DEODORISATION.—IMPORTANT EXPERIMENTS AT THE WHAU, AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4813, 25 August 1876, Page 3

DEODORISATION.—IMPORTANT EXPERIMENTS AT THE WHAU, AUCKLAND.

(From the N.Z. Herald.) Farming operations cannot be profitably carried on nowadays without some knowledge of agricultural chemistry. Indeed, it maybe said that agriculture is a science which ought to be as much studied as any of the other popular sciences which are essential to the welfare of mankind. Agriculture, properly speaking, is the art of rearing those plants and animals that are best suited to supply the wants of man, and an art of such importance is one that is well worthy of the careful attention of all who are engaged in the cultivation of the soil. In every department of life skill is more or less necessary to success, and farming is by no means an exception to this rule. The antiquated notion that the tilling of the soil and the production of crops require only manual labor and/ industry has been rejected as utterly ur/ worthy of credence by all who have made practical farming a special study, and the universal belief now in the agricultural world is that neither labor nor industry can accomplish that object without the application of skill, which is to be acquired from the various sources of agricultural knowledge. Whilst it is certain that skilled farming, when properly managed, is a remunerative pursuit, it is also certain that unskilled and slovenly farming, even under the most favorable circumstances, is never'attended with that success which jit otherwise would have heen. In Belgium, where farming has been brought to a greater perfection than it has in any other, part of Europe, the poorest soil is often rendered more productive by scientific culture than the richest soil without it, and this is a potent argument in favor of agricultural science. As far back as 1806, an agricultural school was founded in Switzerland, and similar institutions have been since established in France, Germany, Prussia, America, aud the United Kingdom. The highest and most efficiently conducted of these institutions is the agricultural school at Glasnevin,-near Dublin, where 180 acres of land are annually cultivated by some sixty pupils from all partß of the kingdom, who are thoroughly instructed in the science and practice of agriculture in all its branches, including the rearing of stock. This establishment has sent forth fully three thousand well-trained agriculturists since it was founded, and we learn from a Parliamentary report issued by a select committee appointed to inquire into the state of agriculture in the United Kingdom, in 1874, that some .of the best land-stewards in Europe have received their education at Glas ; nevin, which is presided over by the celebrated Professor Baldwin, and a most competent staff of assistants. In "Victoria an agricultural school upon a large scale was established a few years ago by the Government, and the great improvement that has lately taken place in. agriculture in that colony is, to some extent, attributable to the existence of such a useful

institution. Victoria is now the best cultivated colony in Australia, although, as yet, it may be said to be only in its infancy in this respect. Large areas of waste land are brought under cultivation every year, and agricultural societies are being multiplied in all; directions. The manufacture of, artificial manures, including deodorisation, is extensively . carried on, and tracts of naturally unfertile, soil have been so improved by systematic manuring as to have rendered them most productive and remunerative. In. the vicinity of Melbourne, Geelong, Colling wood, Ballarat, and Castlemaine are large deodoiising establishments, and thousands of tons of artificial manures are annually manufactured at each of these. Considerable attention has been also paid to deodorisation in New South Wales durin" the past three or four years, and one farmer in the vicinity of Sydney has expended a large sum in bringing this system to perfection. The well-known objection to the utilisation of nightsoil for manuring purposes is gradually lessening, and thus one difficulty with which the scientific farmer has always had'to'cohtend with is now all but surmounted. The deodorisation system Is now universally adopted with the most'"satisfactory'results, in Europe and America, as well as in the colonies, New Zealand'not excepted. The best'practical farmers find that the fertilising properties of deodorised nightsoil are superior to that of any other artificial manure, and. they naturally give it the preference. - ' The utility of deodorisation has not escaped the notice of some of our Auckland farmers, and the beneficial effects of enriching the land with Buch manufactured manure ia clearly perceptible at the Whau, where Mr. Bollard successfully conducts a process of deodorisation. Mr. Bollard received his agricultural education at Glasnevin, and is, perhaps, the most scientific and experienced farmer in this province. He has made farming the study of his life, and the admirable manner in which he manages his holding is an exemplification of this. His farm consists of 160 acres of alluvial soil, situated on a flat, within a short distance of the'Whau Creek, where the soil is more fertile than it is in other parts of the locality. When he took possession of the farm —some 16 years ago—it was covered with cabbage-tree and tea-tree, and the work of clearing was by no means light. Knowing, as he did, that the land would yield plentifully, if properly cultivated, he set to work energetically, and after wholly clearing it, he subdivided it into Beveral paddocks, the largest of them being twentyfive acres in extent. About two years ago he began to turn his attention to deodorisation, and believing that the deodorisation of nightsoil would be attended with great advantage in the way of fertilising land, and in producing good crops,. he energetically set to work, and success, we are glad to find, has attended his enterprising efforts; On Saturday last we'paid a flying visit to Mr. Bollard's farm, and were highly gratified at the methodical and scientific manner in which he carries on his agricultural operations. Everything is done properly

