LIME FOR MOUTERE LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 982, 24 November 1910, Page 8

LIME FOR MOUTERE LANDS.

FRUITGROWERS' OPINIONS.

At the last meoting'of the Lower Moutere'Fruitgrowers' Association the president (Mr.H. 0. Holdaway) introduced the subject of- the necessity of applying liuio to. the poor lands oil the Moutere Hills, between Nelson and-Motueka, to which attention has lately been directed as a field for fruit-growing. Mr. Holdawav referred (says the Nelson "Mail") to the great quantities of limestone existing in the Nelson district; but the difficulty is to get the lime at a .price, to make practicable use of it for application to the soil.. He quoted instances'wlxero litee. had been used with beneficial* results. He was certain that this was of great importance'.to the Moutere district; not that he had had a ereat. deal of experience himself, but still ha had reason to believei .it would do good.

: Mr. Tilson said he had had some experience in liming land that was originally -very , sour, and manures Tjad not given beneficial results. AbouE 5 .cwt. of ground burned lime was applied to the soil each year, and in five years the benefit, was most marked, and the product and the general appearance of the land were vastly improved. < • Mr. Herrick said that the effect of burned'lime on Moutere land had caused it to bind the land, and to turn up in great lumps when ploughed. I Several speakers said that analysis of Moutere had proved that the soil is deficient in lime, requiring in some cases a dressing of one ton to the acre. ; Mr. Alcott instanced land at Moutere where a lime dressing had been applied some twenty years ago, and whether under crop ' or. grass a . marked benefit us apparent as compared with similar land aajoining. . Mr. Hnllam, Orchard Inspector, said that in Tasmania, oh, tho : . clay lands with dressings of from 5 to 8 cwt. of lime, the'land became'quite friable. . Mr. Hudson stated that he had used limo for land for twenty years; but had always, been taught that lime was not a manure, but merely an agent to release the fertilisers existing a± present for plant food, and. that it was dangerous to keep on with unless followed "by manures.