LIMING FOR WESTLAND SOILS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 February 1924, Page 4

LIMING FOR WESTLAND SOILS.

TESTS ON THE HEAVIER LANDS

(C. S. Dalgliesli, Fields Instructor, Hokitika, in N.Z. Journal of Agriculture). In an article published in the Journal for May, RL’A. the writer gave an account of experiments carried out at Waiuiatinga Experimental Farm, on lands fairly representative of the lighter soils of the Sooth Island west coast, which clearly demonstrated the marked improvement in root crops and subsequent pasture on such soils treated with lime, as against no lime or treatment with manures only. That ibis applies in equal degree lo tin* heavier soils seems to be aNo clearly shown by tests carried out in other parts of the district, of which the following are examples. A GREY CODNTV EXPERIMENT. A trial with linn* and manures was undertaken in February, 1920. on Mr C. Rail’s farm, at Rotomaim. Mr Ball had then been in possession for j eighteen months, and the cultural liis- | ton- of the land up to that time was 1 not' reliably known. The land is heavy

,ih drained swamp, and at the time of taking possession was lying fallow having previously been cropped i,

extern. hi J,.- spring of RT-’". under ideal wen tiler conditions, the land was ploughed and given good cultivation, and sown in oats together with a grass-mixture, 2 cwt ol - upci phosphide per acre being used as a fertilj... r. Tlie result was a complete failure. the oats being patchy and slanted in growth, while tin* grass, alter brairding quite satisfactorily, rapidly died e.nL An area nf I acre was then taken in band fur experimental purpuses. Alter being ploughed in Jami;irv, 1121 and well worked up, the huid was sown in a grass-mixture of perennial rye-grass, 121 b; Italian ryegrass, S lb; cocksfoot. 0 lb; timothy. 1 lb ; cow-grass, J lb : alsike. 2 lb : white clover, 1 lb; and Lotus major. I lb; total. IS7 lb per aero. Lime and manures here applied according to the following scheme: Riots I, A, and ii were treated with manures as billows, each manure being applied at the rate nf A cwt per acre: fa) basic slag, (hi sup* rph.-.--pllafe, fel blnod-a ud-bone. dt basic siipernhosjilmlf.*j (e) equal pari. >uperphoxpluiti; and basic slag, G) equal purls superpliospliate and blood ardbo no.

The reason of the failure of idle previous sowing of grass and oafs was very evidently the necessity lor lime in the soil. All the limited plots in the te-t acre made vigorous growth from the commencement, and excell *nt pasture was rapidly established on them On the control plots, and plots wiih manure only, the seed germinated but made no further headway, and the ground soon became covered with lessor hug-rush (Jiiileus uliginous).

Riot I, which received the smallest quantity (‘-Mewl) of lime per acre, m comparison wiih file oibei limed plots was backward in growth lor Ihe lir f twelve months, but lias made steady improvement, and is now equally as good. Blot o < A tolls lime per acre) equals in quality the limed plots which received lime and manure, ’ibis is no doubt duo to the heavy dressing applied. The control plots and plots üb,h manure only earned little else than fbe small ru-h lor the til'st l waive months. Yorkshire log and Lotus major have now taken possession. Tig. I is representative oi the limed plots, and Fig. 2 represents the control ulnis and plots with manure only. Tlie latter shows Hie growth ol fog, while on the limed plots better grasses and clovers are abundant.

The whole test area has been runsisicntly grtr/icd, except when reserved for bay in the summers of lO'-’l and 1022. The pasture is now very satisfactory, and .‘ell Mmid of grasslands sown about t.liv- s-inii I inn; mi hotter-i-lasx land m the dm! riel. Tlio remaining norlinii of llm held lay fallow from tbe lime ol (lie failure of the pasture and oat crop in the spring of 1920 until the spring ol ]poo |p w;X s then ploughed during early October, cultivated, and sown to past lire in December, a mixture similar in that employed in tin* <experimental trial being used. One ton ol lime p"r acre was applied. One acre was reserved for a trial with Nauru raw rock phosphate, and treated as follows: Blot L -) acre. A i-wt, Nauru phosphate per acre ; plot 2. ' acre, I ton lime and A cwt of Nauru phosphate per nere; plot A. acre, \ ton lime and A cwt Nauru phosphate per acre. Weather conditions were very unfavourable both belnro and alter (he

Plot I ''.Nauru phosphate only) made ■j very poor -bowing; the seed germinated, but growth was poor, stunted, and a had colour: the grass very soon completely died out, and sorrel is now in possession. Plot 2 and ■' (lime and Nauru phosphate) show a decidedly good pasture. which promises well and has been kept closely grazed. No dilicroncc is apparent between these two plots, hut both show an improvement, on the main held, which received lime at the rate oi 1 ton per acre, hut no letriliser. t lovers are -bowing prominently to more advantage. TEST AT AVERT PORT. At Westport, in the spring of 1918, two grass-mixtures were sown on river-flat formation. Lime was applied at the rate of 2 tons per acre, except \ chain through the centre oT the area, which was left unlimcd. Since the time of sowing there has been a ciniintious first-class pasture, hay being harvested every season. Lime in tin's instance showed no appreciable improvement until the summer of 1922-23, when the hay crop gave an increase yield of 17. t! per cent on the land limed over the unlimed land. PASTFHK TOP-DRESSING TRIAL IX SOFTTT AYESTALNTL At Waitaha, Souih Westland, a trial in top-dressing old pasture was undertaken in the spring of 1922-23. The tost area comprises a twenty-three year-old pasture originally sown in perennial rye-grass, cocksfoot, timothy and clovers. At the time of topdressing timothy was most prominent, and cocksfoot ligthly distributed over the area, with rye-grass and clovers in places. The land is heavy, and cairies a fair quantity of rushes, which were mown previous to top-dressing. The area was divided into three plots and treated as follows: Plot 1. 1 ton lime per acre; plot "2, o ewt Nauru rock phosphate per acre : plot 3. o ewt basic slag per acre. All dressings show an improvement on the old pasture. The limed plot shows to most advantage up to the present, and has given remarkably good results for the period. Tiasic slag conics next, but is not so pronounced as the lime. Nauru phosphate shows an improvement, but not so marked as the slag. Stock have always shown a preference for the limed plot. These examples of the benefioial effects of lime are, as already iudicaj-

ed, not isolates! cases, ,4)ut correspond to tlio experiences of many Westland farmers. The quantity of lime that requires to be 'applied to the soils of the district is by no means a fixed one: it greatly depends on the nature of tlie land. On the lighter lands \ ton per aero will give profitable returns, while on the heavier lands this quantity is not sufficient. At \\ aimauiiga Experimental Farm. Gicy Valley, timings ranging Imm o cwt to 1 ton per acre are being given a trial in the current season.