VALUES OF MANURE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4877, 14 September 1925, Page 3

VALUES OF MANURE.

NO UNIVERSAL FERTILISER. ■ / : There i snq one fertiliser which is equally applicable to . every soil and every crop. Farmyard manure and Peruvian guano are .the nearest approach to ■ universal manures, but even they require to be supplemented ,by. other dressing in some cases and used on a limited scale in others. Fertilisers which can be used with excellent reisults on the lighter kinds of soils may produce poor results in clay soils and vice vers.a. These points have to be considered in the selection of fertilisers, otherwise, waste of money and disappointment may be the result. But there is another important factor—the condition of the soil. Vain will be the effort of the grower to secure a profitable crop if the soils have' been neglected. It must be-brought into a good condition of tilth before the seed is sown, and attended to during the growth of the crop. The Surface has to be kept loose, so that no top crust is formed to prevent the air from penetrating the soil. On heavy, undrained land the effect of fertilisers, anil even of farmyard manure, is bf little use ; such land must finst be drained. A good mechanical or physical condition of the soil is of the utmost importance, and in this matter dressings of quicklime are a great help. Lime is not only a plant-food—though this is often forgotten—but it is a great improver of the soil condition, especially if the soil should be of a heavy, stiff character.