STEPS TO TAKE TO TOPDRESS BY PLANE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 71, 19 July 1950, Page 5

STEPS TO TAKE TO TOPDRESS BY PLANE

(By E. R. Marryatt, Fields Instructor, Depart, of Agriculture, Whakatane)

Several enquiries have been received lately about aerial topdressing and the following information has been obtained from operations in the Raglan County during the last year. Aerial topdressing by Tiger Moth does the work at the same cost very much more effectively and quicker than by hand. Coverage is almost as good as on flat land by tractor-drawn topdresser. The rate of application per acre has been from 2h to 3cwt. put on at the speed of 2 and 2/3rd to 31- tons per hour depending on the distance from the landing strip. This has cost the farmer £3 to £3 15s a ton or about 7s 6d an acre. The aircraft requires a landing strip 300 yards by one chain wide and free from obstructions at each

end. The strip must be level and ■■' reasonably smooth. A good test is ■■Hto drive a car at 30 miles per hour "" over it and if the springs do not break and the journey has not been too unpleasant then the surface is .probably satisfactory. A load of 5001 b of superphosphate is spread in from 3£ to 5' minutes. One minute is required from touchdown to take-off to refuel with six gallons of petrol and during this time 5001 b of fertiliser are loaded into the aircraft in 15 minutes. With no agitators in the hopper coarsely ground super is much more satisfactory than finely ground phosphate like Basic Slag and North African Phosphate. Serpentine super is the most satisfactory '•present form of phosphate for aerial topdressing. Clover seed and cobalt may be : mixed with the phosphate by the farmer at no extra charge for application.