and at the proper time, and the benefit accruing from the observance of this rule is easily seen, Mr. Bollard devotes his whole time to the | work, and the snug and trim Btate of his farm indicate that he does not eat the bread of idleness. Prior to adopting the deodorised system of manuring, Mr. Bollard used bonedust" unsparingly, and brought the most barren and unproductive parts of the land to a state of fertility that is truly surprising. Where nothing but dandelion and sorrel grew, the finest and rankest grass now grows—the soil presenting the appearance, of, being amply enriched. Bonedust requires, however, to be alternated with by other manures. For two or three years good crops can be obtained of land that has been well bonedusted, but the virtue of this kind of manure ceases afterwards. Not so with deodorised manure, which oontinueß to fertilise the land for half a dozen years after it has been applied. One of Mr. Bollard's paddocks, which contains about ten acres, was manured with nightsoil, and sown with grass at the end of April last, and the first crop it produced was a splendid one. ■ The grass grew to the height of a foot ; in less than three months. Sheep wero turned upon this I paddock, and the grass was eaten down close

about a month" ago, when the sheep were removed to allow another crop to grow. In a month the grass had grown amazingly, and ia now sufficiently tall to admit of its being mown with a scythe.. The whole paddock presents a beautifully olive green appearance, which unmistakably,' 'indicates the -fertilised; nature ,»f the soil. At the rate the grass has. already grown, it is apparent that the paddock will produce six good crops a year for sheep or cattle feeding. Another small paddock, which was manured with deodorised nightsoil and sown with oats towards, the .end qi April last, has already, produced the best crop of that d escription we have ever sejen. The oats have grown to the height of three feet, a luxuriance seldom attained in so ; short a time. Owing to its rankness, it is being cut down as greenstuff for cattle. A twentyacre paddock has been top-dressed to ,the extent of 400 tons of deodorised nightsoil, the proportions being the usual ones, viz.,. half landsoil and half nightsoil., This) paddock is being prepared for a potatoe crop,; wiU probably yield 15 tons to the . acre/. ~, ft yielded five tons to the acre when-last sown

with potatoes, ,• about five years ago. Mr Bollard allows an interval of five years be tween the raising of a crop of potatoes ant the sowing of another in the same ground thus carrying out the rotatory system as ii ought to be. A paddock containing 25 acre! was sown with potatoes in September last after it had been manured, but early ir the following month (October) a deluging rain fell, and left such lodgments of watei on the land as to have completely destroyed the seeds, which : consisted of cut potatoes. The ground- was afterwards dibbled with maize, and a crop of fortyfive bushels :to the acre was obtained although sown a month later than usual. During the last twenty months Mr. Bollard has manufactured upwards of 1500 tons of deodorised manure, the greater portion of which he has'applied to his land. The process of deodorisation is carried on daily by men in his employment who thoroughly understand the work. The process is so managed as to preclude any offensive odours emanating therefrom, and thus no nuisance whatever is committed. The - carts with the. nightsoil arrive at the farm from.town before daylight, and their' contents are at once mixed with land soil of a most suitable description and disinfecting fluid. The. landsoil is readily available on the farm, and, as it contains a large percentage of vegetable matter,. it: is the best that' could possibly. be.. procured for deodorsing purposes.- The process has been already a complete success, and Mr. Bollard intends to continue the manufacture of this valuable manure, which is, sufficiently remunerative to encourage him in his enter* prise. Mr. Bollard holds his farm on a lease from William Taylor, Esq., of West Tamaki, who, it is gratifying to learn, gives his tenant every encouragement for improvements. Notwithstanding the perfection to which Mr. Bollard has brought his land by scienentific operations, he has drawbacks to contend with in the shape of caterpillars, and slugs, which have destroyed several fine crops in bygone years. One of his "paddocks is now. completely denuded of its vegetation by slugs, and has to be ploughed and sown afresh. Mr. Bollard ia, we believe, the only farmer about Auckland, who: has ever had recourse .to the bteodqrisation. of nightsoil on a large scale. .'.," ~