FARMING WORLD

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20995, 23 December 1939, Page 23 (Supplement)

FARMING WORLD

BY “STOCKMAN”

FARM FERTILISING

SOIL SURVEYS IMPORTANT GRASSLANDS CONFERENCE The great importance of soil surveys as an indicator of the fertiliser requirements of farming lands was stressed by Mr P. B. Lynch, assistant crop experimentalist of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture, in a paper presented to the New Zealand Grasslands Conference at Canterbury Agricultural College. Mr Lynch said that while a great deal of experimental work had been done on the response of pasture to manurial treatment before soil analysies was well understood, much of it was of little practical importance, and was further handicapped by the formidable number of variants that intruded.

“ The outstanding feature of research into soils and their fertiliser

requirements is the direct application of the results to farming practice,” he said. “ The more economical use of fertilisers is a substantial contribution toward the financial success of farming operations as a whole. Viewed today, the better use of fertilisers must lead to a greater volume of production with the same expenditure of effort. Confirmatory Evidence “ From another aspect, possibly of more immediate importance, it is imperative that we should 'have a detailed knowledge of the fertiliser requirements of our soils. This is in case the necessity of rationing supplies of artificial manures should arise. Rapid soil surveys of extensive farming areas enable one to fix the approximate boundaries of the main soil types of a district. In most cases such soil types can be closely related to soils which have been intensively studied in the course of detailed soil surveys and subsequent response surveys. The manurial trials already in existence are generally sufficient to afford confirmatory evidence, so that within the space of a month or two it is possible to classify large farming areas according to their manurial requirements. Rationing of fertiliser supplies could then be placed on a sound basis, to the benefit of the community as a whole. Further, such a survey would indicate the possibilities of increasing production by means such as topdressing, breaking in of new land, and better farming methods in general on the area examined. Such work, in fact, extracts the maximum amount of information from research already completed, with the minimum of additional labour. “The last few years have seen great advances in the technique of field experimental work, but it would appear in many cases that the practical aspect has been somewhat neglected. With fertiliser studies, however, it is the farmer’s point of view with which we are most concerned. The application of soil survey work to such investigation is particularly valuable in that it enables one to deal with the farm as a unit, instead of dealing with a district embracing many square miles. Variations Eliminated “ Many sources of variation are eliminated when trials are laid down with reference to soil type. Improved analytical work, particularly with regard to soil analyses, has offered invaluable assistance. Many apparently anomalous results from trials have been explained by the chemical study of the soil. The recent advances in knowledge with recard to the ‘ fixation ’ of the nutrients ! applied to the soil in a form unavail- I able to the plant, has suggested ex- | planations for the poor responses to , manures on certain soil types, and | also possible means for the more eco- | nomical use of fertilisers on such soils.” Work in the North Island indicated the necessity of a thorough knowledge of the soils of our farming country. As detailed soil surveys of large areas were costly and long operations, it would seem that intensive studies of small representatives areas would be the best line of approach. The results of such investigations could be applied to the surrounding districts with the result that in a short time farmers would be in a position to obtain maximum efficiency in the use of fertilisers on grasslands.

SCIENCE TO RESCUE

WOOL SUBSTITUTES “CHEMISTS MUST FIGHT” “In my opinion, wool still has a great lead over its competitors, though the pace at which the latter are advancing is quickening. To keep wool ahead we must increase our knowledge of it, and apply all useful knowledge as q:uickly as possible.” These statements were made by Mr Martin R. Freney, B.Sc., research officer of the McMaster Annual Health Laboratory, at a meeting of the Victorian branch of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science, at Melbourne University recently. “We must all admit,” he said, “that the wool substitutes have progressed greatly, and have invaded fields which custom had reserved for wool. In spite of their advance, we would

be foolish to over-emphasise their threat, but we would be more foolish to under-estimate it.

