FOOD FOR THE SOIL

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18946, 16 May 1933, Page 9

FOOD FOR THE SOIL

ECONOMIC MANURING.

ENGLISH WRITER'S ADVICE.

At the present time one has to consider carefully not only what crops will repay expenditure on fertilisers, but also what are the limits of their profitable use. Mangolds and kale are crops where advantage should be taken of the ab-normally-low price of sulphate of ammonia, says a writer in an English paper. Such crops are not worth growing unless good yields are secured, but when they are good no crops will yield a greater or cheaper quantity of valuable foodstuff per acre. At least lewt per acre cf sulphate of ammonia should be sown at seed-time along with the normal allowance of phosphate and potash, and two or more top-dressings of lcwt sulphate of ammonia should be given later.

Manures In Lieu of Labour,

There is almost no limit to the amount of nitrogen which a leafy crop such as kale can absorb. It is ■better to spend one’s money on an extra cwt of sulphate of ammonia than on the labour required for singling. Rather forgo singling and rely for additional light and room on mixing some rape and swede seed with the kale. Rape is useful in the mixing if only because it is less liable than kale to be attacked by “fly.” Rothamsled reckons that lcwt of sulphate of ammonia is good for an extra 30cwt of mangolds. There are no figures for kale, but manure with faith and kale will not let you down.

Potatoes—particularly early potatoes because of their season—require soluble, quick-acting manures, and if the price is right no crop better repays generous treatment. Two-four-two (even three-four-two for earlies) of sulphate of ammonia, superphosphate and muriate of potasli are about the right proportions and quantities in cwts per acre. Hay is still a very necessary farm commodity, and where a farmer cannot produce all lie requires by mowing more acres than usual he will find that judicious expenditure on fertilisers for hay will be well repaid. It is still more economical to use fertilisers to produce cow-food than to buy the article ready-made. Of the three usual components of a fertiliser mixture —nitrogen, phosphate and potash -—the nitrogen is the one which, used alone, will give the greatest response. But unless phosphate and potash have been used fairly regularly In the past it would not lie advisable to manure with nitrogen only. One-two-one of sulphate of ammonia, superphosphate and potash salts would be an economical dressing. Patent Fertilisers. Choose a Held that has been regularly well-grazed, and which in consequence will contain a good proportion of perennial ryegrass. If the pasture has not received phosphates in recent years it would be desirable to include 2cwt of superphosphate along with the sulphate of ammonia.

and, if tho soil Is light, lcwt potash salts in addition.

For an early “bite," sulphate of ammonia is again the most potent and economical fertiliser. If farmers really want early grass, they must sow for it. In the succession of mild winters experienced recently, Italian ryegrass fertilised in autumn either by dung or sulphate of ammonia and rested three months has produced abundant keep—cow keep in fact—in January, and Italian ryegrass seed is cheap. After feeding off close in the winter it will produce a luxuriant hay crop. For general utility purposes, including winter keep for ewes and lambs, a mixture of Italian ryegrass and trefoil occupies to-day a place among seed-mixtures analogous to that of sulphate of ammonia among fertilisers. They are two things for which Hie farmer can be thankful.