SEED-BED METHOD OF RAISING MANGELS, ETC.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XV, Issue 3, 20 September 1917, Page 135

SEED-BED METHOD OF RAISING MANGELS, ETC.

In districts with an abundant, rainfall weeds are a great source of trouble and expense in connection with the growing of mangels. A practice sometimes followed with advantage under such conditions is to sow early in a seed-bed. The main paddock is prepared by occasional cultivation,. during which the manure is drilled in and cross-drilled this practically acting more or less as a harrowing. " The land is kept cultivated, and therefore free of weeds, until the plants in the seed-bed are of a size to transplant, when furrows about 28 in. apart are run in the paddock, the plants laid on the edge of the furrow, and the earth returned by the plough. The paddock may then be rolled if necessary. The . ground is thus kept clean until the plants have got possession, when the balance of the work between the drills can be done with the horse-hoe as usual. Much tiresome thinning and hand-weeding is avoided by this method, and few gaps occur through failure. The same method can also be adopted, in the growing of other crops, such as kales, chou moellier, cabbages, &c. Very few losses occur if a kerosene-tin a quarter full of cow-dung and filled up with water is taken along the row and the roots of each plant dipped in the mixture before being laid in the furrow. — G. de S. Baylis, Fields Supervisor, Napier..