“I can forsee that, within 10 years, substitutes will be produced, not as cheaply as wool, but with virtues similar to those of the natural product. It is becoming increasingly apparent that wool cannot hold its place in competition with artificial fibres by relying on its traditional virtues. Its citadel has been attacked with some success by the chemist, but there is plenty of scope and even adequate time, for other chemists to fight back, though every day is valuable. “In answer to the question ‘Can wool hold its place in the textile world?’ I would reply: ‘Yes, but to do so it must enlist the full resources of all branches of science.’ ” In the course of his address, Mr Freney pointed out that the warmth of woollen fabrics is due indirectly to the crimp in the fibre, which enables them to retain air, a very good insulator. Another remarkable characteristic of these fabrics is that they can absorb 30 per cent of their dry weight of moisture without becoming damp, a fact of great importance in regard to perspiration. Causes of Shrinkage Exnlaining the causes of shrinkage, Mr Freney said that, in finishing, woollen goods may be pressed out to a nice shape or to a larger size than they naturally assume. In water or steam, indeed, fibre may be stretched to about twice its length without breaking, and if it is dried in this stretched state under tension, it will remain so when the tension is removed, but, when wetted, it returns to its original length. “This is what frequently happens with socks, which, when washed, become smaller.” Another kind of shrinkage, Mr Freney said, was caused through felting, which results from washing and wearing, the garment losing its elasticity, its pattern being obscured by a fluffy surface, and its texture thickened. Discussing wool substitutes, Mr Freney stressed the fact that, although their production had been stimulated as a result of economic nationalism—Germany alone had 160 varieties of artificial fibres—the non-totalitarian countries had also contributed greatly to their technical development and exploitation. There were three main types, those derived from wool, those from casein, soya bean protein, and fish albumen, and the pure synthetic fibres from resins. The most important of these, he said, ! was one known as Nylon, made from coal, air, and water. “Its sponsors, who are some of the strongest financial interests in America and England, propose to produce this material as a substitute for silk, to which it is superior in many respects, and it is not being produced yet as a wool substitute. It must be remembered, however, that any threat to silk may become a threat to wool.” Nylon, Mr Freney said, resembled wool most closely in chemical structure, and in this field there was no forecasting developments.

SEED PRODUCTION

GRASSES AND CLOVERS ROOM FOR EXPANSION As a result of investigations recently undertaken into the production and consumption of pasture seeds, sufficient evidence is available to indicate that there is ample room for expansion in regard to the acreage of grass and clover closed for purposes of harvesting seed, writes Mr R. B. Tennent, Director of Primary Production. Particularly is this so, he says, in the case of the better strains of seeds such as receive recognition under the seed certification scheme. The call has already been made, not only in New Zealand but in overseas countries, for an extended use of the plough. In the train of such a campaign must come a programme of re-establishment of areas to permanent pasture. The wisdom of using for this purpose only seeds of superior strain is undoubted. Such an action necessitates the availabil.ty of an adequate supply of suitable seeds. New Zealand has unique features which place it in an excellent position to meet this demand for high-class seeds. It has the conditions, both natural and mechanical, for the harvesting of good seeds; it already has in existence strains of pasture plants unsurpassed in other countries, and in its seed certification organisation it has the equipment to identify the seeds of such strains. It only remains for farmers to realise that the pasture seed industry provides a very useful avenue of service to the country. The production of grass and clover seeds, both for use locally and for shipment overseas, is an activity whicn New Zealand must develop to the fullest extent. More Certified Seeds In the past the drive has been to use more certified seed. In the future the production of such seed must be increased to the level of the demand. Neglect of this must result in a lower level 6f pasture production. It is only necessary to indicate the quantities of seeds harvested in New Zealand, which are outside the certification scheme. 1. Perennial ryegrass, 280,000 bus. equals 60 per cent l of total production; 2. Italian ryegrass, 160,000 bus. equals 95 per cent of total production; 3. Cocksfoot, 840,000 lbs equals 65 per cent of total production; 4. White clover, 200,000 lbs equals 35 per cent of total production. These figures indicate the extremely large quantities of seed produced which are not authenticated in regard to type quality. They indicate the tremendous expansion, which is possible in regard to the production of certified seeds. What they do not indicate, however, is the fact that even if all this seed were of certification standard, the demand for seeds would not be satisfied. Farmers are therefore urged, wherever possible, to save for seed production any areas which can be so set aside and which are likely to produce seed of a high producing type.