NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 617, 21 September 1909, Page 8

NEWS AND NOTES.

§;p;fc^§f'^ ,'.■;.''.';:' There,; aire" two principal times of ploughing- ; New^Zealandi'~One; isVtheVautiimn, when; f'\ I; the'yearly..rains .have. softened the'-. surface,, and .--.Kithe plough can'make• an appreciable impression Kyin';thb:hitherto';hard-Dated soil.;:: That-is the |:y/^est v ploughihg\ time, ■forj'theVfurrowj does' hot 'by; the ''pressure; ;bl: the !' ; board,; :oi ? the ■ .trample : of.jhoofs;, • the ■ ££;.■;earth'/comes:.; away ;.Vbrittle.':and :, honeycombed; <;V:to V: absorbi : a'''fuli 'measure,'of'the 7 : atmosphere; . ;-;:" and'its contents.:', The: soil' then'is , f..-:warm,: and, for::such:crops' as';will. ehduro'.",the ':; v/winter' frosts .-later; oh, autumn sowing. is the ;.•','bes't.;;'Fertility.and big/'crops 'follow- autumn :, ; i ;;ploughin£/.:/,The//other:plonghing season is the >v^:sprin^'/ : nme,\vwKto/'ABVwinter.'--'iains'vKav6' . : ; :*: soaked; away.'-',;lt : .]'s,: ; however;;', the .-'..season: 1 of .; V j .-and -ploughing,:' at -this time is: conse-r-,':f quently'often associated with.many;little;lind- / , ;.'.;rances.;.thilt,irritate. {-Moreover, ploughs, /hari:.:grows, :and;seed'.'foll'ow.-each Pther-at this time , ; of / year, -.'-with .a:.rapidity: that i does - not/augur ;;/,..w ell; for ithe:' harvest ;,to v follow. • -Nevertheless, -;;Sthere,f,.will;:alWa'y3-':be''/spring\- I ploughing,' ; 'for. '; f.i/.inany;.circumstances may occur on any-' farm. : f;.v.;,.whichvwill.prevent.tho of f.;£the-landVv''■';':/y.;'^ : - i i""v^,;v-ji:'-'■', ••''■-•■.■■■■'.-'■' r,>S • One's, chief concern :nW. ; must. be''to' see-that j,-j£.the..ploughing,' thoughllate, ■ shall be. thorough. > r ' ;v'fully,':ehqugh how.much the size of the harvest ;',>is. measured by -the :afcill-- of'.the .ploughman; :':;. >.It".'haS- S.been; -urged,'' with'. very- great truth, ■ ; j;-t! that; good,: cultivation vinfluences (the ./crop' as : ;.::i;that;-be:"the.'case,:the.iploughing. is/easily seen' ' ;:-':;,to-.bo the "chief/'operation of : all. ;It is'-'too '■ r < :J:-i- a , w °*\!^ - ;;;vcould : ;be.,bnned.Jwifhqn^:it.-Al)et'wJconsiiler ,i ' ; ■•^""t-.Sf^Stils; > how .they'-'-ican-,be' best- attained. ■':We plough -i : soil chiefly -to-' loosen ! it; aerate ' ..; it;. ; buTy-*yegetation;>;deQompose;its:cornbina- 1 :; ;:ttH9 n 3'..of-yegotablo./and>mineral,. plant 'foods; '■ v : .-enable it, taxpbsorb, oxygenkihd.-ammonia from I r& iJ^^^SWUrageithejMmsf nhd. activity of : 1,-4;«3,.Beneticial l <bacteria(which I :ar6 so''essential ' j-'T;to vigorous J ; rpot: growth);: make :awell pulvcr- ; :-;ised : seed : .bed; .distribute;fertilisers' artificially i , j: vapplied;;A6ilitate;;the,.absorptioniofcmoisture ' ,;/.;andr.ttie.^drainage,;of;,;the...surplus .water; < W and vat;ksteto^enablev'ali.'fihoVsur'face,: to: ; be.: : 'i ;-,:,maintained : daterpA'''around'.'those crops which (| ; amen<ißle'-tb'tillage;-r - ■': ... /■'.-.,: ■.-."."<;. i In i ,r fe i s' tp iaohieye;aU of'these'ends-'oneVof 0 ;;: tte, /.first -factors --to '-be-'considered - by; "the < :;;:-;plougnman,imust. be depth..'There .are ■-still' s «;;6omeauthorities, who /have/ -\'fnith in / shallow, '•' ~ the /great., /bulk ,:, of -•: modern /#practiwl,e£6eT,ience, on suitable soils/is on.'-tno ; #,^°? e ,*hq)JspeakV.for"shailownessfurg6.'tt J?;™y"pav,mellow-:-snrface-soil;'should ,'nofc- ibe -i-buried,;,bflS!kept ; near ;the :surface::f6r.-the ; uso' ,i.;.of ; the growing, crops. (;They; also.declare that tha>aims >o?, • thei: farmer, should 'be 'to : 4i:v of 'his. plants to' near theisurg|ace,'.'neaytlle:air and-snnlight; believing that' :;,.;.by^snch^ieans'heiWill,secure ; fruitfulh"ess. ■On ..•r.M 1 ? iContrary,». the, advocates'of i deep _ plougliing ' : ft,s o^"', . o . n A ; -^ ft ' t -'-%--' richert: ' ;^a s>'are"-Rlways ■:/:: deep: thattplant.roots will.travel for.food-for iir*-*!?"?' i.tf/>,';BoMj '.that, it ■.is: , .the';surfaco' ! soil;'and ;;;';its.;snrface.' ( rpots;that v .become parched in s )( dronght;vthat.' the; roots • 'that /'are : ,S.