SOIL STERILISATION

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21413, 4 March 1935, Page 5

SOIL STERILISATION

DEMONSTRATION OF NEW MACHINE Many gardeners, nurserymen, and hothouse tomato growers attended a demonstration of a pen able steam soil steriliser on the prop riy of Mr D. J. Falla, Dallington road, on Saturday. The steriliser was tlv invention of a Christchurch man, and those who saw it working were impressed with its efficiency. Steam sterilisation i f soil is a process of injecting a sufficient pressure of steam into the soil to destroy such enemies to fertility as grubs, worms, weeds, and twitch. If the treatment is successful, the soil is converted into "maiden" soil, which enables the propagation of plant life without the need to combat underground parasites. Another advantage of sterilisation is that it does away with the old method of resoiling. Sterilisation processes have been widely adopted in England, and two prominent, local growers have plants on Ihcir properties. The portable plant, which is the only one in New Zealand or Australia, has a marine boiler, coal heated, and mounted on a motor chassis. The hose leads to a contrivance of hollow spikes, a yard square, and very much the same to look at as a harrow. The spikes are placed in the ground, and the steam injected about 18 inches. The spikes are left in the ground six minutes. Thermometer readings taken in the ground after the removal of the apparatus were as high as 180 degrees at a depth of six inches. As the depth increased, the temperature decreased. The plant has been constructed so that the weight is not excessive, and it has passed some exacting trials.