THE FARM

Waikato Times, Volume 87, Issue 13269, 26 August 1916, Page 8

THE FARM

Aor.;:u;.TURAL events for week LKEiNG SEPTEMBER 2. vc\i, ,V. \i lU'fT 28. .. '.. - •ie ■ ' Cambridge. , '!" :'-h .V, Ai'i.l FT 29. '. .:■ ai Mr F. .1. •aie's, '.., , ,::.-it.\Y, \r«i . u t •'!•• ,■ - i ■ ai Te Ktiili. -. :■■ al Katikati. i," ,d Mntaiiiala. siiv ..! Hamilton. - ~; :ir 11. !-. Murray's, - ■■: ip>|i W, M i.l *-T ::t, ! !, :• |. , I i: i.ullon. ! Te Anja. ;-,■ HAY. r-f.P'l liMRF'.r: I. Sinclv -.,:■ ; ! Ngaruawuiiia. - ~"'. .-..:<: al Oparau. !. .• 1.,,; ii.;:ducted any experinaenL<. \w ,'s I een under lhe inapres ■ . ~'i ii, 1! h;iMM'tii' was onl\ suited lo w ~ • ',•■». Il • ss does il thrive - \:j;- frt-sl* are occasionally ,•. • ,|. ,n I whal is Ihe experience 1, 1 .., 1 :• ?.•••: soils wild luuerne ? ,11 ■' ■ -.i.w. briiitdi-jMi with jewl • in- 1:..il ioii.'l'iie Itiri'.es iw uauy ■ - ... ,!:,da uud Ihe L'nited Slates \ ■• 1 v. her- it,* winters are very ■■•.-■■ <\rf : nel fea'r Ihe average \ ■., lan ; i'i us!. I! would be übso- ■"! ■ \. - .■ n," i ,;;ie and metie> It S»\\ ~ 1 . :i v aiei- legged sail. If the . , ' ii 1 prefer sewing il hresd--1 • .in n.iier wa\. if hroadeasted, w " is to s*\v after 1 inna■l : :it-. lame and inoculating !,».•. ' s be applied. •C. .-;..• or," Kihik'hi.—'l here are seme - ,>:' .; ■:■.' pasture en a property ...-.' 1 '. ■:! o\ec in this locality. . >ii is io subdivide mle smaller , n.-' would iika te have your 1 1.. '.. 1 1 what w r-uld be judieieua ' r of each separate area. re ror.s!.'ißllj. on hand hew . . 1! n»cossary to spell a pad- ... . i i iiie best advantage? i'.. 1 sup rest dividing the M aerea :■.'•, 1 •: i.a.ido.-ks, and if possible make ;.; , . and narrow, so that further •,. (.:■ r\ i wbuivision, if necessary, wi • • ■ 'a:,y. In the matter ef " the paddocks, you must be ■ '■; I'i ■ wealher and genera! , iv :■'.;;:.c.'-s. The sleek should be i. i..'.l i.s soon as each paddock, in 1 1 .. ~ is we'd eaten down, anil re- .': .s soon aff there, is a full hit**

f.-~ AfvUJRES AND MANURING. * IXSTIU'CTIVS PAPim. 11if fallowing- paper "Manures , :'il Manuring" was reaently delivered h> W. Harris befere tbe Te Kuiti !• i";(i:\ ,i of ilie New Zealand Farmers' iniuii:— t ■; Irs may Ik- considered as an 11 consideration of this 1m- ! »•so that fanners may 11: v- a idea of the subject as it 11>ih'i'iv.s iliLin in evory-day life on the l i;i th-i soil, naturally, there is a \ r. I a rue r mount of plant feed, and yet vet-y often the crap frewn it very, unsatisfactory, because that plant faad is so ir.aoluble that the -r»ats ef the ].<lants cunnwt render soluble a sufficient ijii. nitty for their needa? The juiaea at root ends are like the dijaative syatrin in I lie animal kinfdam, being abaut «'(Hu»I to 2 per cent, ef eilrie aaid, but nature wisely previdad tliat the plant food shall net be aaaily and NiM-edily exhausted, and aa we find *tlt«t a small quantity af suitable manure a marked effect. As Aieken remarks, all plant food must first be

