Trenching. Digging and Manuring.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 147, 15 April 1909, Page 3

Trenching. Digging and Manuring.

Now is the time to think of the au-, tumn and manuring, and the earlier in the autumn that this heavy, rough work is done the better will be the results. The object is to turn the soil up to the weather and let the action of the sun and air break it up. The longer the turned up soil lies exposed to the elements the better, The object of trenching, which should always be done in the autumn, if possible, is to deepen and enrich the soil. For this reason the soil is turned up two or three spades deep, but usually two spade* deep, and a shovelling, loosening the hard bottom with a strong fork. Manure should never be buried more than one spit deep unless it was very rough refuse like pea or potato haulm, etc., all of which is returned to the soil with us the same season. Trenching two or three feet deep I consider only needful at long intervals without manure, | nnless the ground has produced an ex* | hausting crop and has to be planted I again immediately, in which case I ! would, if time permitted, trench first and manure the top spit when planting or sowing. All rank manure must be well buried, but under any circumstances the nearer the manure is to the surface the better if it is not of a nature to be spread on the surface itself as a dressing. Hence, by following the rotation system of having one crop succeed another of a different description, and trenching at interval?, the best way is to dig all rank or fresh manure in one spit deep in autumn on any vacant ground, and fork over and crop in the spring or summer following. By that time the rankest stable or farm manure will be pretty well rotted and is within ready reach of the roots of any crop as soon as it begins to g*ow.