CARE OF CROPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20472, 25 January 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

CARE OF CROPS.

CONSERVING MOISTURE.

Up to the present crops have continued to make healthy, vigorous growth, and by successional sowing and planting there has been little difficulty in maintaining ail ample supp.y of seasonable vegetables. After such an exceptionally moist season, however, (Tops are quickly affected by a change to drier conditions, which may at any tiros set in. trom this time onward the growth of crops will depend in a very great measure upon tho way the ground has been treated. If tho soil is well manured and deeply dug the roots oi crops penetrato well into it and do not feel the effects of a dry spell as quickly as plants growing in more 6hallowly- worked ground. Mulching, too, especially with plants that are most affected by drj weather, is the best method to adopt. From this time onward there will be much work to be done as tho cleai ing away of spent crops, manuring and digging or trenching vho ground for future cropping must have attention. Summer, in any case, is the best time for breaking up all vacant land, for if not needed for summer cropping the land has several months in which to pulverise and sweeten and got into good condition for later sowing or planting. At this time, too, hoeing is an mportant operation, not only for disturbing weeds, but in maintaining a loose surface and retaining moisture- During the hottest weather, too, is the best time to treat land in which twitch and other difficult weeds have become estublishcd. With many varieties of weeds hoeing is of little use and the only meann of eradicating them is by deeply fo.'king over the ground, and then burnir g the roots of tho weeds. Such land should, at least, be forked over twice and afterward sown in lupins, mustard, oats cr other suitable green crops A good creasing of lime when digging can bo ussd with advantage.