IMPROVED PASTURES

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1779, 6 July 1926, Page 5

IMPROVED PASTURES

THE VALUE OF MANURING.

ADDRESS BY PROFESSOR RIDDET.

The meeting of farmers in the Te Awamutu district, convened by Mr C. M. Alexander, to hear an address on the advantages of manuring for improving pastures, was fairly Well attended at the Parish Hall on Monday Noteworthy was the large representation.; of senior boys from the local District High School. Mr .Alexander briefly introduced the speaker; who iS‘ professor of agriculture in the Auckland University College. • Professior Rid,det whs accorded a cordial welcome.(He referred to the stimulation of plant growth and fertility by means of fertiliser, both natural and artificial. He classified the essentials under six headings, namely, food supply, water supply, air supply, temperature, root space and removal of poisonous materials from the neighbourhood of plant life. Dealing first with water supply, the lecturer instanced! mangolds as a plant requiring plenty of water. If land was not properly drained the plants could not develop. Roots could not breathe, and therefore could not develop. Thi s referred particularly to root crops. By compressing the surface of land water roqe to the surface. By increasing the organic content of soil the waterholding capacity of soils was stimulated. A well-drained sub-soil was always a warm soil. Air must be provided for the roots equally as for leaves. Organic matter decaying under-ground was of great benefit to root stimulation. Roots must not be crapiped. A friable soil was always beneficial, to plants once the roots were established. Some soils had injurious materials in them, thus limiting growth. Some soils were too. dry for good, growth, and needed mulching by breaking up and fallowing or by top-dressing with suitable fertilisers.

Dealing more specifically with food supply, Professor Riddet mentioned the carbonic acid gas in the atmosphere, and told how plaints were equipped for dealing with this essential to life. From its roots a plant took in nitrogen and in conjunction with the -latter food) in three forms —lime, soda, and potassium. The plant took only what it needed, and in order. For instance, a turnip formed its bulb only after it bad, attained its full root and leaf growth. The bulb was really a storehouse for use in forming seed later on. But the bulb was nowadays used more for food. ■As with turnips, so also with grass; hut in a less pronounced form. Grass was a properly-balanced food for dairy cattle. The four real essentials to stimulate plant life were nitrates, phosphates, potash, and lime. Nitrates applied in their commercial form were not necessary for grass growth. Phosphates tended to stimulate root growth, and, in a lesser degree, leaf formation. They also hastened maturity, and thus were used for oats especially. Potash made a plant more robust and, lengthened its life. In general lime was contained in all soils, but at times it was in insufficient quantities for a specific purpose; hence the application of lextra lime. But flesh and milk both accounted for a goodly percentage of lime. Phosphates were never washed out of the soil, hut lime and nitrates were; lime more so than nitrates. Chemical analysis would show the contents of a crop, hut it would not show what manurial quality was lacking in the 'soil. Turnips must he manured well with phosphates 'to get good results, for phosphates were required because turnips were shallowrooting. In the case of wheat, a deeprooter, longer-lasting manure was necessary. Clayey soil required more phosphates than sandy soil. To obtain .success, fertilisers must be. applied to suit the special land, conditions or crops. Fertilisers suitable for turnips would not be best for grass. It was little use applying fertilisers to waterlogged land. The soil must first.be prepared), and the excess water removed Under certain conditions feitilisers would benefit crops despite excess of water. Proceeding, the speaker referred to experiments being carried out on a Northumberland farm that had been top-dressed for 25 years. Rush land, was too wet for good grass. The water should : be got rid of. Nitrates were cheaper if applied per medium of leguminous plants, such as peas, beans, clovers, lupins, etc.., than if purchased in bags. The legumes took nitrates from the air, and fixed the nitrogen in the plant. When that plant died the nitrogen was lett in the ground for a succeeding crop. By stimulating growth of clovers grass growth was also stimulated. Animal droppings caused rank growth, and should therefore be spread wherever possible, thus diffusing the manurial properties over a wider area. Nitrogenous manures were useful for only a short time. Usually where it was used, one season the pasture was impoverished the following season. Where nitrates were obtained through plant life this was not so. Top-dressed pasture was more relished by stock, and it had a higher feeding value. Superphosphate, basic slag, and iock phosphates were the three usual stimulants used. Of the three the one preferred was the water-soluble manure (superphosphate), for the 1 rams and natural moisture in the soil assisted it in its work of stimulation. The best time to apply superphosphate was when growth was just starting, bujt nothing was lost if it was applied at any time. Rock phosphate and basic slag were best applied earlier in the season, before growth commenced, because it was slower in its action. Not all soils were suited, by potash, either as kainit,. sulphate of potash, or as potash salts. These three, had different aihounts of potash. One-tinni of the weight of kainit was common salt, and had only 14 per cent of potash. Sulphate had no salt, though a much greater percentage of potash. Lime was very useful. Bones were practically 75 per cent, of lime. Milk also had a high content of lime. Thus grazing country needed lime. Liming did away with sourness of land, and it increased the feeding value. Where soil was rich in lime stock did better because the grasses liad a -greater content of lime.