rendered soluble by some means be- j fare it. is available for the building up j »f the plant. The amount of such soluble plant food in the soil naturally i is very small, but, varies considerably ]i» different ooils. How to render more ; available and how te assist what is ! svailahie is the problem before every i farmer. Wt take the question: What j makes mora available? The despised i earth-worm is credited with beneficial i work, as the soil used by the worm is mere suited for plant food, and so the ; worm casts on the paddocks are a derided benefit. The exposure of the >■: il lo the wind, sun. rain, anil frost j wr know !o make a great difference. j The stirring of the soil frequently was | thought by Jethro Tull, the pioneer of modern agriculture, to be all that was I required, because sui>h great benefit w.".s manifest, as it greatly stimulated the iremirg iiaeteria in making the soil available. Drainage also gives the bsclei'is a belter chance and brings a greater- depth of soil with its plant food within Lhe reuch of the various crops. Mow io assist such means by direct Pp.j lieslion of plan.! food by manuring Is of comparatively modern knowledge and practice, although as far back as lhe lime nf Ihe old Romans Stercutius saw thai where animal manure was applied an advantage equal to hoeing was obtained, and also lhe benefit of green manuring. Writers on this subject divide manners into two classes—,l; What directly contributes plant food: [i) what favourably influences the soil lo give up oi' its treasures. Farmyard manure .■\ci> in both ways, but with us we caunol count that ss a general practical factor. Lime also in a more limited way etits in boll; capacities. If a good <]U'dity of lime is readily available at s reasonable price there is liUle doubt h:ii that il would pay as well to make * liberal use ef it on ttie land. The Agricultural Gazette frequently refers In trie advantage ef a liberal use of ,n*. not so much as a manure, as most plants can use but a small quantity—mid thai quantity required may be found in the phosphatic manures we use—-as in the way it affects the soil in encouraging good bacteria, and as we say, "sweetens the soil" It also is of great benefit, in the ease especially of turnips and potatoes, in combating ! light and other diseases. The Agri-

eultaral Gazette recommends 4-ton per aere te land intended for swedes. Burnt lime in large quantities may impoverish the soil, and is condemned except in special conditions of the land; but ground limestone will not unduly foroe the hand of nature or injure favourable bacteria; but it should be very finely ground—the finer the better.

Nitrogen, Expensive Manure.

Nitrogen is ene ef eur most expensive manures, and while it is undoubtedly ef great value in colder climates, •specially where the land is chiefly used for growing- wheat and other general props, it does not appear that it s necessary in semi-tropical countries, •.specially where cropping is not/the main farming operation. This differ»;iee was observed first in South Africa, tad appears to be applicable to our Dominion, especially the North Island. N'et but that the nitrogen is required here as elsewhere. We find there are sufficient healthy leaves, . indicating 1 sufficient nitrogen produced—the nitrogen in the soil, supported by the nitrogen in the air and rain and what is developed in the soil from the legunimous family of plants. Pasture land naturally .accumulates nitrogen for a number of years. I think I was the first le top-dress a grass paddock in the Waikato with artificial manure, but I then made the mistake of using blood *nd bone, the nitrogen being the most expensive part, and that not being required. In England grass paddocks are said to accumulate nitrogen up to 30 or 4S years, bat after that there is bo increase (Aieken). Potash is also c necessary element in plant food, but ia the heavier soils it is usually well represented, and even the lighter soils, if well supplied with phosphate of lime, seem to give very godd results. Probably in a generation or ltw©< it

will be found necessary to provide more potash to the lighter class of land especially. The Potash Supply. As far as New Zealand is concerned, it does not seem likely that the stoppage of the supply of potash manures from Germany is likely to make much

