FARMERS' COLUMN.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 163, 15 March 1915, Page 7

FARMERS' COLUMN.

LOOSE SOILS. Tluit a loose soil is protected against ordinary drought has boon repeatedly proven. Doing u non-conductor of hen. it acts as a mulch, keeps the soil damp, and the roots cool; whereas the hard, unploughcd landa is a good conductor, and affords no resistance to the access of the injurious heat of the sun. Dew in abundance is very valuable to young plants, and its formation is facilitated by stirirng the soil. If any farmer will observe in the morning in his flower garden, he will see that dew is often aboundantly formed upon the loosely cultivated beds, while it is totally absent in the hard walks, and this is just what happens on a ranch larger scale in the fields. Moreover, when the formation of dew is so great as to be everywhere that upon the loose soil is absorbed and carried to the roots of the plants, while that upon the hard soil is quickly evaporated and lost.

PHOSPHATE OF LIMB. There are three different distinct forms of phosphate of lime, viz., tricalcic phosphate, bicalcic phosphate and monoeaicie phosphate. These all have phosphoric acid as a base. The former contains three parts of lime to one of phosphoric acid, and is generally termed insoluble phosphate, that is, it requires the acids of the soil to render it available for plant food, lienee it is slow in action. The phos-

phate of lime in bonedust is in this form. The bicalcic phosphate has one part of phosphoric acid, one part of water, and two of lime, and is more readily soluble than flic former. Monocalcic phosphate has only part of lime, two of water, and one of, phosphoric acid, and is soluble in water. The phosphate of lime in superphosphate is in this latter form and is immediately available for plant fend. The crushed bones are treated witht sulphuric acid in the manufacture of superphosphate, and this does in a short time what the rain and acids in the soil take years to do. In addition to bones, various rocks containing triealeic phosphate of lime have been discovered from time to "time, and these are treated with sulphuric acid to change the phosphate to monocalcic phosphate of lime, and this produces the fertilisers known as mineral superphosphates. Rural World. OATEN PASTURE FOR COWS. The Oroua correspondent :>f ‘he Auckland Weekly News writes;— "Some dairymen adapt the plan of grazing their cows on oaten pasture, with such marked success that it would seem the practice is worthy of more general attention. Excepting a few weeks in summer, and occasionally during winter, there is never real

scarcity of grc.ss, but it is just at those periods that a patch of oaten pasture is valuable for maintaining the cows in milk. Farmers who have tried the experiment are firm believers in oaten pasture, and they maintain, that no cheaper food is to be had and none more easily grown. The oats are sown pretty thickly, the ground being rolled subsequently; the cattle destroy very little by trampling. The crop is never allowed tc shoot into ear. b"t is kept down to the height of ordinary pasture by grazing on the rotation system. The paddock should bo divided into several small sections, and the cows should be made to feed them down in succession. But, of course, it is not advisable to let cattle remain on the oats for more than an hour or two daily. They may go out into the adjoining paddock for grass, but the daily feed of oats will have a wonderful effect in increasing the milk yield. The oats keep on growing for nearly twelve months nad always show accelerated growth very quickly after a shower of rain. The greatest of care should be taken that no stems are permitted to form, or the plant ceases to grow, and withers off permanently; otherwise the oaten pasture is cheap and convenient, and gives rather bettor results than if converted into hay or ensilage. There is no reason why this plan should not be tried in all parts of New Zealand where the ground is suitable for cultivation. The annual rainfall for the Dominion is usually satisfactory. But during this summer plant life of all sorts is suffering from the evils consequent on a dry spring. Though 1914 is exceptional with regard to the scarcity of rain, it is probable the next few years will be favoured with normal conditions. In any case the inexpensive scheme of grazing oats is worth trying." 1