■Phosphates were essential on all pastures, potash in lesser degree; while lime, was almost as much an essential as were phosphates. Professor Riddet resumed hig seat amid applause. QUESTIONS. To Mr G. >Hall, the lecturer said on average Waikato lands it would be wise to apply lime with superphosphates. Lime and rock phosphate or lime and basic slag did not unite well, except on sour land. 'Superphosphate had no lime; the other two had; hence his advice to apply at least 6. cwt per acre annually with superphosphate. Better to give frequent applications of lime than fewer and heavier dressings. The amount of lime washed out of the soil varied in different districts and classes of land. Light lands in general were often deficient in potash. Careful application and observation would guide farmers as to just what to do. In some places emphatic results were returned from potash-treated country, but the reverse was just as often the case. Blood and* bone application had a tendency to bring on the grasses. To Mr Wynyard: Basic super was a modified, superphosphate, but was not .so soluble and therefore not so good. Superphosphate gave a rather quick result, and did not make a soil more sour. On sour soils it would be better to apply lime. The properties of superphosphate would not be so available on sour soil. To Mr G. S. Clarke: Generally speaking, finelj-ground limestone.- was as good a s “burnt lime. On heavy soil burnt lime had a distinct advantage over others. A lot depended) on the fineness of grinding liiAestone. A ton of burnt lime was equivalent to 35 cwt of ground lime. If applied . in the autumn results should, be noticed the following spring. The weather conditions prevailing were of course, a factor. After using high-grade superphosphate and lime for two or three years there would, be no point in changing the basic slag or any other manure if good results were being obtained. Stick to what was giving the results aimed at. ■>, To another questioner:. For average Waikato land superphosphate and lime were preferred locally to basic slag and superphosphate, but it depended on the individual class of land under cultivation. To Mr Alexander: He was not prepared, to recommend the mixing of basic'slag and superphosphate for the one application, for it depended so much on the quality of the soil. Super was quicker to show results; the other would last longer. To Mr Cavanagh: If superphosphate and lime were mixed the mixture must be applied right away. I Mr Hall gave some of his experiences of top-dressing with different fertilisers. Lime tended to stimulate slower growth. On sour lands a farmer would get results with lime and basic slag. Price was a factor in deciding what was the most economical manure to use. . Mr A. J. Sinclair suggested that 'the professor should encourage the establishment of experimental plots in various districts. ■Professor Riddet said unfortunately the whole question of agriculture from a university viewpoint was .“ in the melting pot,” and therefore he could not say definitely what wou,ld be the outcome. ' ~ To Mr G. Spinley, who said cattle preferred to graze on land top-dressed with slag the professor said the amount of iron in slag was very small indeed. It might be that the cattle preferred the slower-growing grasses as more palatable. Slag promoted clover growth. • ■, „ To Mr Hall: In od,d cases sulphur was beneficial, but application of sulphur would tend to make the ground acid. 'Experiments were being tried with sulphur and rock phosphates. Kainit was the manure for mangolds If mangolds were properly manured they would not have any detrimental effect on stock. Mangolds should ne fed to stock minus the tops The tops, if ploughed in, were good manure. There being no more questions, the chairman proposed a very hearty vo e of thanks to Professor Riddet for -is informative and, interesting address the best lecturette that had been given to fanners here for a long time. (Applause.) ~ , „ Concluding, Mr Alexander said he would like to offer a prize of £1 Is to the school boy who wrote the best essay on what he had heard that day. He reminded the lads that many o them would become farmers, and he wanted them to realise the benefits of farming on the right lines. Oldei farmers did certaift things, and sometimes they were wrong; the younger ones should know the why and, wherefore; hence his offer of a prize. Professor Riddet had kindly offered to judge the essays. ' Mr Wynyard seconded the vote or thanks, and commended the action of those responsible: for the meeting upon their thoughtfulness in . inviting the ■school boys to be present. The vote was carried by acclamation. . , Mr G. 'S Clarke, as chairman of the school committee, thanked Mr Alexander for his offer of a prize for an fssay. _