WHAT THE SOIL NEEDS.

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18247, 7 February 1931, Page 22 (Supplement)

WHAT THE SOIL NEEDS.

KEEPING UP FERTILITY. minerals necessary to stock. (By K.P.) One of the most popular means of supplying mineral elements to the soil is toy top-dressing. This has become the greatest of all operations on the farm, and rightly so. Unfortunately few farmers really understand what they are doing when applying topdressing manures, with the result that the job is not always well done. •' A smart 'salesman can come along, tell a good tale and book up your order for his-particular product withl>ut leaving you much the wiser. It is not phosphates and potash or nitrogen that you have bought; it is something about which a good tale can toe told and which sells at an attractive price. Correct top-dressing is a wonderful thing that will have no difficulty in carrying one right along, but incorreef top-dressing—that is a top-dress-ing that leaves nut any essential ingredient —may possibly work barm. Lima the Foundation. Lime is the foundation 'stone of successful agriculture and its presence In the soil is to toe desired for several reasons. First because it is an essential element in the manufacture of bones In the animal frame, next it forms a considerable portion of the milk of dairy cows and ewes. As a base for water soluble phosphates it is'of utmost importance, and then, of course, lime opens up the soil to admit light and air and so make for better bacterial activity.

Phosphates are next in importance as they supply the raw material for quite a substantial portion of the animal system and the products of animals* Mr P. N. Cutting says: “Life as we know it, without phosphates would be impossible. About one half of every bone in one’s body is phosphate. Phosphate circulates in the blood and supplies the muscles, nerves and brain with vital energy. All the products of thought and work depend upon an adequate supply of phosphates. This supply comes from our daily food whether animal or vegetable; in the first instance vegetable, since the animals we eat feed an vegetable matter. We can easily understand therefore, how vitally necessary it is that the soil producing the basic elements of life must contain plenty of phosphates." Phosphate and Potash.

It would be quite impossible to maintain high production figures or even the ‘health of live stock without keeping up a proper supply of phosphates. Phosphate, particularly suerphosphate, enepurages a wider and deeper rooting system in all classes of plants and so enables plants to search deeper for other necessary minerals. Potash is important in animal nutrition as well as in the vigour and health of plants. Potash fills up the cells and converts skeleton structures into more solid substances. Potash does a lot of good work that is perhaps not apparent to the eye hut wniris noticeable if looked for in the right place. Correct fertilising to-day means applying lime in reasonable quantities and then following this up with quickly available forms of all other minerals found to he necessary.