficiency, and the whole position is summarised as follows: (1) Lime is a constituent of all crops, though the amounts vary greatly; an average crop of potatoes removes about 41b of lime per acre ; an average crop of red clover removes about 901 b per acre. (2) The beneficial bacteria require the presence of lime for their activities. (3) Lime keeps down certain weeds, such as sorrel, spurrey. and corn marigolds. (4) Lime prevents certain diseases, club root for instance. (5) It reacts with certain fertilisers, particularly sulphate of ammonia and superphosphate. (G) Promotes decay of vegetable matter. (/) Improves texture of heavy soils. Unless tho next crop is potatoes the time to apply is as soon as possible. Potatoes are affected adversely by fresh dressings of lime : oats can grow under fairly sour conditions; clover, barley, swedes and mangels are sensitive to sourness, find will derive itho greatest benefit from liming. Sinsc lime in any case gets carried down into the subsoil, it should not be ploughed in ; St should be applied after the final ploughing, leaving tho harrow to distribute it through the top lew inches of soil. One ton of ground lime will generally be sufficient to counteract the sourness of most arid soils, though occa sionallv higher amounts may be :p----plied with "advantage. After the initial application it is best to regard Jimo as a material to be applied regularly, say once in a rotation, in order to make good losses sustained by drainage, and by the action of artificial manures, laming is not an expensive process, and the outlay is one on which the returns are sure.

NOTES LOR THE MONTH. (Fields Division! Department of Agriculture.) Haymaking. In December haymaking will become general. Mea/jow hay should bo cut when the predominant, varieties of grasses are in ilower—that is, technically expressed, when the anthers are protruding from between the chairscales. The weight of herbage and the digestible nutrients will then be at about their maximum. The distribution of the nutrient material is also fairly 'uniform, whereas at a later stage a transference of much ot this material tu the developing seeds takes place and the stem becomes .fibrous and indigestible. A little loss in weight owing to an early start is generally more' than counter-balanced by the superior feeding qualities of the crop. Moreover, the earlier the crop can bo removed the better the aftermath. Hay should not be allowed to get too dry before being raked into rows or put up in cocks. Gradual drying is much to be preferred to baking, which is likely to ensue if the crop, is spread over the ground dfcmug very hot weather. . Many farmers experience ..difficulty in saving lucerne, tare, or clover hay in good condition. All legumes require more '"making" than do ,the grasses, pud suffer more from the woLmg. dryinc and handling that prolonged haymaking in a changeable climate entails.. A good practice ~ lo gnthc the hflv into big cocks when u is still Wf made, generally on the second flay after cutting. These cocks should, ho SbcSt n couple of drayloads m size nnd must be carefully b.mlt and raked down so as to turn ram In them tho hav will sweat considerably, but, bong compartively small in volume little harm will result. They may c left standing for several weeks, but are usually fit to stack by the end of leu davs. They may be drawn to the stack i)V a chain passed round them, but care must be taken that any stones and dirt are shaken out o the bottom layer before it is pitched up lo tho sta-k A slower but rather bcttei method is to load them on to drays in the case of cereals intended lor |,„v 'be best stage for cutting is w hVn the straw is Hitill green and the grain is just getting into the dough stage. Ensilage.

Ensilage should have more recognition iu this country as a valuable stand-bv in ca*c of the lavlure of root crops, green fodders., or pastilles. It L ,,n feodflv bo made from surplus mass, lucerne, ceroids., and tares or peas', etc., especially when wuthci conditions arc against lutymakng. *oi the. slack method a site with good drainage should ho selected, and sufficient, materia) cut and carted to nu Oft or Sft the Brat clay. Tins should be allowed to stand until it attains a temperature of at least. 1.,<) org. v. The building-up of more material is then contused from Lime to tune, as beat is generated in each successive layer. After the first layer ,t shank be oulv a few feet, umtjl eomp et. » of the'stack, winch may he eywituully about 18ft. or 201... high. should be as nearly, square as and the smallest sjzo not less than 14ft by 14ft, which .would provide about 4.0 tons of material. Salt at the ru to of about 6lb per ton of green material should be used. When the-last Iner has reached the- required temper-