THE VALUE OF TILLAGE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 142, 14 June 1909, Page 3

THE VALUE OF TILLAGE.

Good cultivation is equal to a dressing oi: a good fertiliser. This axiom is strikingly confirmed by the result of some experiments reported by the Government agriculturist at' the Cape. The experiment was carried out in the following manner:—At the experiment station a piece of land was selected, divided into plots, and uniformly dressed with a complete fertiliser. Alter being ploughed, as stated below, a cultivator was run over the land and oats sown with the drill. The land was then rolled.

Each successive plot, however, had received one more ploughing than the previous one, and the yields rose correspondingly in steadily ascending order. Plot 1. Once ploughed, yielded 750 ]h oat hay per acre. Plot 2. Thrice ploughed, yielded 10001b oat hay per acre. Plot 3. Thrice ploughed, yielded 18801b oat hay per acre.. Plot 4. Four times ploughed, yielded 38001b oat hay per acre. It is stated that equally striking results were obtained from the barley and wheat plots planted during the past year, although the plots were each ploughed and harrowed once only, but each succeeding plot was cultivated once mere than the previous one. The results of these experiments emphasise the importance of careful tillage, and show that, although manuring is highly important, yields can be still further and profitably increased by -extra ploughing and cultivating. In India, where the peasants often find it difficult to obtain fertilisers and labour is cheap they depend' largely on obtaining good crops by increased cultivation, and will frequently plough their land four or five times. Four ploughings appear to be tho most tried at the Robertson experiment farm, and it is probable that plouehin<; much more frequently than tins "would not have had any better effect. ■