The Northland Farmer

Northern Advocate, 10 February 1940, Page 9

The Northland Farmer

(By E. B. Glanville, .local organiser. Whangarci Council of Primary Production). An alternative or complementary method to cropping for increasing farm production is to increase the use of artificial fertilisers on grassland. Topdressing, however, does not eliminate the advisability of growing crops but at times rather accentuates it. In Northland there is a general phosphate and lime response. The addition of lime gives varying results on Northland soils, ranging from marked responses to no visible response at all, .according to the age of the soil type. Where lime gives a response there should be a dressing of one ton of lime per acre, prior to laying down pasture and subsequent lighter dressings as required. Slag Gives Good Results. Superphosphate is* the main phosphate used in the Auckland Province, but in Northland basic slag gives good results as do North African phosphates. < The amount of phosphatic fertilis :r applied varies from U to (icwt. per acre. Generally 2cwt. of superphosphate on sheep farms and 3 or 4cwt. on dairy farms gives satisfactory returns. The main period of application is in the autumn from the end of February to the end of May, with a

T®pdressm§ Praetiee

secondary peak period of use in July and August. Certain pumice soils radiating from the central plateau of the North Island, the volcanic soils in the Maivoa district west of Te Kuiti, and some volcanic soils in parts of Northland, are deficient in cobalt. Therefore, where topdressing is being carried out on such areas, use should be made of cobaltised superphosphate in preference to ordinary superphosphate. Out-of-Season Growth. Potash gives a response at Waihi and on some peat soils and sands and sandy loam of the Waikato and Northland. Applications of 2cwt. of 30 per cent potash salts should be given there in addition to any lime or phosphate required. For out-of-season growth on dairy farms in late autumn, winter and early spring, an application of ammonialed superphosphate, usually at the rate of 3cwt. to the acre, or of sulphate of ammonia at lewt. per acre may prove useful if made several weeks before results are required. Only good paddocks which are to be used for winter and early spring feeding should be treated. Such fields should previously have been liberally treated with lime and phosphate. The general use of nitrogenous fertilisers is not advocated.