™ e ly ß i"iohes;below :: the^;surfade::are less;in l './v.danger.fronr; drought than tho'so'-'incai' ■:• "the /'■•I o MffV.'-'*PWi'deeP'-roots;arenas-conducive: to v f ,Jruitfulness, :; aS' shallow;; roots'';(and ' more^sb);' •■■; fad that'.theploughman -who buries :his surface' ihumus ; and; mellow -soil deep .down is' -v,providing;3pri:his/best','deep : ,'roots:' '■ •:'..;..•' f^',Therevis^opm,:fpr::muoh/arEum'entViu!' these and;;,the',,weißht,,of->praotical -'experience ■; on jgordinaryjitgrlpnltural: land are-all on'.tluv.side 'v'-S 1 ? ae6 ,P•W?S llln ß-"' 'It..is'encburaging;^ •j.'.fpre;...to -learn''thVit/..in-Wairarapa and 'other ;£;ynper™gt;:asTicultural,;districts /the; fashion: of v t.f,|!ii 3 .,«e a aoniiS/ajigood, .deep furrow; The relS-' ':;itionship ; b6,MtooK :V.. 8 , 1de -./■r.opting,;. and''deep: moisture- ; are;.foiir,.of :-tho- : Deep drainage proJ; motes, deep ■rooting,';.."because;'; whenever • rain--: (ifcjt;will .when, #/there:.are. f deep; drains'to ■ca'rry/it.off); oirfol--■-'H? w3 ?t to filljnp'.the, minute' soil 'spaces which y>ntj: vactes.V\:Th.isymak'es;'.tho'. : snbsoii:: mellow,:' 's ;.«7.e? :,ii[>the n iMepth-.df :;.-winteiy,./and : ;: the proofs/ y'flatnrajly; fbllow.'-;'.-But : ' more? than: this;:'deep. '^ploughing.; on deeply-drained ''- land promotes - % early,;grbwth : .''in'the;,spring;'-' This 'is entirely v:-; ; cpntrary 'to -.the'.-dogmas of those ■? who. .want ptheiMoots near the surface: -'"/But it'ia'.n'nques3■ tionably,true.;..Wben;land■ is 'deeply ; :drained ,;;:and;;deeply ; |,plonghe6V-'.the; rain v.wator'-Jis, able'. ,:. to soak. o,uiokiy-': away,;' and ;■ theV warm ''sprint ■ c.air : !.takes.it,place;in.the.soil.; : ,This warmth.of, •.v,.tho.:air/in ; v the; soil; is'j the''chief' factor! toward i:v e a»yvspring.igrowth:':.;The early: growth'is; : not ;/-retarded-,:byf: subsequent .trains, .because -these :'ftPass;'quickly:':away;: :as ;-.befbre: : . and'givo'-place - ;,j:agam, to, tho: warmer'air.'; /:/'v ;';-,;:;/■": :•,-'. .'. ;6ure : foi^Wbedi ;;: Thert: ,'i>..is...a,..limit:to. v tho ! ;ambunt.'of soil .that \ weeds' ' ; : #"i •': ris€-' ; througKfrwlien ithewi-' seeds varp'turned: - ;;dowh:: v by a! tha. plpugHjijand, in: the! case .'of?ireeds' -Kithat- from:• their .roots.and-are helped ; than, suppressed) by. shallow-.plonghing,' V), deep'/burial :in'ay., administora'decided, check,: VyPlpughing;M : .a depth;of : :.twelvoinchcs must,' ; v-' in.'^the^absenco..- of ..machinery or very strong :;,::horso.; powor.-'vbe/nccomplished; by,'.-sub-soiling hvin:;two:; trips % :Whether':to use a',V..mquldboard;on'.the subsoiler/which'.toies'':the' vsecond/Wp^haS'jibnfjbeen,:'disputed.:. i.TO6re : ;,;; quick 'growth -of-.the; se'edlingsas -'desired ; it--is ! ;;.;probably best ;to; plough without mouldboard, iv; so; that'-the', broken: subsoil f alls .'back ;intothe. y : . f ?"'?*hi an ' d '-i s co'yered'by-the next'eurof/top' jj.soil.:;; This; .Icaves'^theYmellowest/-soil Uear-'the s ' ißin'.bther cases, and especially where' long, pro-i:.-,.tracted.'growth,,hcavy,-:yield, .abundant leafage;' .-'and resistance to! drought- are :desired,'the'-.tdp ?:?i!^ Ifc:cttnnot-'.bo;;bnried"-.t6o;deoply.,!''The'':lb6sß''.1fc:cttnnot-'.bo;;bnried"-.t6o;deoply. , !''The'':lb6sß''. b: eubsoil.;forms',a-nice, clean' covering,',relatively■ 'yfreo/frpm .weeds,vahd,will later on'provo;an'' .-'.;effectivo-mulch, ,whilo ,the .plant-roots 'below/ i,;ground:have the. full use 'of-tho buried-.'surface ;;.soil, ;;The:,extra\rawness;-of ;tbe ; subsp'il.;'who'n( Wnieded.for; a. fine'-seedibed,'"thfl»'n?ed-;if. pleh# ;-;'of/firmness'bf,;subs6il. for;all^lants^ahd'.--the 1 ' t; special -;-rcquiremdnts 'in '■thisSfespept'SpfSvefy ;i /light,.soils,'.',whi9h' heed ,compaoßng..i'atherv{h'an' itoithe.intelligeiicb;'of;the -Iwrions'-farme'rs.'who ;/^occupy^such lands.':..'-.« 'i-£f>i}M ?;ji; : ; i: 'i <.■-■■* ;,'/::.- /;-..;;;, \J.]vs:i:. ,'•---:.-/-/' $>;' ; 'y+KS