WHY DROUGHT KILLS PLANTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 306, 17 March 1928, Page 30

WHY DROUGHT KILLS PLANTS

WANT OF HUMUS For years people have preached the immense value of humus in the soil. Now that the drv weather is upon us we realise more fully what the value of humus means. Hundreds of plants and trees have died through the recent drought, and I have no compunction in stating that if more green stuff had been dug into our gardens to act as manure and hold the moisture, less plants would have died. From experimental figures we have the following results: 1001 b. sand will hold 251 b. water; 1001 b. clay will hold 501 b. water; 1001 b. humus will hold 1901 b. water. In addition it promotes a chemical action which makes available to plant life foods in the soil which are unaffected by other manures. Therefore, to save water and grow better plants, put more humus in your garden. The Best Green Manure Crops.— There are many recognised seeds sown ror green crops, but the best varieties for small gardens are lupins, mustard, peas, oats and rye grass. All these contain a great deal of moisture which helps the foliage to rot ouickly when dug in. Lupins are perhaps the best for small gardens and should be broadcast and dug in just before the flower shows. In very dry soils a sowing of mustard is good. This contains much moisture and is, therefore, excellent for this class of land. If gardeners would only take notice of these few remarks they would be amply repaid in their crops and save much money in artificial manure.