FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1922, Page 8

FARM AND DAIRY.

DEEP CULTIVATION. Our Urenui correspondent writes: That early ploughing and deep cultivation is essential to the successful production of heavy yields as regards mangolds was amply proved in the plot of Miss Amy Phillips, of the Mimi, who recently secured the championship in the northern division of the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs’ agricultural competition. The piece of ground under notice was ploughed in the late winter, and as each fprrow was turned over another spit was taken out with a spade and thrown on top. The soil was well worked up to a fine tilth and given an application of lime, and tnat the trouble taken was well repaid was shown by the magnificent crop of Jersey Queens which resulted —110 tons ’ll cwt. per acre, being probably a Dominion record. This matter of deep cultivation, as well as keeping the ground free from weeds, was specially stressed by Mr. Glasson* the agricultural expert, during his visit to this locality, and although the procedure followed as regards sub-soiling in the.above mentioned plot could probably not be carried out in its entirety with regard to a larger area, yet there ■ should be nothing to prevent intending growers of this valuable adjunct to winter fodder for their cattle from ploughing the ground deeply in the winter, and after allowing the grass or other matter ploughed in to decompose, to plough again in the spring, and then thoroughly work up the soil to as fine a tilth as possible and consolidate by a good rolling. That farmers who wish to provide roots for their cattle will have to give this matter their consideration is more than probable, as the unreliability of swedes is becoming more pronounced every year, as what with the ravages made by the fly, blight and club root, to say nothingof rot setting in. etc., it is becoming an extremely difficult matter to ensure* dn ordinary crop in some localities, .and failure is more often the case than otherwise.