NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 7

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

All farmers are aware that potato crops require a liberal supply of 3f«n*riDgr manure, and a portion of .Potatoex. this nourishment should be in a soluble form, as the plant grows quickly and lias a root system that feeds near the surface of the soil. So far as the crop itself is concerned, a very liberal supply of good farmyard manure is an ideal dressing, but not always available in sufficient quantity. To test the best system of manuring to be recommended, variout trials have been recently carried out in Great Britain, as well as tile results obtained from large growers of potatoes. From -tbe information supplied there seems no doubt that the best system is a combination of farmyard manure and commercial fertilisers. The fertilisers, being quickly soluble, furnish nourishment in the early stage of growth,* and the organic manure keeps up a steady supply during the later 6tages. If, for any reason, sufficient farmyard manure is not available, then it should be replaced in part by a, dressing of good Peruvian guano, which is also an organic manure, capable of keeping up a regular supply of nourishment. The director of Rothamsted says: "The best basis for the growth of potatoes is a supply of ■well-Totted farmyard manure, 12 to 15 tons per acre. In the absence of farmyard .manure it should be replaoed by some manure containing organic nitrogen — e.g., by sowt of good Peruvian guano, or by a meat or fiah manure. This basis or foundation of nourishment for the crop should be backed up by a dressing of artificials supplying in an active form ammonia, soluble phosphate, and potash. It is sometimes ■argued that it is not necessary to incur the expense of artificial potash, except in candy coils. This is correct when farmyard manure is used in quantities of 25 to 30 tons, but we are trying to show thai^ such large dressings are extravagant, and when the dressings are limited to 12 to 15 tons, then we think it is a mistake to omit potash with such a potash-loving plant. The form of potash should be sulphate of potash in preference to kainit or muriate of potash, in both of w&ich the chlorides are apt to act with bad effect on tixs quality of the tubers. Therefore, in addition to the moderate dressing of farmyard manure, the crop should have the benefit of 4owfc or Sowt of & complete manure, or a soluble Peruvian guano containing about 6 to 7 per cent, of ammonia, 15 to 20 per oent. soluble phosphate, and 5 to 6 per cent, of potash. If the soil is decidedly bandy the potash Bhould be increased to 8 to 10 per cant. Farmers would find it greatly to their advantajje if they always made Pnrrbfttfn? it a rule to examine samples Seed. o f seed at home before purohasing. The oorrect way of proceeding: is to select the seed according to an analysis, as is done with fertilisers and feeding stuffs. The ordinary handling of a sample is useful for indications of heating in a stack or harvesting when unripe, but otherwise gives no exact value to the sample. The following are tho points of value upon which a sample depends: — Purity, germination capacity, weight of seed and other characteristics, such as brightness, colour, smell, as well as the necessity for tho ceed to be the exact variety required to suit the soil, climate., und other conditions of the district in which it is to be grown. A ■writer to the Agricultural Gazette states hat the degree of purity is represented' by the percentage of inorganic material, which may either occur as an adulteration of seed or as an impurity, as -dodder withi clover. As regards adulteration, there is seldom much trouble with corn seed, but clovers and ryegrass are probably tampered with more than any other seed, and should therefore be thoroughly 'examined. ' The germination capacity and rate of germination are given by recording how many seedb in a hundred germinate during a. certain number of days — generally about 12 — under suitable conditions of moisture, warmth, and air. 'Experiments of this kind are very simple, and demand only a few minutes' attention each day during the trial. The vitality of •eeds varies a good deal, mangel, bcaa,

