THE FARMER AND THE SOIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 27, 22 June 1914, Page 3

THE FARMER AND THE SOIL.

INTERESTING PAPERS READ. (From Our Own Reporter). At Palmerston on Thursday, two papers were read in the lecture room Wore a fair attendance of farmers. FERTILITY OF THE SOIL. A.paper on this sitbjec.t, prepared by Mr. G. Baylies of the Department of Agriculture, was read Iby Mr J. 0. Harkncss.

Mr Bayliss. laid down three rules as follows:—(1). A fertile soil must possess all the raw material necessary to build up the framewark and tissue of the plant These are nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash; calcium, sodiiun, iron, sulphur silicon and chloride, oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, magnesium and manganese. (2). It must possess all these factors necessary to disintegrate the raw material, or to cause it to rot or decay. These comprise heat, air, moisture, bacterial and other forms of organism, and chemical action gener. ! ally. (3). It must possess a considerable content of lime, in order to neutralise acids, which are often generated in the soil, and to form a favorbale base with which other food material liberated 'by chemical action may combine, and •in 'this form be utilised by the plant. A great deal, said Mr Bayliss, was required before a soil could be properly described as fertile. The soil's mechanical condition was as important as chemical. The circulation of abundance of air within the soil was essential to ensure fertility. If the air or the moisture was stagnant, poisonous gase3 arose, and useful organisms perished Such adverse conditions were often found in very compacted silt soils., and also in stiff clays. On the other 'hand, if a soil was very loose, open, or porous, it could not be fertile, because in per; iods of drought, the moisture -would not be properly drawn to the surface. One of the most important conditions for fertility was the soil's ability to retain a large amount of moisture, enveloping as a film, or casing, every minute individual grain of soil to which it adhered. Thus, also, a free circulation of air was possible. A crop might be ■described as fertile in so far as it conformed to the requirements. (Seldom was it necessary to add to a "soil all the ingredients which plants require, but four exceptions were nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash and lime. Nitrogen was fairly .plentiful in Sew Zealand soil, but, on the whole, our lands were not supplied too well with phosphosic acid. Potash was very necessary to fruit trees, potatoes, and root crops. iLime played an important part in keeping a soil fertile, as well as improving poor land. For one thing, it 'corrected acidity. What lime and proper management could do for the gum lands in the north was, perhaps, the best example that could be given of the need and value'of it in soil. Rotation of crops was important and essential. It was really the science of utilising one crop to feed another. Farmers could keep charts recording the results obtained from each of their paddocks. Mixed fanning should be done to sonic extent by all holders. A fertile soil must possess all the raw material necessary for the. building up of the framework and tissue of the plant. Most soils possessed these materials in sufficient quantities, "but, in many eases, the plant food was mot available. H might 'be that it was not sufficiently decomposed, or the material might not yet have entered into certain desirable combinations with other ingredients of the soil which converts them into available food for the plant use. A vote thanking Mr Bayliss for his paper was passed.

PHOSJP.LLA.TEri. Mr. ,T. f!. Wilson, .President of tinBoard (if Agriculture, mead' a. lengthy and very interesting paper on i iiosplwitcs, of which the following .is « summary:"— After referring to the ladvicc given by biebig, the great Gcnnun chemist, to the Cheshire cheescimik-ers to top-dress their pasture with hone* -to. restore the .phosphates taken by the .cows from the 'iiand, he quoted from the -report of Mr. j-Xston, pur agricultural dwuuist, on the 'tfew Zealand soils, showing that many, particularly in the North Island, are deficient in this essentM element, lililhcr this plant food :inust be supplied in the .shape of manure or else the i!-ro]M wiil be light and ifcho grass innutiritious. The agricultural fanner who grew rape una turnips for his stock had t« sisc phosphates in som<> form or else he, .would not have any crop. By this means he rflipplied some of tile required food (if lie cropped all his form) some time during bis rotation. 2Jot so the dairy farnver, unless he cultivated a considerable area each year and thus made rip the deficiency. For to gi't winter and summer feed for bis cows he also required to use manures. But, when it is corn'Mercd ti;; quantity of milk extracted from the soil and Kie ] amount of solids therefore msed up our cow pastures must in a, few year* show a deterioration where they were of a permanent nature. The process is a slow 0110—often not noticed, but if records were, kept of the quantity of milk taken from a farm year after year, it would probably be found that it is diminished". This was so well known to practical men that I think we might | take it for granted that most pastures deteriorate unless they were top-dressed or renovated. Mr. Wilson said a con-

I serv.ii.livc estimate of the amount spen | per annum on pho.rphates by New Zen land fanners wis half a million sterlim' / i'.nil be sug"ested that diligent scare! j should be mule for phosphate deposits ) The, owner-; o, Hi,. deposit at .Milburv

,tve -aid 'to be imi!ins ■mil, rtOOO tons annual:,''. In' mentioned ('■hri>tin:n Island and oilier place, fvem Which Hip„]i,s !■,;(>■ b" obtained. <..rel then d-alt with the'aiialv-is of phosphates on the market, and i.he fact, ihaf while phosphates cost the American inrmer ;l'/ : -! per unit they co.'l the, NV.v Zealand farmer Is (id to -2s per unit. He suggested the mannfaetm'e uf our own and gave the following as his main point:—"Why should the dairy companies mid aitr;';ilL-;iri-,ts not join together and form ,- co-opr,,:tiye company to make I heir a ,n phosphate manures? There are :il.. hatter and cheese factories- in tin' !wlh Island of Nov Zealand. Keen if 2110 of these were to put £IOO a, piece into -m-h n

company there; would he a cap!:- ! of £20,0110, and if mor.. eupilnl wire rc<|iiircd there should be no dllTkultv m procuring it, for such an object. ' We a'ready import about ilfl!]!) 1 ) 'ton? and If we-could cheapen the eo-t to farmers by this incan-i we Hhould he able to use over one-fourth more of for (lie same .money. In a few yef.rs we sliall want 200,000 tons and 'if we do not take steps to secure a supply ivc shall find that we shall 'have to pay 25 per cent, more than we pay nt- present."