difference to our farming operations. We do not want the Germans or their potash and phosphatic manures. The weakness of New Zealand's soils is in the available phosphates, and at present, and for years to come, the chief concern of the farmer—especially the dairy farmer—should be to Increase the supply of this important plant food element. As the common phrase goes, "the strength of a chain is its weakest link," so the land, however well supplied willi nitrogen and potash, will not yield abundantly if deficient in phosphate. Farmers have realised this, and are confining their attention almost entirely to phosphates. It, therefore, becomes an important question to know what practical value the varioiis phosphatic manures have and how they compare with each other. A fenerr, (ion ago the idea with farmers was to have a lasting manure, and bone as coarse a? half-inch was in favour. Twenty years ago, for laying down pastures, green bonedust was favoured, especially between Auckland and the Waikato. At present it looks as if the opposite is too much in evidence, farmers often sacrificing value to quick returns and giving too much attention to superphosphate and, before the war, to basic slag, because an immediate benefit to the pastures was evident, without considering how much phosphoric acid was really supplied to the land. Unless a fair amount ef lime is also applied, or the land is net inclined to acidity, the free use of superphosphate may really do more harm than good", and so basie super has been introduced, which means that about 15 per cent, of lime has been added to the superphosphate to neutralise the acidity. Basic slag, being largely composed of free lime, produces a decided and quick benefit, but the price paid for the lime in the manure is very hifh. The Use of Guano.

There is twice as much manure in phosphoric acid in a high-grade guano as in basic slag, but it is not so quick in action. High-grade guano, such as Makatea, Ocean or Christmas Island, contains at least 50 per cent, more phosphates than bonedust which, In my 1 opinion, is a much over-rated manure. Before the war the highgrade guanos and bone ehar were splendid value manures at the prices Ihen charged, but farmers at last came to realise their merits, with the result that the prices were greatly incre%fl£d. guanos, like Surprise Island, take as mueh handling, freight, etc., as the higher-grade ones, which are worth more than twice as much. Guano should be ground as floe as possible to give the best results in a reasonable time. The mixture I hava used for some years has been two-parts high-grade guano or bone ohar to one of super, and in top-dressing pastures adding an equal quantity of lime. A more generous use of lime would have been of much benefit, but cartage to me was a consideration. If I were continuing farming and the Te Pahu lime supply is satisfactory, I should feel inclined to use lime much more freely, as I "feel sure it would pay me well to do so.

An Unsatisfactory Monopoly. In conclusion, I would point out that at present the manure business appears to be an unsatisfactory monopoly. As the Pacific Islands contain a praetieally unlimited supply of guano, steps should i be taken, either by the Government or j co-operation, to* bring about a more [ satisfactory state of affairs. The Government should also insist on manure vendors describing their manures in a j more simple and uniform manner by giving the real percentage of the pure nitrogen, potash, phosphoric aeid, or lime in the manure, apart from the comparatively valueless sulphur in the | case of nitrogen; salt or sulphur in tlife case of potash, or lime where phosphoric acid is concerned. The price per unit could then easily be reckoned. The free use of suitable manures tend not only to increase the quantity if vegetation, but also the quality, sad prevents the best grasses and elovers from dying out so' soon. It shortens the winter inactivity ®f the soil, the

spring growth starting earlier. Farmers should experiment more, on a small scale it may be, but should not be too hasty in forming their conclusions. Reading the results of experimental stations under trained practical scientists is also desirable. VALUE OF PASTEURISATION.

IMPROVES BUTTER "OUT OF SIGHT." The prizes offered for papers on pasteurisation in connection with the N.S.W. Co-operative Dairy Factory Managers and Secretaries' Association, at their annual conference in Sydney recently were won by G. Searl (Dungog), i: and H. Noble (Upper Wallamba), ?. In the course of his paper, Mr Searl said that those engaged in the industry were in the "gosling" stage with regard to pasteurisation of cream under the conditions existing in New South Wales —home separating, irregular deliveries and long distance carting, etc. A certain amount of knowledge had been acquired by experiments, he said, but these had not covered sufficiently diversified conditions to be scientifically aocurate, and we did not know all there was to learn. His own experience of neutralising and pasteurising erearn to improve the quality of the butter, extended over about three months, and was that no matter what the scientific action was the process improved the butter right out of knowledge. He considered that those, that had not installed a plant should do so right away. In that limited time, he had come to the conclusion, however, that pasteurising would not make good butter out of bad cream. A eream. that had a high aeidity, but with no dirty flavour, or a thin tweet cream that in ordinary conditions would be styled dangerous, or a cream with a clover, lucerne, or herbage taint (bar carrot weed), and otherwise elean, would make a highclass butter when pasteurised and a starter used. Again the improvement in the butter was not marked in its fresh state, so much as at four t« six days old. The pasteurised butter showed up a full flavour about the time that the ordinary butter was going off.