ON THE LAND

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 36, 14 April 1930, Page 2

ON THE LAND

farm a*?d oardhn. | m STRATFORD AND DISTRICT, | I

BY “ARARE.” v-.

in the last two articles I endeavoured to give some idea of the teeming millions of bacteria and fungi that are at work in the soil either preparing or destroying the plant food present and in particular thosq containing nitrogen. In general, plants require about 10 elements to produce normal plant growth and of these by far the greater number are obtained from the soil. Of all these elements, it is extremely rare to lind a deficiency of any except nitrogen potassium and phosphorus and on this knowledge has been built up all the ideas that nov? govern the use of artificial fertilisers. The three families of fertilisers are (1) phosphates, (2) potash, (3) nitrogenous, * Of the phosphates, superphosphate alone is readily soluble in water, then comes basic super phosphate and the rest are sparingly soluble in soil water. With potash manures, all these are soluble in water and so give a quick reaction. With nitrogenous manures, nitrate of soda and l sulphate of ammonia are quickly soluble in water, but sulphate of amimonia is not absorbed by plants in that form and must be converted into nitrates by soil bacteria. The organic nitrogenous manures, such as blood, are insoluble in the soil water and are made available by tlio action of soil bacteria.

Now there is a mistaken notion abroad that superphosphate and potash being soluble must not be nsed as top-dressing until the spring while the phosphates of lower solubility sould he npp'ied in early winter. The latter portion of !h»? statement is correct as she winter rains are necessary to make the phosphates available and! • unless this is done there is little, chance of tho maximum result being obtained from tho manure so applied. Superphosphate land potash tnay be applied in early winter for- it has been established beyond doubt, that prosphate-s and potash s«‘ not- 1* in-h----f/X or washed out of the soil, lu A real poinjj >at) issue is that supernhospha i * may bo applied as In to ‘« c spring for top-dr.wdiinr with good results, v.herons with the others the earlier application is necessary to produce results. With nitrogenous manures, the position is different, for iiitratos arc, quickly washed out of the soil, 'this means that nitrates applied now in quality will be washed out of tlie soil readily by the rains of winter.

With sulphate of ammonia, the leaching is not so marked, but it must ho remembered that this manure is changed into nitrates and so fife leaching 'will proceed. Against this it must be remembered! that during the cold weather there is little chance of any more being made available than is required by the plants.

The use of nitrates of soda as a top-dressing manure is yet to my way of thinking very much a matter of debate. I have seen, paddocks where portions have been top-dress-ed with nitrates and phosphates and the other with phosphates only. It have heard fanners and! even Departmental Instructors dilating on the extra bulk of feed on the nitrate* top-dressed portion—this is undoubtedly true and the reason by personal observations, is that the cattle will not oat the portion top-dressed with nitrate nearly so readily as the other and so there always appears a greater growth. Thus I am convinced that in many cases false conclusions and deductions have been drawn from the so-called experiments—farmers must realise that Hulk is of greatest value only when it possesses, palatability and quality.

garden. Most of the work now is of a routine nature. Clean out all crops of vegetables when finished and sow the bare patches with oats or tares to hold the weeds in control and to increase the humus content of the soil. Bank up leeks well. After this rain there is likely to be good strong growth. Harvest marrows and pumpkins and’ stoie in a- dry well-centdated place after having first dried thorn thoroughly in the sun for a few days. Shrubs that it is intended to, move M.s year should be wrenched now—- ■ is wil] make the transplanting simpler and safer. •t is a good time now to lake cuttings of many shrubs, particularly hydrangeas. 'I hese arc among the mo-.; shnihs that grow in the garden mud the great variety of Hem now on. the market make thorn among the best. The red and pink Kaffir lilies are now making a fine show—keep the Towers fairly well picked and the plants manured and they will bloom for quite a, while. The red one will grow very* well in the grass and so is weR suited foj- planting in the grass p!ef where ■surplus narcissi bulbs may have Been put.