RESTORING FERTILITY ON GRASS LANDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16824, 7 April 1915, Page 4

RESTORING FERTILITY ON GRASS LANDS.

It is the habit of all stock-raisers, great and small, to rail against dry seasons and droughts as visitations which are intensely destructive and wholly devoid of any redeeming feature. That they create periods of inactivity and repose, and prevent all grass lands from becoming more exhausted than must otherwise be the case, is completely lost sight of. As Nature's great restorer, a dry season is worthy of at least 60me degree of favourable recognition. It seems hard to suppose that there will come a time when a drought will be welcome for these reasons. It is, however, being made more manifest that grass land, which has been doing nothing else for half a century or more but carry merino sheep, has for a considerable time past been calling out for some stimulant. This has made itself manifest by the loss of size in the sheep, and by the frequent occurrence of worm troubles, to correct which a generous use of the firestick is sometimes resorted to. The process of growing wool, year after year, has proved a constant drain upon certain essentials yielded by the land. Scores of acres of land, which are rated at a very high value, have long since ceased to servo any useful purpose so far as ■••••~Hg is concerned. Hard, bare patches have broken out where grass once grew, and the hardness and bare ness are steadily spreading as time advances. Spasmodic attempts arc made by some owners to stir up the surface, and make it at least capable of dr'a : ning the everdrifting seed oi native grasses, scarifiers and harrows being used for the breaking up of the top crust. More than this, however, is needed, if it is proposed to continue to grow wool and mutton upon land which has done nothing else in the past. Something has got to be put back into the land, to partrally supply the r'ace of all that bos been taken out of it. Various artificial manures have been recommended for this purpose, but the particular form of manure to be applied need not be discussed here. Tt is the establishment of the principle -which is immed-'ately important. Some lands require one treatment, and some another;, a dressing of lime, or a jndicio-is application of phosphates, according to the determination of some analytical chemist. It is stated by men who hnve made a studv of these subjects that even land, upon the resources of wl'Mi no profit has at any time been made, will d ; minish in fertility if nothing is done to replace what is extracted from it. The drain upon fertility may not be sev«re. but it is continuous, and seeing that the original essentials are limited in quantity, exhaustion must take place sooner or liter. If this method of reasoning applies (nncl none can gainsay it), where tho drain upon the nutriment is light, how much more force does not the argument carry when, var in and vear out. the utmost possible i;i being taken out of the land? Tnfer ; or herbage and rank plants deficient in feeding properties may be faking the place of the be' J ~r grasses. The fact that one diss of plant will grow where another has starved is :e----pnrded bv the scientist as proof positive of something being amiss with the fert'lit.y of the land. Bracken fern, or any* other gross feeding plant, may find sufficient sustenance in hind which has ceased to be able to supply the balance of ingredients necessary to_ retain the b"t + or and more nutritious grasses. Nothing is easier or more simple than to neglect. grass lands without seeing any immediate 'ill efFects. Possiblv this may be Ihe reason why so much grass land is left to take care of itself. Some landowners shrink from the thought of applying anv fertiliser lo the surface of their grass land lest the dressing of artificial manure should convey harm to the stock feeding thereon. If treso owners will make a point of removing their stock from t!ie_ paddocks which they propose to chemically dress, and not put them back until some weeks after the first heavy rains have fallen, there is not the slightest risk to the stock when readmitted on to tho dressed land. The majority of landowners do not care to face the expense of thus manuring their ' grass lands, seeing that the outlay in many instances may represent the sacrifice of a whole vea'r's income off *he land. If, fioT»«vor," they could accustom themselves to treat the expenditure as nn outlay of capital, which need not necessarilv be provided out of income, che subject is one which might find more supporters.