SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 121, 23 May 1919, Page 5

SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE

USE 'OF LIME

QUESTIONS BY LOCAL FARMERS.

In his addresses throughout the .Nek aou district, Mr listened to with great interest. Me' have already given the main portions off his id dresses. The following 'ar a number of questons asked him by local farmers and his replies^:— Question ; Is ground limestone as quick in its action as burnt lime? i

Answer: If finely ground (for the Nelson district* especially., the iimefetohe' should be ground a® fine as possible— at least 80 per coat, of it as fine as flour) for ail practical purposes ground lirhetJiiontei {capbemte—cr4lciura) is just quick ill its action as burnt lime, ‘ If applied to the land in the autumn ' or winter the bulk of the lime is exerting is full action by the spring, when growth comes away apace. Moreover,' the portion not finely ground is held in reserve for supplying available Hnw? i,o soil bacteria (nitrifying], and hence to plants, later on, thereby - maintaining ; a -outiikious supply of available ■ JStoe throughout a -given period of time, that period varying with" the retentive iliHire of the soil.

Question; You stated in your address thhit liming land tended to 'reduce. asr taek uy fungus. diseases.. ■ Would yoii mind explaining that point agaip? - - Answer: One of the important effects of liming land, particularly o? clay or clay loam formaton , is to release or. make, available potash. Potash plays an ifp-portan-t |l.vrt in strengthening the ceil wall of the plant or tree and in influencing the contenis ot the cell, thereby fortifying tire growth against attack by fungus diseases. While abundant available pot/-eh rendered such by liming, is, not an absolute specific against the ravage® of fungus diseases, yet it materially assists the plant or tree to withstand attack. A haTthier. more rigorous growth obtain® and the plant or tree is enabled to outgrow the effects of attack by fungus parasites. . Question : Many orebardists and others are growing bine lupins lor ploughing under. I understand that yon stated • that liming discourages the growth of this pliant. Would you please explain - this matter to the meeting? Answer: One of the few plants readily injured by lime is the blue annual lupjp, according to scientific investigators. ‘The ■ white or the ydlow annual; lupin i©,' 6h the, other hand, encouraged hy...lm£e. This fact accounts for the blhe lujiiip thriving well in sour soils lime, a® most Nelson soils are. , The principle to follow, then, would be to grow the blue lupin first (ore oiyfcwp - crops, according to the need ot the’ehU; for humus) and to plpugh. uiidec, lbi«. growth, then to later on lime the ploughed land welrcrod to incorporate the Y 'with the soil by ineatis of dLsKpg hanwfngc-wdihaxy cultural’' necessary for promoting a gOod Moreover, ’• th© -lime 'will h^«4UdJm^<|e-‘' cay of the vegetable^mat-■ and the adds given off b&,the iesn $. of this decay will hasten., the rendering - available (or .soluble)- the firmly-grounds limestone. • -l A ‘vv^r

Question): You advocate the sowingof 2 or 31bs. ol cowgrass with. an. crop and the ploughing under of thiefc after growth of the cowgrass, to provide humus. On poorish ooßs-wtefmd that the 'cowgrass does best the second year. Would it not he better to .let the cowgrass remain for ploughing under during the second year? ' - Answer: Generally speaking,, it would, for by the second year the cowgnasg Has, developed more root system and provides a grenler body of green material f&r ploughing under. But if you treated v ;the land well with lira©' before sowing*; the! oats and- cowgrass, - you should obtaiA-fe' satisfactory growth of • the- latter '-the -fiiistb year for ploughing under j and'ifc been- found by experiment that crop of red' clover or of ploughed: trader, is as good- td‘ the 1 *- sqSP as a dressing of from IS-' to -20-.tO(H& ;■ farmyard manure per acre. - - Where soil requires humus- badly, land thousands of acres- of this land itirNdL son, the object, should be to‘ j provide* 1 them with humus as soon- as pOssibb?, 'o maintain fertility and to materihlly'increasc their productiveness 1 . ■ in lime and in humus 'are the -two- most important limiting factors in the pnvductiveness of meet soils in Nelson pro- 1 • • | r '.if 1 ;■'%/»,. ' vxnce. ■ ' Question: In liming orchards w!0» lime oi high price, owing to much hasfc dling and, haulage, would it nofc 'fae tar to apply the lime the tree, and so give the desired 1 quantity to. tife-' • fruit trees? ' ,v Answer: A satisfactory system,' addone adopted' to a large extent iiSNOrcfite ards in North America,’ not only as togardpi lime but more particukidy, gairding commercial fertilizers.; __ The liihe, however, should- -be applied—"lit' quantity to a, given ra-dus around the tree (corresponding, usually', to -a litfee beyond the 's oread of ’ the the tree). Jhe Rme so applied Have the additional effect of gue parasites Jurkin-g.in-thp sbibaround* the tree. But whew the lime canyod ’ obtained in qrt’htity at a reasdnaMe 1 ' . orice and without rmi-ch haulage, .it' far better to, Hme the- whole -; lime well. Question-: Does lime kill ‘devil’’-’weed-' •fspurrey dr yarr)? ' ■' Answer: This is an, acid-loving plantr iiidicative of • sourness, h&n-c’e thei-jpefea* for lime in quantity. Lime '■ the' effect of discouraging this'’weed; buff nothing short of timely and- 1 though’ , ndtivat : on. followed by smother' 1 (suitable also for’ green after - liming the land well, .will eradicate ‘ i persistent, ma-rfy-seede*! wefed. : / '*■* Question; How much Inne per ware would you recommend, and when flr'CW you apply it? -. . , : Answer: As staged during the addpeßßr ; the. lime requirement of Nelson, qoiSi, e ■ tfelcen om& witli anothejL, . 16, * * > ! to Mr. Aston, Agricultural XKen&st, from 2 to 3 tons of finely-ground stone per acre, or its approximate etjw** valent in burnt lime—l to, - acre. This quantity would be refuted l’s an initial dressing for unKmed';hawß Accord mg to the best ’authorities- . UP; coils, a similar application would. O*T necessary every five or six years, tq-'keep average soils in good heart, by RS up the lime content once the lime. w?’ quirement has been met. > fading 1 this periodic liming in quantity, T; woflid recommend your using 2, to S cwt-vJper. acre; of ground; limestonq ? with mauure,eWy time you grow a _ crop, ' tinder good farming, practice, dg always sown with some tiliser. Ground limestone. && fes,SSjPjt with most manures, * but not sp lime, especially with ’ nnres (blood, blood and boUe,-%wJrf ; Question; Would it not be,bqvt®T grow lupins in preference, tp

tamers would not be tempted to feed off the lupins? Answer: A good idefa; but, unfortunately, lupins cannot be grown with oats, as cowgrass. Here may it be mentioned that'a legume (cowgrass, etc.) sown with bats will promote a bigger crop ol oats, both in straw and gram, than were oats.sown before.

Question: Would it not be better to apply, eay, 5 cwt. of lime per acre ©very year than to put on a heavy dressing every few years? Answer: On most soils it is better to lime in quantity every five or six yehrs, thereby satisfying the lime requirement, and keeping the soil in good heart. It is essential to satisfy the lime requiremerit by a more or less heavy initial dressing, after which the lime content of the soil could be maintained, if necessary, by small annual applications. But the annual application involves extra labour and team work. For specially porous soile in districts of much rain it is, however, better to apply small qilantities fairly frequently than large quantities infrequently. It is more economical of Kme, which leaches readily from porous soils in districts of copious rainfall