DEMAND FOR WHEAT.
RAISING CEREAL CROPS. SPRING SOWING.
JIT W.S.
fhvr>M to present circumstances caused by the F.uipiie being involved in the present crisis. ''' mav '"' advisable lor farmers to jow more spring wheat nnd oats than was previously intended. It seems almost an flb?*luk> certainty that thorn will bo a great demand for all classes of grain this coming season, especially wheat and oats. Land thai has been partially prepared for other crops may bo profitably employed in growing either of these important cereal rro 'Ibis change of rotation may necessitate nthei fields being brought into cultivation for oilier crops, such as turnips, rape, etc., but as these crops are not sown to any extent until towards the end of October, or in pome cases, a3 with turnips, not until November, there is (.till « fair amount of time- for preparing th« land for these crop*, although, as would bo expected, the land already ploughed and cultivated would in all probability give the best crops. Notwithstanding this, however, judging by proBent indications, it would scorn good practice to follow ; and, though in an indirect way, by putting in large areas of crop it will materially help the Empire.
Timely Preparations. The farmer who endeavours to supply the demand for food stuffs will in all probability fill just as important a gap as the sons of the Empire who gallantly offer their services for the front, and besides getting a remunerative return for his crop, he will experience satisfaction at having assisted to -apply the demands of the Empire at such a trying time. Wheat being the bread corn of civilisation, it naturally holds a very high and important position among our farm crops. Though many of our New Zealand farmers, have partially or wholly abandoned the practice of -growing, owing chiefly to the cost of labour, together with the freight necessitated through being bo far away from Homo markets, many may be induced under the present conditions to put in a larger area than usual. Spring wheat is mostly confined to tho Tuscans, of which there are several varieties. The most common are tho purple and the solid-strawed. FithSr of those may bo put in any time during tho coming month, provided tho land is suitable, well prepared, and in good heart, turnip land being particularly well adapted to this crop.
Grain Alter Roots. After tho turnips are fed off the land is generally speaking in excellent order for wheat, especially when the turnip crop followed immediately after lea. Therefore, such land that'had been intended for oa'.-i or other crops may bo put into wheat, and other land if necessary prepared for any of the above-men-tioned crops. The cultivation of the land for wheat varies according to certain conditions, namely, the nature of the soil, the climate, and the position in the rotation. When following after turnips, rape, puutoes, ( ir peas, etc., the cultivation necessary to obtain a good tilth is of a lc"3 ardous nature than when this crop follows directly after lea. In the former the disc harrow or cultivator may be quite efficient in procuring a good seed bed, especially if the land has been ploughed deep for the preceding crop, in which case, providing of' rourse the' soil is of A free nature, all that may bo needed will be to give tho surface a thorough tilling. The under layers of tho old furrow that had been turned down last season will by this time have become thoroughly Totted, and at the same time will not have become so hard as \<t interfere with the i growth of tho present crop.
Successive Grain Crops. ilt may often be noticed in land sown IB a rcreal crop two years in succession •that the second crop will give, a higher yield than the first taken direct out of lea, especially if the land has not been •ploughed early enough in the autumn, in which case the turned down turf had not had time to become thoroughly rotted, therefore was practically of no 'assistance, to the first crop, beyond helping to conservo moisture. Nitrification ia most Active during the summer and * autumn months, as the nitrifying bacteria cannot live and thrive below a certain temperature. Therefore during winter and early spring there is practically no nitrifying action going on in the soil." This explains the reason why land taken directly out of lea, ploughed late in autumn or winter, «nd put straight info a cereal crop often proves a partial failure, whilo the succeeding crop, other conditions being equal, will give a higher yield. This is due chiefly to the action of tho nitrifying bacteria, whoso work it is to pull "to pieces certain bodies and turn them into plantfood. * Bacteria and Grain Yields. The decomposition of bacteria 'brings about the decay of organic matter in the soil resulting in tho production of the I dark material known as humus. This process of decay is not so simple as one may ho led to suppose, but takes place in several stages. In the rotting, of farmyard manure or old turf, for example, the substances which make up the manure lose their structure and become unrecognisable, and a large proportion of the organic matter becomes soluble. the decomposition of cellulose or vegetable fibre is due to the fermentative action set up by various Kinds of bacteria. Earlv and" thorough cultivation materially assists this bacteria in the work of decomposition, and increases the productivity of the soil.
Manuring Spring Wheat. .Manuring for spring wheat is somewhat •"Hilar to that adopted for autumn crops, except that for the former the manure mixture should consist of a larger proportion of readily soluble matter, as tho growing season is much shorter, there■we a more rapidlv acting manure is needed to force the crop along and to allow it to mature in proper season. *w tins purpose a greater percentage of nitrogenous manures should be added to Wo mixture, although under ordinary cir3tunces in m „ 8 New Zealand soils ptophatic manures are of much more mportanco in the production of wheat Man nitrogenous manures. By experiment there is good reason to believe that "wheal be not grown too frequently, " TO a judi.icus rotation of forage crops. °w, potatoes, leguminous crops, and temporary pastures in which clovers are {*"""«* be adopted, it will be found wu if the requirements of the soil in Wo "v' r of phosphates be met liber- « 7, -Nature will go far to maintain tho rates, exiqn for such crops as manO ra| '"' a '"' kak for whi(h drie<l •<• or other nitrogenous manure is in- « Pensable, or at least an advantage. liea-i seeding for .spring Wheat should bo -ler than that for autumn wheat, as it •is a tendency to grow straight up in,l of ' l ""' llnK or tillering as do the autumn or winter varieties. From 11 to *° bushels ,„. acre is the usual quan- * sow,, lh heavy seeding allows for ™ e Upright habit of growth characteristic °' those varieties.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15737, 12 October 1914, Page 11
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1,164DEMAND FOR WHEAT. New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15737, 12 October 1914, Page 11
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