ROOT GROWING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 3, 26 April 1939, Page 8

ROOT GROWING

O— GUARDING AGAINST DISEASE BORATED FERTILISERS Farmers throughout many areas have not met with a great deal of success, more particularly during the last, two or three seasons, in the growing of root crops, swedes, and to a lesser extent perhaps, mangolds, having been badly affected with disease. Last season most crops were an entire failure, so much so that hardly any were judged in the competitions. There was a suggestion that no further attempts would be made to grow roots and that the competition therefore should be deleted. However, there are still many farmers who are firmly convinced that rocts to supplement hay and silage for winter feed are a great advantage, and they are determined to again try their luck. The majority of them, however, are going to try and avoid the risk of disease by the use of boron in addition to their usual fertiliser. While it is fairly well known that borax is a most effective preventative, a number of farmers are not certain as to the correct method of applying it. Experience has shown that there are two methods of utilisation from which success can be depended. The first is to apply 2£ to 3cwt. of 2\ per cent, borated reverted fertiliser through the front box only of the ridger. with straight reverted, or basic' turnip mixture, through the back box with the seed. The second is to apply broadcast 2cwt. special mixture of 7-i per cent, borated fertiliser to the acre, and harrow it in 10 to 21 j; days prior to ridging in the seed with ; plain fertiliser. The keynote of success with borated fertiliser, it is said, is to avoid placing it in direct contact with the seerL i