AUTUMN PLOUGHING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 8 March 1921, Page 8

AUTUMN PLOUGHING.

Despite all that has been said and written about early ploughing, there would seem reason to believe that even yet its advantages are not generally recognised. Almost invariably one hears of a heavyyielding cereal or turnip crop, which, on inquiry as to the treatment meted out to that particular paddock, we find that either the land was fallowed or failed to grow a fair crop the previous year or that it was worked up in the autumn to like wintry conditions. What chance, for prevailing during winter. The hanging up of stubble-ploughing until the spring should be 'tabooed” as much as possible, and certainly in the Otago and Southland provinces, where we do enjoy something [ike wintry conditions. Whatc hance, for instance, 'has an oat crop of benefiting from a lea paddock ploughed up late in the spring? If the most is to be made of stubble or lea land it should be turned over as early in the autumn as possible, all lea land being laid up to the weather by, say, the month of June. Where a fair rainfall is experienced it is well nigh impossible to make a good job on any but the lightest of soils, and time, and again a moist spring will throw all the work behindhand. If advantage is taken of the long autumnal days, the sowing of cereals and roots in the spring is comparatively an easy matter. In order to obtain a successful root crop experience has taught that, on other than virgin soils, it is essential that the land should be thoroughly cleaned and worked ; otherwise the proper development of the young seedlings is hindered, while anxiety in Tespect to the germination of the seed, failing a good tilth, will constrain an abnormal and wasteful seeding. To obtain those soii conditions most favourable to the germina tion and growth of small seeds we have no implements comparable to rains, frosts, and svn when working their own sweet will on the early-ploughed corn stubble. The result in the spring time is a shat tered plough furrow pulverised by the air and frosts. Again, by early ploughing we have a better distribution of labour. Land ploughed early is infinitely easier to work and imposes a less strain on men and horses than when ploughed when sticky, damp, and wet. The mere fact of arranging that the stubbles are ploughed in good time cuts the team work in half at springtime, besides securing -a seed-bed which is a practical guarantee that expensive seeds and fertilisers will not he wasted. The farmer- who is well on with his ploughing can readily undertake the rush of worx pending in the month of August, and can get his seeds sown in good time, while in a backward spring he can wait with ] equanimity until the land has time to dry I before commencing operations. How often j do we see the teams endeavour to plough, j grub, harrow, etc., as the case may be, j in the spring of the year, and fail utterly i to produce a seed-bed worthy of the name, and a'l for want of push at this present season? Once the sheep have cleared up the stubbles the plough should get to work. In respect to the ploughing of lea ground, we find it not infrequently urged that this is delayed owing to the winter feeding it affords. There is not much in this contention, as very little growth takes place after March, and if the paddock ,s closely grazed in autumn nothing is gained by leaving it unploughed subsequently. On the other hand, if it is then broken up the vegetable matter in the soil will soon decompose and he converted into available plant food bv the time the cereal crop is sown, thus effecting no email economy in the use of manure. It is fully recognised that smaller quantities of manure are required for crops on properlytilled land than would be the case where cultivation is hurried and insufficient. Furthermore, the adoption of autumn cultivation reduces the prevalence of insect pests—wtreworms and the like, —as early ploughing destrovs their nests and removes much of the vegetable material on which these pests feed during the winter. The soil being in good condition at sowing time, the crops make quick and vigorous growth, and the plants soon get Devon d the stage at which they are most readily iniured. Detentive land should not, be left with n fiat surface to meet the winter rains, hut should be ploughed so that, it, will not run together on the top. or there may lie difficulty in securing a tilth in the spring. There is a large breadth of swedes and turnips sown in the North <;f England, where the land is not again ton-lied l>v the plough, after the good stubble which has been turned over in autumn or early winter. The land is allowed to become thoroughly drv. and is then broken up bv grubbers and harrows to the depth of the winter furrow. Thus the friable soil, which has been exposed to the action of frost, is kept at the surface to braird the turn ins fi.e.. to promote the growth of the seedling plants), whilst the moisture is likewise retained in a dry season.