FARM NOTES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 122, 12 February 1940, Page 7

FARM NOTES

Contributed by C. R. r J aylo'.Y District Organiser, East Ray of Plenty Primary Production Council. Department of Agriculture.

Continued from Wednesday

4. Wnimana and Nukuhou: For the most part- this locality is chaiaeterised by an indulating topography, and a soil typp derived from volcanic ash showers. In the Wa.imana Valley, liO'\ve"\ r er, there are some i'airly extensive alluvial Hats, under good management, have no difficulty in carrying a dairy cow to the acre. Dairying is the chief activity of the setters in this district . Topdressing experiments, laid doAvn on these rick river silts, show that lime and potash are of little value as a means of sward improvement, or as growth producers. Phosphates,. however, give very good results when applied at; the rate of • > ewts per acre in the autumn. Of the two best known phosphates— namely supcrphatc and basic slag— the former is most satisfactory.

Possibility For Good Pastures,

As I have previously mentioned, the greater part of the area within the confines of this district is undulating, and the soil is of pumice formation. In texture, the soil resembles a loam; it is avcll supplied in humus; and,, under reasonable management, excellent pastures can be established on it. For best results in topdressing, experience has shown that superphosphate gives better results than other phosphatic fertilisers. Potash has also given very good results on some topdressing trials, while, on others, the response has not been quite so marked. More work on potash manuring, however, requires to be carried out before i't would be wise to make a recommendation concerning it. With regard to lime, the position is still obscure, so that no general recommendation can be made at this time* o. Opotiki Flats: Of all the excellent soil t)ypes to be found in the Eastern Bay of Plenty —and there are many—probably none excels the wonderfully fertile alluvial flats that lie adjacent to the township of Opotiki. These flats, which are several thousand acres in extent,, have

been built up by the combined efforts of the Waioeka and Otara rivers. The alluvial ■which they have : deposited during past ages, is a , fertile mixture of papa,, humus and fine pumice ash. For many years maize growing was the principal activity of the farming community. In this connection, some idea of the soil fertility of this area can be gathered from the fact that up to forty successive crops of maize were taken from the same land without using artificial fertilisers, and without seriously impairing the quality of the soiL Topdressing Advantageous With the development of dairying, which was largely brought about by the drop in maize values, farmers -were compelled to turn their attention to pasture establishment. Originally, this was accomplished without the use o[ artificial manures. Later, following the general employment and advocacy of mineral fertilisers in other parts of the Dominion, farmers in the Opotilu district also found it advantageous to do some topdressing. It was soon founds however, that only phosphatic manures gave any appreciable response. Of these, superphosphate,, applied to 3 to 4 cwts per acre, gave best results. With regard to potash, experience indicates that as yet there is little or no call for this fertiliser. Similarly, lime gives little or no visible response, even to heavy application. Before concluding however, I would like to emphasise that my remarks concerning topdressing in the Eastern Bay of Plenty should be looked upon more as a general summary of the position as it exists today, rather than as specific advice to every farmer in the localities mentioned. It will be appreciated, I think, that one can only broadly point the way in the matter of nianurial guidance owing to the vast number of imported variations that exist within a comparatively small area. Therefore, to get the maximum production from it, it becomcs necessary for farmers to work out the finer details for themselves, but in : doing so I hope the information I given wall be of assistance.