RENOVATING THE SOIL.

Shannon News, 15 January 1926, Page 4

RENOVATING THE SOIL.

VALUE OF GEEEN MANURE. Farmers are beginning to realise tho value of green manuring, and many are anticipating growing catch, crops to plough in for this purpose. This is gcod practice, especially where intensive farming is practised, and is an excellent way of renovating poor or neglected soils. Green manure supplies to the land organic matter and nitrogen. Sometimes light, sandy, calcareous, and even heavy clayey soils arc deficient in organic matter. Green manuring consists of allowing green crops such as mustard, rape, clover, vetches, lupins, buck-wheat, and many other crops suited to the varied conditions, to grow until almost mature, when they are ploughed into, the land. On light calcareous soils tlve crop should not be allowed to get "too near. maturity or it will leave the land'too porous. On clayey or very heavy land it may be better that the soil should not be packed too tightly. ,It is, therefore, better under these conditions to allow the crop to become more mature. •

If the land is clear green crops should be sown as soon as possible, so that they may reach tlve right stage of maturity to'be ploughed in duving the hot weather. The best time to plough in green manure is during the summer or early autumn.. The heat absorbed by the soil, aided by moisture, soon causes decay avlijcli quickly renders this matter available as plant food. Moreover, if wheat or other cereals are to follow, it is better that the green matter has time* to become thoroughly .rotted before the cereal is drilled in. This w r i 1 not'only supply valuable plant food but will at the .same time help to retain moisture in the under layers of the furrow which, under ordinary conditions, will be sufficient to give an autumn crop a fair start. Cereals sown in the autumn, especially if tin; season has been a dry one, require tho soil to be aided in some way to concient inoisture to geiminate the s'eccl properly. In such a case the crop will be retarded, Avhich will materially serve moisture as there may be insuffiaffect the yield.