ON THE LAND.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 46, Issue 141002, 21 April 1920, Page 3

ON THE LAND.

(By “ Agricola. ”)

Artificial Manures. Great disappointment is sometimes experienced in the use of artificial fertilisers. It is understood that very large increases can be obtained by the uso°(the judicious use) of artificial manures, but often it is found that the results do not justify the expense and the trouble. Much has been achieved by the aid of commercial fertilisers, ainl a great deal more will be done when every °farmer thoroughly understands when, where, and how to use them. One of the really important things to recognise is that commercial fertilisers aro totally different to farmyard manure, that whilst, the first can be used with better effect on good soil than ou bad, farmyard manure can be used with equal effect on good and bad land, the reason of this is that farmyard manure is full of humus and living organisms, and the commercial manure is not. The one, m fact, is alive, and the other is dead. tfo scientific fact has been more firmly established by modern agricultural research than the absolute need for bacterial action in all • processes that govern the fertility of soils and the growth of It has been found again and again Ihat in ' eiy poor soils these wonderful living organisms are comparatively few, whilst in very rich soil they teem in fact the fertility of the soil is practically, in proportion to their number and activity. In a word, there are living' soils, and there are dead ones. This is one of the principal reasons why the commercial fertiliser fails, to respond as anticipated. It cannot impart to that poor soil what if needs—life! All it can supply is plant food m some shaps of form, and that is not; enough. The living organisms must be present also, manuring any particular crop, very much like a fire that has been laid already—nothing is wanted but the match to start everything goiTl2- •„ *. . .

Hereford on Top. Writing of the Hereford section at the Chicago International, an American paper says: — . Give honour where honour is due. Hats off to the Herefords in Chicago m 1919. The 20th anniversary ot this great show will ever be a red-lcftei one for the white faces; , not only in the fat stock.section, but m the bleed ing section, excellent. The position o* Junior Lad, calved Bth January, 1919, was undeniable; an 11-months-old calf weighing 1,0261 b, was as nearly a fault less specimen of a beast as one s es a generation. Its strongest opponent was' U. C. 3rd Jock, calved 9th September, 1917, on excellent representative of an Aberdeen Angus shown by the University of California, weighing 1 4201 b; good as it was, and indeed it Z; good, it was handicapped; early maturity carried the day; with an advantage' of 434 days m age, the Doddie weighed 3801 b heavier. It will be many a dav before we sec the like of Junior Lad;" although said to be a grade ioi type of the breed, sweetness and quab ity he -excelled his many pure Hereford competitors. It is a phenomenon its crain from birth to date shows just, over 31b per day; it made one pause to think. The judge paused, and afte wards inquired; its fecdci and - > Joe Edwards, stated the. call: put on 3201 bin SS days of April, May and June, about 3 5-Slb per days I made at auction on the following day 10/U pc, ib, at present rate -of change over £7OO. 4 „ Beef Production Maxims. , First: Plenty of nasture and feed. Second- Cows that will produce good calves regularly. Tbir.lt A good purebred bull that will sire good caiies persistently. Fourth; A largo ca t crop, This means that all sows sha To , calves, and' that all calves shall be properly eared for at birth. PHth. Proper care of the breeding herd and the calves. Sixth: Selection of good heifer calves to replace old or inienoi cows. Seventh: Prevention of disease among the breeding herd and the o-ei- stock. Eighth: Shelter sufficient to protect the cattle from both severely cold and extremely hot weather Ninth. A practical knowledge of fattening cattte for market. Teuth, Market.ugto advantage. * Mr ' *

Topdressing and Pastures. Something like, a permanent pasture exists at the famous Bothamstcd Ex periment Station, m England. The fie has been in grass for more than two 3 a half centuries. The me hods whereby this decidedly permanent pasture has been given such lon SGvHy arc instinctive. It has been top-diessed with fertilisers annually for the last ?0 rears. At the beginning of this period it was producing about U oi hay per acre. Where fertilisers have been used the average yield per acie fo 50 years has been, m once ease, 2.7 tons, in another 3.3 tons, and in a third case 4.1 tons— depending upon the amount of top-dressing applied. This rs really wonderful result, and should make faiarc harvesting their grass paddocks year after year and pay m no attention to the upkeep of plant iW in the soil— "mining instead of farming that, possibly they are not using to the fxn.rst the opportunities "iveu them. It is pbsavtlp, by topdressing alone (says Professor o. H Bell in referring to this pastuie) to bring back the run-down pasture at very little cost.