MANURING PLAINS SOILS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5091, 21 February 1927, Page 2

MANURING PLAINS SOILS

TUBUA EXPERIMENTAL PLOTS. NO EFFECT NOTICED. ?’ At the annual meeting of the Hauraki Plains Co-operative Dairy 00., Ltd. ( in August last an offer of an Auckland firm of fertiliser dealers to . establish an experimental plot on the } Plains tw demonstrate tire, effect of. various manures was accepted. ELarlyin September a site was selected ont ■ the farm of Mr H. H. Hicks, Piako> ' Rpad li Turua, and an area of one acre "as fenced off. Areas, denoted by wooden pegs, were top-dressed with basic super, super, basic slag, ammonia top-dressing,’ potash top-dress-ing, and the firm’s special manure. Each area was half inside the fenced space and half outside, so that the ' effect of grazing could also be noted. The dressing of manure was a liberal Cine, but so far no effect can be noticed, either on the enclosed sections or on those which were grazed; noi 1 did the cattle seem to prefer any particular section. To many Plains farmers this will not be surprising, as it bears put the fact sc often demonstrated -that ordinary top-dressing practice does not always apply to Hauraki Plains soils. = Many instances of negative results of top-dressing can be quoted by Plains farmers, as well as. many instances of success. Hauraki Plains soils differ so materially from the general run, and so very marked differences are found in short, distances, that it appears to be practically impossible to--lay down anything definite in the way of manuring. Experience has shown that what was beneficial to one paddock was not always beneficial to the next. As a general rule, it seems that lime gives beneficial results), and good results are frequently obtained > w’hen top-dressing with special fertilisers is done op. limed paddocks. Discussing the Hauraki Road periment, some farmers have assert-' ed that beneficial results will bei noticed from certain plots next season, while other farmers have expressed , a view directly contrary. While it is . generally agreed that Hauraki Plains soils are very much in need of fertilisers, it seems that farmers have to ascertain for themselves by > experiment just what sort of, topdressing gives the best result on their own farms. . - J3I