AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8240, 19 September 1906, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS.

GREEN MANURING. The advantages accruing from this form of improving the land are not generally known, although there are various problems connected with the ploughing in of green crops to be still solved. An interesting report of some experiments in this line appeared recently in an issue of the Journal of the German Agricultural Society. The object of the inveatigationa was to ascertain—1. Can a satisfactory increase of crop be expected under most circumstances fxoui green manuring? What are the relative advantages of shallow and deepploughing-under of the green orop? tfy shallow 4in to sin is meant, and by deep, Bin to lOin. 3. Is it better to plough in the green crop in the autumn or spring? 4. What proportion of the totaJ nitrogen in the green orop is utilised throughout the rotation? 5. Apart from the nitrogen in the green crop, what are its other advantages? Full details are given of the results of the experiments, and from them it may be seen that—1. In almostjall oases there is a material increase in the crops throughout the rotation, but the inoreasq is very variable dependent on the charaoterof the eoil, and the season, -whether favourable to the process of decomposition of the green mass ploughed under. Ihe effeofc was especially marked in the first and second arop, and when the decomposition was hindered during the first season by unfavourable climatic influences, then the effect was proportionately greater in the seoond and following crops. 2. It was distinctly demonstrated at all the stations and on the different soils that the shallow is tetter than the deep ploughing-under, and should always be adopted unless there ar& exneptioaal oiroumstanoes rendering it desirable to modify the arrangement. 3. As regard* the question whether preference should be given to plough-ing-in the orop in autumn or spring, it would appear that there is little to choose between the two, and that the operation can equally well be carried on during either season according to convenience. 4. What proportion of the total nitrogen in the green orop is utilised during the rotation. This seems to vary considerably, being dependent on the soil, the season, and certain bacterial action in the soil, which requires further investigation, but the following data may be noted:— Plough-under Shallow. Deep. Ist crop, Bye—percentage of nitrogen utilised .. 27.89 20.78 2nd crop: Bye ditto .. 6.14 2.07 34.03 22.85 Ist crop: Potatoes ditto .. 34.03 27.73 2nd crop: Bye ditto .. 6.01 7.13 40 04 34.86 So that the first two crops after the green manuring may be said to utilise between 30 and 40 percent. «of the total nitrogen. It is interesting to compare these figures with the results obtained with nitrate of soda. After an application of lowt per acre, it was found that the peroentace utilised on an average at five stations was 47.50 per cent. 5. The advantage of the green manuring i?, however, not limited to the nitrogen furnished by it; the secondary benefits are also of considerable importance, and may be specified as the loosening and oneninoup the soil by the plant roots, supplying humus, conserving moisture, and generally improving the physical conditions of the ground.

TREE PLANTING. In the case of young seedling trees, more espeoially of those grow a in pots, are apt to become what is technically termed *pot' or 'root bound'—i.e., the roots of the plant are doubled or twisted up iato a ball with the roots interlaced. This is • oaused through carelessness in the nuisery, want of proper atttesion by being left too long in small pots when they should be shifted into larger ones, eto. In every ease where roots are thus doubeled up, the tree should be carefully shaken, ao that the roots may fiee themselves. If they do not free themselves readily, assist them by drawing the roots out to their full extent, each main rootlet by itself; after this dip in 'paddle' and plant, carefully covering over eaoh root in turn,?; and seeing tha*; the taproot has its full length, and iH not twisted or doubled up. Oare exeroisefl at this time will do away with a lot of future disappointment. A STIMULANT FOR MANGEL CROPS. Ihe most powerful stimulant for mangel crops is nitrate of soda. The results following its use vary, of course, acoordmg to the weather conditions. Nirate of soda must be reduoed to, a liquid form and conveyed to the roots before aoting. If rain favours it, then it givea the highest returns, but if the weather peisists in being dry results will not be so great. I do not approve of applying it to any crop until the roots are active and the leaves and topß eight or ten inches high Isays an English farmer, writing to an agricultural journal.) No less than a hundred weight per acre should be put on, and it need not exceed a hundredweight and a half. This will represent an expense of about 15s per acre, and will require about an extra ton and a half of mangels to pay for it, but as a rule, the return will far exceed that, a& from one and a half hundredweight of nirate I have had six tons of mangels more per acre than from those that had no nitrate, and several tons can always be counted on. If iu lamps the nitrate should be broken doira small, and not broadcast, but confined to the rows.