DEFECTS IN COLONIAL AGRICULTURE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5583, 19 February 1879, Page 3

DEFECTS IN COLONIAL AGRICULTURE.

(From the N.Z. Agriculturist)

The disastrous aud ruinous effects of the exhaustive system of agriculture generally followed in the colonies have been frequently pointed out, ami numerous aud varied suggestions have been made indicating the means by which au improved and more rational course of cultivating the soil might advantageously be adopted. But so far as our experience aud observation have extended, there lias been only very partial attention given to one of the most important matters closely affecting the future prosperity of the agriculturists as a body, aud indirectly the whole community—• how to maintain the fertility of the soil unimpaired. It is au ascertained fact that the agricultural lauds of this colony are, when first cultivated, extremely fertile, aud produce more abundant crops than almost any other country having a similar G'.vute aud temperature. It must be evid > au accurate observer that, in many ] . is of the colony where agriculture has been for some years carried on, the lands are gradually deteriorating in their capacity to yield such crops as formerly, and yet our remark is true that small interest is taken in the important problem we have stated. Various reasons could be given for the singular disregard of the warnings aud advice of those who have written aud spoken on the subject. It certainly cannot arise from ignorance of the fact that soils originally capable of raising remunerative crops liave been slowly but surely deprived of those constituents essential to the production of good crops. Everyone does know, or ought to know, that in the older colonics at least—such as South Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania, aud Victoria—there are thousands of farmers who have practically realised the truth of what wo state, by the loss of their capital, the heavy mortgages on their properties, and the wretched and costly shifts they must continually adopt to raise money for current expenses by the forestalling of their growing crops—yea, frequently, even before the seed is sown. The ultimate result of such a kind of farming is the Bankruptcy Court. We bedieve the three chief reasons for the neglect of the principles which generally guide other men in the maintenance of their capital intact (for the soil is the fixed capital of the agriculturist) are these; First, the insufficiency of the money capital of those who become cultivators of the anil. They are therefore compelled to get as much from the soil as possible at the least expense, and they cannot afford to relax from this course of robbery until the evil of which we write has been accomplished. Second, the prevalent ignorance of the first principles of the science of agriculture, and too frequently the inexperience of the details of good practical farming. Aud third, but not least, the great difficulty arising from the high rate of wages, and the scanty supply and poor quality of the labor obtainable for the numerous minor operations, essentially necessary to the carrying out of the alternative system of cropping as practised in Great Britain and elsewhere. The practical benefits from the adoption of a rotation system are now universally admitted in theory, although, from the reasons already stated, it is practically ignored and neglected in most of the colonieA. The lamentable results that have been consequent on the neglect of this rational system—one of nature’s most apparent laws—have not to any great extent manifested themselves in New Zealand. The limited period that has elapsed since the originally fertile soil of New Zealand was brought under plough is barely sufficient to develop the mischievous consequences of cropping too repeatedly with one kind of plant on the same soil. But while this is, as a rule, fortunately true, there are not wanting many symptoms of the over cropping with cereals in the agricultural districts of the colony. We have recently seen crops of oats and wheat growing in some of the best soils in the district so light aud altogether so inferior as to force us to the conclusion that the management must be deficient, for despite the dry season, we maintain that by a system of deep and mare thorough cultivation, in conjunction with some degree of attention to rotation, the crops on the soils referred to should yield a larger return of bushels per acre than what can easily be obtained on the hilly moors of Scotland. Farmers of largo agricultural experience who have visited this colony have remarked the very small area under root crops, and a perusal of tho annual statistics distinctly proves that restorative crops boar but a small proportion to the cereal crops under cultivation. We have every reason to apprehend that iu the course of a few years more we shall have cause to lament over the fruits of the ruinous course of farming so generally followed, he the reasons what they may which may bo urged for its ’ continuance. The crops usually considered as restorative are turnips, mangolds, potatoes, carrots, &c.; beans, peas, tares, &c. ; aud grasses and clovers, &c. One potent cause why the two first divisions of restorative crops are not more generally cultivated is the high expense involved iu performing_ those simple operations connected with their cultivation which are mainly done at Home by boys and girls. This at least is given as the reason for their not being more largely cultivated. The rapid development of impi overaent iu all kinds of implements will, ere long, make this excuse untenable. No argument of the kind can bo successfully urged why clovers, and especially red clover, should not be more universally grown as intermediate crops. The expense of seeding chiefly with red clover for one year’s crop of hay may be considerable ; but having regard to the preparatory qualities kuowm to be connected with such a crop for the successful growth of wheat in succeeding years, the perfect "mine of ammonia ” which the ploughing down of the after math would convey to the soil, the large quantity of nutritious food that

would be available in winter for dairy cows and other half •I'-i’-ved animal*, we think powerful consul r b y.’.s I v; 1 -sen adduced in favor of its more gc-m-.ai a-ioplion. The usual practice of laying land down under grass does not, we coulhbh, impress u;t with an opinion that the improvement to the soil consequent on the presumed re t fr-m cropping is frequently fulfilled. Observation and statistics prove that grasses are grown to a considerable extent by 7 fanners But we contend that tiieir growth i; often but an aggravation of the eviis from perpetual grain-growing. Fields after fields are to be seen sown down with rye grass for the purpose of raising seed, that have probably produced several crops of grain, and without the aid of manure in any

shape. Every stalk of these cereal crops is again religiously deprived of every seed by the mercile»a thrashing machine, the straw alone remaining to be offered to half-starved animals as hay. We ask what possible benefit can the soil derive from the substitution of one cereal crop for another? But this is not ail. After this foolish robbery of tiro sop, the weakened plants are left to form a pasture upon which to graze a few cows or bullocks, until every root of good grass is eradicated and replaced by couch or other abominable weeds, ever too ready to occupy the place of useful plants in badly farmed laud. The breaking up of tins so-called old lea is followed by another similar course of punitive and exhaustive cropping. Is it difficult to foretell the inevitable result; We strongly advocate the more general cultivation of red clover as one of the means to resuscitate tho soil after a course of graingrowing ; aud trust our remarks will have the effect of eliciting the opinions of some of our farmers in this district. If corroborative of our opinion, well and good; if, on the contrary, they are prepared to oppose our views, we shall gladly ro-opon the question, aud endeavor to conclusively prove that we are right. At all events, tire subject is one worthy of earnest consideration. [We can strongly endorse the recommendation made by the Agriculturist Throughout the Western Counties of England, in llie valley of the Severn and elsewhere, a first-rate crop of wheat is considered a certainty after clover. From fifty to sixty bushels per acre is not uncommon. We have always understood that the decaying roots of tho clover were believed to provide food for the young wheat plant in abundance, so much so that a second wheat crop was not very unusual after clover, though never taken after any other crop.—Ed, N. Z. Mail,]