turnip, rape, and most other oil seeds retain their germinating power for some years; whereas sainfoin seed seldom keeps* over to the following season. The writer concludes by saying that a change of eeed is important, and states that most farmers - consider the best change is effected by the use of seed from soils similar in character. He finally mentions the advisability of enumerating briefly the main points to be remembered in tbe selection of seed. They are as follows: — (1) Deal with a reliable seedsman ; (2) beware of low prices ; __ (3) demand a guarantee >n respect of purity and germination capacity; (4) never buy mixed seed; (5) always buy by weight or weight per bushel; (6) examine samples at home (a) by use of microscope to determine purity, (b) testing germination capacity artificially indoors, but also out of doors it possible; (7) generally buy 6tnall seed, especially that for permanent pasture, from a widely-known firm ; corn seed is obtained cheaper m the local marfcet if the seed is good ; (8) keep in tubes samples of firstclaw seeds, especially small seed, 'for com- • parieon with commercial samples. ) At the recent Agricultural Conference the question of the impurities Xbe Cheap S«ed in seed was fully discussed, Corse. a nd ait interesting paper on the subject was read by Mr T. W. Kirk, Government biologist, and in reference to cheap eeed he pointed out that for years the department had been fighting the weed trouble. In 1901 he bad declared that, at & moderate estimate, the loss to the farmers of the Dominion, was over a million and a-half sterling. Sine* that time tha area under cultivation had increased, but the weeds had certainly not diminished. The source of weeds was, of course, dirty or cheap seed. It was not always the fault of the vendor. The buyer was not-unknown wito declared that cheap seed was good enough for his land ; in fact, he knew of a. case where a farmer had purchased the screenings of a. seed-cleaning machine. Unfortunately, in such a case, the resulting' weeds, could not be confined to tka land of the man responsible. ~ New Zealand had paid dearly in the past for the purchase of cheap seed. Practically all their weeds had been imported in cheap seed, and were still being imported. Some measure was necessary to control tho sale of seed. In some instances, samples submitted to the depart- j ment— samples sent unopened by farmershad contained 25 per cent, of impurities, the percentage even going up to 40 per cent. In regard to they work of securing pure seed, the method in vogue in Germany was instanced. There' the local agricultural societies inspect the seed crops whilst they are growing, and if found to be pure and grown under proper conditions the seed was approved and advertised, with advice, in the societies' monthly seed lists. Members of the societies were thus enabled to secure seed which was true to name and of good quality, and there was a. field of work here for New Zealand agricultural societies, though, of course, there was not the same scope for them that there was for the German societies, as the bulk of the seed used in New Zealand was still imported. In seed-testing, it was explained, everything was called an impurity which was foreign to the seed purchased. For instance, '•! clover seed were purchased, ryegraes seed would be considered an impurity. Whether the time was ripe for c thorough seed control act, Mr Kirk did not know. They had published the results of official analyses, but, , as thej would have noticed, no indication was given of the name of the vendor, because if the name had been given- i the department, and possibly Himself, would be liable io prosecution by the man who sold tne scad, for by the publication in question he would consider bis business to be injured. Ir this matter they lagged behind the Old Country, where they could publish the name of the vendor. That is what he would like to see in this country. If the time was ripe for a full seed control act, then such an act should be passed. If the names of vendors could be published with samples, it would be a magnificent thing for the ven<Jor of the good seed, and a ' magnificent thing for the farmer in enabling I him i o avoid the firm supplying the poor sample*. A knowledge of the art of manuring consists in providing — by the The Art of application of fertilisers Hamiriag. carefully chosen— for the presence in the soil of all the principal foods of tho plant, in sufficient quantity and in a state in which the plant ' can make use of them We all know that various nourishing substances are required for plants to live on, and that they cannot subsist on food consisting of only one single 1 nourishing ingredient, so that when a farmer is about to apply manures to any particular crop, this truth should be constantly borne in mind by him, for tlig reason that, if only oxe q£ the necessary ingredients of the food of the plant be wanting, or not be present in sufficient quantity, it is impossible for tho plant to properly develop ar.<] thrive _gatisfaotorily. A plant can form no leaves, no stem, and no grain from nitrogen, or phosphori< acid, or potash alone. The several nourishing ingredients must all act together, and, further, each must be available in th« proper quantities. For instance, oats have been found capable of producing a crop of 11,5001b from 801b nitrogen, lOOib of potash, '

