POVERTY BAY SOILS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17058, 12 June 1926, Page 11

POVERTY BAY SOILS.

MOSTLY IN NEED Oh' LIME

IMPROVING THE PASTURES,

Government experts who have visited this district from time to time have reported that much of the soil was deficient in lime, anil on the flats as much as a ton to the acre has been recommended.

It is unfortunate that there is no means of obtaining cheap lime tor Poverty Hay, and this partly accounts for the lack of interest taken by the farmers in the matter. Southland, which is the home of top-dressing in the Dominion, consumed nearly 70,01.10 tons of lime last season, but there farmers are in tho fortunate position of being able to secure unnurnt lime for 12s tid per ton, while the burnt lime costs under lids a ton. These costs, whim contrasted with the high prices that have to be paid in this district, provide a good reason lor the lack of top-dressing in Poverty Bay. Despile the high price, however, it-is probable that in many instances it would pay farmers on tho flats to apply lime to their land, it is well known that in order to give the greatest returns,.'• superphosphate must be applied to soils, where lime is available,' aiid farmers who regularly make use of super will 11 ml that with the use of lime their returns will be considerably greater. EFFECTS OF LI AIK.

Lime furnishes a base for neutralising the acids in the soil, and thus assists in increasing production. Much of the land in this district contains plenty of acid, but tho lime is needed in order to release tho plant food, your soil is often .brought about ihrough the acids having neutralised the lime which was present, and further lime is needed to improve the soil and remove the excess acidity. In addition to neutralising the acid, however, the lime also performs another verv useful function bv promoting a greater decomposition m the soil, 'find making the raw materia a available as plant food. Heavy soils such as exist on the flats are generally well supplied with humus, and in such land lime is of the greatest assistance in hurrying along the decomposition of the soli. On light soil, where only a small quantity of humus is present, lime should bo used sparingl>. - RATES OF APPLICATION.

Burnt lime should be used only on heavv soils where tho humus content is Croat and whom tho soils tiro dark m Tolor. It is suitnldo for most of the land on tho flats, and gives quicker and better results than carbonate ot lime. On light lntols, however, the use of enrbonnto of lime is pr»--'arable as it is slower in its cltects and does not exhaust the soil. Burnt lime is much quicker in its results and for the first year or two its application would be followed by results that would be much more apparent It is impossible, of course, to lav'down a hard and fast rule as to the rate at which lime should be applied, as this naturally varies with the class of soil to which it s being applied. YYhere possible farmers should carry out a number of small experiments on their own farms to show what rate gives the best results. Exports attached to the Agricultural Department, however, have asserted that much of the land on the flats would benefit by an application of up to a ton of lime to the acre. This should last for a number of years, and if the practice were carried out only once every five years the pastures would benefit greatly. CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALS. THE 192(1 MEETING'. NOTES AND COMMENTS. (Special to tlie Herald). TE KUITI. The North Island sheep .dog trial championships held at To Kuiti last week were fully representative of the best dogs in the country, the entries comparing favorably with last year’s meeting at Gisborne. Hawke’s Bay ! was strongly represented, there being I no loss than sixteen dogfc from that ’ district competing at the trials. Only ! one competitor went through from this i district, and lie was not successful in gaining any of the prizes. The course for the long head did not lend itself to tho best of work, and the various runs were not up to the usual championship standard. The course was inclined to bo flat, and the fact that there was a small knob where the sheep were lifted meant that if the dog made a rash head, the sheep got away down a lidge, and were messed up. Even if the dog did not work on (lie left hand side of the sheep most of the time, they were inclined lo get awav down the ridge, Ihe ilogs, of course, all had the same opportunities of displaying (heir skill, but it meant that Ihe liner work was missing, panelling' being necessary in places. In the short head n number of the obstacles were still apparent, but they did not interfere with tho work to the same extent and as the competitor was nearer his dog and the sheep lie was able to take better control. the work seen there was more up lo the championship mark, ilie winners especially giving excellent displays.. The Work in the hunt ft way section was oven better, and many of the dogs from th<’ Hawke’s Bay district pul up meritorious performances. The course was fairly difficult, but allowed the dogs to show their paces, and there were a good many that did not complete the course. Mr. N. Stanilnnd's Star, which won the long head, got a total of 45 J points out of ft possible of 50 points. this dog, which also won the heading event at last year’s championships, is apparently' always to be relied upon. Hi*'points were awarded as follows: Head 15.1; pull 15; hold in ring -I; command 11. Commenting on the performance, the judge said that the dog headed on a good line, and quietly in 1-57. Completed ill good style and fair time, 8-40. The second placed dog also came from Hawke’s Bay, being Mr. YV. dowsoy’s Laddie, which obtained 45 points, His head was oven better than that of the winning dog, but he lost in the ring work. His points wore: Head, 17; pull, L>; hnbl in ring. 2: command, M.

Enthusiasts in the Poverty ®n> district who witnessed the Wairon Collie Chib’s trials and saw the work of Miss Long, will bo interested to boar that she was successful in gaining a fourth place in the championship hunt away event, her dog Sandy, gaining 30 points out of a possible ol 40 Reference to her sterling work was made at one of the functions during the week, when ' a Fmlmg official of the Association stated that her 'performance would equal anything he had seen in New Zealand.