SUBSOILING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1793, 3 April 1886, Page 13

SUBSOILING.

The condition of the agricultural interests for some time past clearly indicates that the perfunctory and ill-cousidered cultivation anc' management of lands which has obtained so widely heretofore, if persisted iv, must lead to disastrous consequences. The prospect of any appreciable and permanent ' rise in values of products is by no means encouraging, and already, unfortunately, the experience of low prices is exemplified by the straitened means of perhaps the majority of farmers. It is under the circumstauces obvious that the inipendiug difficulties can only be overcome by radical changes in the customary modes of tillage and management. The endeavour must be made to ensure economically maximum returns from given areas, aud to achieve this object the Indispensable preliminary step ie deep cultivation. It wiil uo doul)t be contended that subsoiling is too costly an undertaking for most farmers, and a further excuse will be suggested by the almost universal aversion they have to touch the subsoil under any circumstances. With regard to the question of cost, owing to the recent inventions of labour-saving implements subsoiliug may now be performed at very little additional expense over that incurred by single ploughing a few years ago, and with as much expedition. In the ordinary ploughing of land already broken up, a double-furrow, with three horses and a man, will turn over three acres in a day, at a cost to the farmer of, .say, 18b. The same plough, wita the leading breast or mould-plate removed a id a proper tine substi tutuil, or the double-furrow aud sul-soil plough combined and drawn by four hoi^es, with a man in charge, will subsoil an acre and,a-half, disturbing the solid hubstratum to a depth of five or six iuches. Allowing 6s for the extra horse, tho subsoiling operations would cost ICs per acre as against 6s for suif ice-ploughing. The calculation is only given us an approximate one, because circumstance*, inch a.s tenacity of or im2'edimeuts in the Mib.suil, would increase the cost of the sul.soiling. Were a combined double-furrow plough and subsoiler used, with tines following each mould-plate, extra power would be requisite, but an increased area would be gone over daily. The work done by the common double-furrow implement with tine in the place of the first plate is much preferable, because the disturbed substratum is not trampled o1.)o 1 .) by the horses, and as these ploughs are now in general use the tine only has to be purchased. By this method of subsoiling the surface soil is still kept uppermost, and even tho most prejudiced must admit the advantage of having the double depth of loose earth exposed to atmospheric influences and necessarily undergoing beneficial change. The result of experiments made to test the relative merits of deep and shallow ploughing were published some time ago in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, and it was shown that deeper tillage gave six bushels per acre more grain than was reaped from the shallow ; and had the former been subsoiled as well, the excessive yield would have been still larger. On this subject the "Australasian Farmer" gives the experience of Mr J. C. T. Heard, a retired champion ploughman and a successful Wimmera farmer, who has during tho course of his experience put the two systems of deep and shallow ploughing to the test, and the results were such as to confirm him in his support of deep culture. He has ploughed portions of the same field shallow and deep and observed the difference of yield. The difference ha* always been in favour of deep ploughing, both the straw nnd the grain being superior. Mr Hoard lias cultivated about 200 acres for 10 or 11 years, and has always obtained such yields as to encourage him to continue the system of plonghing deep. It must bo" observed that the Wimmera district is about the

warmest and driest in' the Colony of "Victoria, and therefore Mr lieai'd's experience goes to juxive thai deep culture assUroa sufficient moisture^ for cwps during intense summer heats. Tho subject is brought under the notice of farmers now with the purpose of having it; well considered bef<;ro the time approaches for the preparatory cultivation of theknds intended for gretfn crops next season. Tillage for autumn sowings of wheat must of course demand fir&t attention, but with tu'ui work completed there will be time and to spare tiii most farms for subsoiling an area ecjual to thafi Usually under roots and other green crops. The work may proceed throughout the winter, and tho progress will be much beyond the ideas entertalnod in regard to the difficulties aud severity of the operation. Farm horses are frequently in the' st'-ibja in winter, when they could be usefully employed rfb work subsoiling. During summer ag.iiu, where fallows arc" deemed necessity and horses aro i;lio, a rare opportunity is afforded for the permanent improVtimeiit of the land To those who are sceptical on the subject we tfay,' " Try an acre or two by way of experiment ttih year/ and let the public know the results." Tho farmer whd subsoils his land increases his capital — adds to his stocfe-in*tradc, as it were, for he can gradually bring up portions of the improved substratum to mix with the partially exhausted surface soil, ami with unquestionable advantage. Ths system of subsoiling has beon approved by the most intelligent farmers the world over. From the first the crops immediately following on the laud so cultivitel fa- m re ihxu repay the expenditure, and it i.i well known the market value of the property i« greatly enhanced.