amd -50ib of phosphoric acid : but if besides the 1001b of potash and 501b of phoephorio acid only Wlb of nitrogen be present in the soil in a form in which the plants can absort -.it, then only half of .the crop can" be prodfuced. These are facts ' of > th© greatest importance to 'a-rniers, who should endeavour to know the analyses or ingredients of the fertilisers they intesd applying to any particular crop, because this knowledge may make all the difference between failure or success. Before sowing, the farmer should ask himself the question, How can I supply to my crops pitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash in «h© best forms and quantity and at the least cost? AGRICOLA. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Bt Agkicola. H. M. writes: "Is white .clover good for milking cows? I inteau sowing down a paddock of grass, and intended to put a mixture of white clover, but my neighbour 6ays it is harmful to the mdJik, and as I intend to send milk to a cheese factory I would not like it to be returned for food flavour." Answer: Though cow grass, red clover, and alsike are fche most . nourishing t)f the clovers for dairy cows, you will .not find a mixture of white clover, 6ay about 21b to the acre added to the others, detrimental to your pasture ?or dairying purpose©. Nearly all pastures contain some white clover in addition to other grasses without afFecthag the milk in any way. • H. 8., Middlemarch: I intend 6owincr down some grass this season which I shall require for lambs about tha end of February. My intention is to sow about 401b of grass seed and; ©lover. What quantity of aiape should I sow with it, and what kind would you advise 'm© to put in? If I «ow just now will the rape go to seed before FabruAry? The land is inclined to be dry. It is clean and in good heart. There have been, three crops of turnips on it, which have been eaten off with sheep. Answer: Rape generally thrives better and grows more evenly when drilled in, and the grass «aed then sown. If drilled in, sow from 21b to 3lb to the acre, but if broadcasted from 51b to 7lb to the acre is about tho amount of raps- seed required. The Dwarf Essex variety of seed seems to be most used by farmers. You will*' probably find :t necessary, to prevent the rape from going to seed, to feed ,down your crop lightly, say aibout December, with lambs. "Worker" writes: (1) Is it possible or probable for an inexperienced man with, say, a capital of £50 to £100 to succeed in the business of cattle-raising with the assistance of another with the same amount of capital? (2) When a. partnership is contemplated, is it suffioiemtly binding- to have both signatures over a penny stamp? Answers: (1) No, it is not likely that an inexperienced man, with the small capital ' you mention, will succeed ac a cattle- ' breeder, unless the partner mentioned has previous experience ; but even so, you might find that in a year or two, or less, your partner had all the capital and you only the experience. (2) Under tho circumstances it would be advisable to have a deed of partnership properly drawn up by a lawyer ; and in any case a- penny stamp would not be sufficient stamp duty on a memorandum of agreement. W. "Si. N. writes to ask where formalin can be procured, and the price per Ib ? ' Answer: Formalin can be obtained from the New Zealand Drug Companr (Messrs Kempthorne, Prosser, and Co.). The price is 5s per ib. One pound of formalin- to 14 gallons of water and upwards, or even twice the quantity of water per 1b of formalin, gives good results. For steeping oats, about two gallons of the mixture per bushel is tihe amount to apply. "Clover" writes : I have a # paddock sown down with clover, etc., last year, and as I ihave not sufficient yard manure 1 would like to know if bonedust or superphosphates will do to sown down now, or is >t too late, as I am taking a crop of hay off this summer,? Is there anything eke better for quick results? Will the above manures answer to sow ( now on a grass paddock which is rather' run out? Answer: Your besf plan would be to apply a top-dressing to the paddock of about sowt to the aero of superphosphate. Had you asfced for the information about four months ago 1 should ha%e recommended you to use as a top- dressing ba^io slag, aboufa Bcwt to 'the acre, but for a spring manuring you will find supc-i phosphate gives quivker results.