THE OBJECT OF PLOUGHING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81916, 14 January 1907, Page 3

THE OBJECT OF PLOUGHING

The olijoct of ploughing may lie said to In; fourfold: —(1) The loosening of the soil; (i) the stimulation of bacterial activity; \}i) the destruction of weeds: (-1) She burial of manure. The lirsl is essential in order to prepare a L'ood seed bed and to enable the plant rools to penetrate more deeply, so that they can get nourishment'and moisture from lower strata of the soil. A further advantage of ploughing is that it opens up the soil to the atmosphere, the oxygen oi which changes the character of some injurious combinations, and renders_it available for fend fertilising material of a slowiy-soluable character. Isot less important is the improvement of the moisture conditions of the soil by ploughing. A friable soil allows the watel- to percolate down, and on the other hand the line soil is able to retain more moisture, which otherwise drawn from the lower soil by capillary action would be lost by evaporation. Land imi-l not be ploughed in a too wet condition, otherwise it cakes still

An important benefit of ploughing is the stimulation of the bacterial lite. This subject is now engaging more and more attention, and much remains to be cleared up: Imt it is certain Unit li.-hl warmth, air, and moderate moisture are all beneficial and all these eruditions are promoted by ploughing. ~ ..iHi^^Md