SELECT THE CROP TO FIT THE SOIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 10

SELECT THE CROP TO FIT THE SOIL.

There aro at least two important factors which should be kept in mind when preparing soils for crops—viz., the character of the soil and the nature "of the crop. The kind of crop to sow will, of course, depend largely on the requirements of the farm in the way of stock feed, but the nature of the soil, whether sandy or a heavy clay loam, together with its depth —that is, to the subsoil —should to a considerable degree determine the nature of the crops. According to the rock formation over which the soil lies, and from which the soil has doubtless been formed, sowill its chemical composition vary. One soil may be full of organicmatter, and require draining and... liming and sweetening before successful growth is secured; while another may be but moderately supplied with vegetable matter, and be sweet and easy to work under ordinary conditions. Soils will thus differ widely in their physical texture, in their natural available root area, and in the'ir actual composition. It is evident that these matters must be considered when it comes to deciding what to sow, when to sow, and how best to prepare a seed bed. Ad with soils, so do we find farm crops varying in their character and requirements. Yet, with all the numerous plants belonging to the different natural order of plants, five, or perhaps six, botanical orders contain the crops usually grown in the farm. We have the grasses with their close connections, the cereals; the potato and its connections, the tomato, tobacco plants, etc. ; the turnip and its connections, the cabbage, rape, etc.; the legumes, comprising such crops as beans, peas, clovers ; carrots and parsnips; and, finally, the mangel, a plant by itself. Thus the Graminea?, Solonacea, Cruciferse, Leguminosa?, Umbelliferas, and Chenopodiacea, and perhaps we should include the Linacea order (flax, linseed) —in all, seven families —comprise most of the crops cultivated on the farm. Plants which are allied to each other usually require the same_ kind of food. They are often liable to attack from the same kind of insects, and to fall a prey to the same kinds of fungoid and other parasitic pests. Hence the use to the grower of learning the relationship of plants. Although plants of the same botanical order may have similar likes and dislikes, yet they have, too, their characteristic preferences as well. Grasses differ naturally very widely in their manner of growth; for instance, in their root habits, one being shallow-rooted and another favouring a strong, heavy clay soil, and well able to send, its root deep down into the soil. So, too, it is with the cereals; and we find the roots of wheat and oats penetrating deeper into the soil than, say, barley, which spreads out its roots more or less" horizontally in comparison. Some crops delight in rain and moisture, while others of the same family prefer sunshine and heat ; some require their seed beds to be firm and compact, others loose and open; some prefer phosphates to potash, or vice versa, while others relish a complete manure containing nitrogen. Experience has shown that by growing different kinds of crops in a particular rotation, reliable results may be looked for. In this way recognised systems of cropping have arisen which have proved that a proper rotation results in crops of greater vigour. > This is a saving in manure, and it permits of an economical distribution of labour on the farm. So it becomes a matter, when all is said, of selecting the crops to fit the soil, and humouring the plant from its very start. A study of the growth and development of tlfe roots of plants is of practical interest, and throws light upon some of the difficult problems of crop production ; and leads to better farming. The providing of a suitable seed bed. for the crop, and avoidance of growing too frequently the same kind of crop on the land, together with the application of a manure "containing the dominant ingredient demanded by the crop, should go a long way towards ensuring something worth while in an ordinary season