SUCCESS IN MANURING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 31 December 1925, Page 8

SUCCESS IN MANURING

IMPORTANCE OF DRAIN AC I

A I'MIIST KSSkNTIAI

The secret of .success iti manuring lie; in the farmer's own trials, carried < n on his own fields: therefore keep ex perimenting, says the writer of fare Economy. At the same time, starl right into use more of the fertilise) that, is giving the best results on youi land, so far as von know at present Work to find out the quantity per acn of this manure that skives the most pro fitable results, and the best nth o the-year for applying it to the pasture When von discover how much of (hi; fertiliser will give yon the biggest profit per- minimum of outlay, iyirl you adop: that quantity as your standard I'm dressing for tlte particular crop or pas lure on which it has been used, ym will be in line |<> get the greatest re turns from your manuring. A great deal of money may be e\ pended on fertilisers ami still results no come up to expectations or be anything like what they should be. If there if one cause wiiich tcont-i ibut.es to I his condition, it is lack of drainage- Nc matter what crops are sown i r >vhaf manure is 'applied lo badly drained land, results are limited by the eondi tion of tile soil. Unless drainage, when necessary, is done tire land cnntml pro duce full crops. Water lying near the surface in undrainrd land prevents plant.; sending down their roots deeply in tin soil. Crops have, therefore, a less bull; of soil wherein to Forage for food, lienci a less wealth of plant food lo draw upi it and convert into crop. Undraincd land favours the accumulation within it ot substances which are harmful to vege. tation. Owing to soil ventilation being deficient in undraincd land, the conversion of the less available plant food into readily assimilable forms is hindertd. Crops grown in inadequately drained land, are placed at an insurmountable disadvantage from the time of sowing the seed until the harvesting of a poo, yield. Fertilisers applied to these crops can not. be utilised to the full advantage. and are often wasted. Drainage is the

first essential, and after that manor