FARMING EXPERIMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, 26 February 1931, Page 15

FARMING EXPERIMENTS

BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL TRIALS -—■ — [ TOP-DRESSING AND MANURING , PASTURE, MAIZE AND LUCERNE ■Under the supervision of Mr. J. W. Connell, agricultural instructor, various experiments of value to farmers were conducted on the plots at the New Plymouth Boys’ High School last year. Reports on the results of three of these are given 'below; — The pasture top-dressing trial was started in 1925 to find the effect of different combinations of manures and lime on inferior pasture. Half the plots received a dressing of ground limestone at the rate of lOcwt per acre in 1925. iSince then no further lime has been applied. Seven phosphatic manures (slag, super-phosphate, Nauru phosphate, basic super, bone meal, ephoe arid guano) are applied annually at the rate of 4cwt per acre. In addition, half the plots receive an annual dressing of potash salts, at the rate of 2cwt per acre. The results of the sixth year of the trial appearing below show the yield in tons per acre of green material cut after a little over two months’ growth at the eml of last year. During the rest of the year the plots were grazed with cows.

With reference to the phosphatic manures, bone meal gave a slightly better yield, than superphosphate and basic slag. The plots that received phosphates showed an increase over those that did not receive phosphates. Thus, the four plots that did not receive a phosphate dressing gave an average yield of 10 tons per acre of green fodder, the four that received bone meal, 13 tons 15cwt; the superphosphate plots, 13 tons Bcwt; basic elag plots, 13 tons 7cwt; basic super plots, 13 tons IJcwt; Nauru phosphate plots, 11 tons 16cwt; guano plots, 11 tons 7j cwt; and Ephos plots, 11 tons 7cwt. The 16 plots on which a dressing of 30 per cent, potash salts was placed gave an average yield of 12 tons 17 cwt, while the 16 that did not receive potash gave an average yield of 11 tons IScwt Thus the addition of the potash gave an average increase of 1 ton 4cwt per acre. As in previous years, the 16 plots that received a dressing of ground limestone in. 1925, did not give an appreciably increased yield over those that did not receive limestone. There was, in fact, a very slight increase—42lb of green fodder per acre —'but this is. so slight as to be negligible and well within the bounds of experimental error. To sum up, the following points may be made in connection with the results of the trial for 1930: — I.—'Phosphatic dressings in all cases gave an increased yield, the increase ranging from 1 ton 13cwt per acre to 5 tons per acre. 2— A combination of phosphates and potash salts is advisable. The eight leading plots had a dressing of potaeh salts. . 3— The we of lime alone is disastrous. The plot that received a dressing of limestone and no phosphates or pot* ash, actually gave an inferior yield to the plot that received no _ manorial treatment at all over a period of six years. It is a case. of the old saying “the use of lime without manure keeps both farm and farmer poor,” which apparently has a good deal of truth behind it. Lime undoubtedly does much good in liberating otherwise unavailable plant food in the soil, but its use alone tends to render the soil deficient in plant food. 4 — Basic slag and potash, which over a period of five years gave the greatest average yield, are again well to. the fore, being placed third; with a difference of only 12cwt per acre from the winning plot. MANORIAL TRIAL WITH MATZE. The seed was sown during the first week in December, 1930, and the plots received manure at the rate of 2cwt per acre and consisting of equal parts of superphosphate and blood and bone. When the maize was through the ground it was divided into three and treated as follows:—The first part received a dressing of potash salts at the rate of 2cwt per acre. The second part received a dressing of potash salts at . the rate of 2cwt per acre and, in addition, 2cwt per acre of meat meal. The third part received no further manures. On February 18, 1931, the height of the maize in each part was measured and weighings made of the respective yields. The results were: — Part 1—47 tons lOcwt of green maize per acre; height sft. Part 2.-63 tons 14cwt of green maize to the acre; height 6ft. Part 3.—40 tons I4cwt of green maize to the acre; height 3ft 9in.

MANORIAL TRIAL WITH LUCERNE.

On March 14, 1930, one part of the lucerne received a dressing of 30 per cent, potash salts at the rate of 2cwt per acre. On August 7, 1930, all the lucerne area received burnt lime at the rate of 2cwt per acre; blood and bone at the rate of 2cwt per acre; superphosphate at the rate of 2cwt per acre. For a period of nine months, measurements were taken of the monthly growth of lucerne on both parts. Once a month the lucerne was cut bare to the ground. The result was: — No potash. —March 26in, April Ilin, May'7Jin, June oin, July 4Jin, August 6in, September UJin, October 94in, November 12in.

Potash. —March 30in, April loin, May Sin, June 7in, July 6in, August Sin, September 12in, October 13in, November loin. On Febaruary 10. 1931, after a period ■of two months, both parts were cut and the green material weighed. The result was:—

No potash portion.—l2 tons 2cwt per acre. 1 „ r Potash portion.—ls tons 2cwt per It will thus be seen that the addition of the potash increased both the height and the yield of the lucerne.

Plot Manures Used. Tons cwt 1—'Bone, potash, limo »>..■<« 14 18 2—Bone and potash ..• • • • 14 10 3 —B. Slag and potash 14 6 4—Superphosphate, lime and. 14 4 4—B. slag, lime and potash 14 4 0 —Superphosphate and potash 14 0 7 —Basic super, lime and pot13 15 & —Basic super and potash . 13 14 9—Superphosphate and lime « 13 .2 10—Bone and lime 14 12 12 12r—Basic super and lime 12 10 12 —Basic slag and lime 12 10 1-2 8 1'5—Basic superphosphate gr«.i 12 7 12 6 17 —Nauru phos., lime and 12 2 18 —Nauru phosphate and pot12 1 19 —Ephos, lime and potash 11 IB 20 —Nauru phosphate and lima 11 12 20—■Guano, lime and potash II 12 20—Ephos and potash ........ 11 12 23 —'Nauru phosphate ...» 11 10 23 —Guano and potash n 10 ii 4 2&—Guano and lime .......... 11 3 11 2 11 1 10 16 10 14 31 No mamin* « » 18 8 12