WAIKATO FARMERS' CLUB.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 335, 1 September 1898, Page 4

WAIKATO FARMERS' CLUB.

IHK usual monthly meeting of the above Club was held on Monday evening. Mr E. Allen (President) in th 6 chair. New Member.—Mr John May was elected a member of the Club. Bats and Toads.—A communication was received from the Auckland Provincial Agricultural Association, urging the desirability of introducing toads and bats to combat the insect pests and intimating that the Society would contribute £lO if the Agricultural Associations would provide the balance.—On the motion of Mr John Fisher, seconded by the President, it was resolved to contribute £2 2b. -The President said he hoped there would be a fair distribution.

Stallion Parade.—lt was decided to \ hold the annual stallion parado in the paddock opposite the English Church, which could be had upon reasonable terms. It has usually been held in Victoria Square, but that is not now available. Poisoning Sparrows.—Mr Tucker said now was the time to poison the birds that were so troublesome taking seeds that had been freshly planted. He had put down a little poisoned wheat and had picked up no less than 160 dead birds the same morning, and doubtless as many had died that he did not see. The poison he used was strychnine, and from experiments he had made he found that nothing less than one ounce to the bushel was efficacious. He usually prepared a few pounds of the poisoned wheat at a time, for if it was kept for any length of time it was apt to go mouldy unless very thoroughly dried. His formula was -]oz. of strychnine, loz. spirits of salts and If, to 2lb. of brown sugar dissolved in water, and then the wheat was soaked in it for 12 hours. It was then strained off and used. Mr Tucker ■aid it was an important matter to strew the poisoned grain over the newly-sown ground very late in the evening or before daybreak in the morning ; then the birds took it readily, and their stomachs being empty it operated speedily. Analysing Manures. —Mr John Fisher moved that during the yeir the Executive Committee take steps to have samples of manures used in the Waikato analysed for the benefit of the community.—The President seconded the motiou, and said he was sure they were all tired of paying for sand.—Mr Forrest said it would be a serious matter for any farmer to go to a merchant and get a sample and then turn round and tell the vendor to take one also, as he (the farmer) intended getting it analysed. He did not believe they would get one farmer in the district who would do it. He was of the opinion a proper officer should be appointed to do the work ; as it was the Adulteration Act was a dead letter. The President said Mr Pond stated the weak point of the Act was the unit values of the manures not being fixed.— Mr Anderson asked if Mr Pond analysed samples of all cargoes of manures that arrived at Auckland.—The President believed he usually did, but on his own account and not on behalf of the Government.—After some little further discussion the motion was carried just as Mr Pond entered the room.

Mb Pond's Lecture.—Mr Pond said the members were all aware of the purpose which brought him there. There had been a alight misunderstanding, and they would find before he had finished that the members in general knew less about the subject than they ought to and that their President and .Secretary knew very little more. His remarks would necessarily be somewhat technical but he would endeavour to make himself clear, as it was necessary they should understand thoroughly what he had to Bay. The object of the farmers was to buy their manures well, but neither the cheapest nor the dearest article was always the best. What was, above all things, necessary was that they should know exactly what they did buy and the real value of it. The question was in reality ODe of arithmetic, but it had been made as difficult as possible by the practice of the merchants dividing the manures into as many kinds and classes as possible, instead of keeping them within reasonable bounds. The more classes, the more confusion there was in the minds of buyers. The true meaning of *' unit value" was consequently obBcured, despite all that the Act endeavoured to do. He would endeavour to make this subject clear, and show how great was the danger to which ignorance Ifgarding it exposed the farmer. By disregarding the Act, both farmers and dealers ran considerable risk the one of loss and the other of severe penalties. Regarding the unit value, it would be clear to them that if a manure contained, say 100 per cent, of potash (which of course was extremely r*re) at 2s per unit, the price would be £lO ; if it contained 100 per ceut. of sulphate of potash at 3s 6d per unit, it would be worth £l7 10s ; and if it contained 25 per cent, of sulphate of ammonia at 10s per unit the value would be £l2 10a. These were wholesale estimates, and it wan upon the wholesale basis that the farmers should be dealt with. His position in the matter was that he was employed by the Government to act for the farmers, and he intended to carry out his duties without fear or favour. Another libt gave the value of the 125 per cent, of sulphate of ammonia at £l4, which for retail would, he thought be reasonable. One of the difficulties they had to meet was that the dealers had no fixed value for units, and this was where he thought the club could exercise its influence for good, and force the adoption of a uniform rate. So long as the farmers remained divided, so long they would have to put up with the existing unsatisfactory conditions of things. If there was a fixed unit price, calculation would be easy, but as the price for sulphate varied from Is 6d to 3s it was not easy to estimate. A great deal of nonsense was uttered by dealers with regard tq the special constituents of their manures. One man had said that his inauure contained elements which no chemist could analyse, but which the plant required all the same. Well, all that he could say in answer to that was that if he did not know us much as a cabbage he was not fit for his bnsi* ness. Another dealer claimed that his manure contained insecticides and fungicides, but these were better left out, as in some cases they did positive harm. In any case it was not right that the farmer should be asked to pay fancy prices for them. The elements of fertility were numerous, but the soil itself contained many of these in sufficient abundance. He was sorry to see that the club had no standard works to instruct the members on this subject. He had seen their library that day, and it consisted of three small books, not showing many thumb-marks. They should have at least " Veale on Manure." The three principal manures were ammonia, potash, and phosphate of lime. If the soil has these three in available forms all the rest is there for all phnt requirements. In the work referred to they would find the most, complete information concerning experiments with these three elements. It was remarked that all plants suffered from the absence of any one of these elements except the leguminosie, which Airerc found to stand the absence of ammonia better than any others. Tlie reason for this was that they absorbed nitrogen (potash) from the atmosphere. This, however, was a subject which he did not intend to euter upon that evening ; except to say this, that when the normal manures were present the farmer had all he wanted, and if he paid for anything over and above, for that which was not immediately needed by the soil, or which would not remain in it, he was throwing money away. Phosphate of lime was contained iu bones and in guano, not Peruvian ; but Island, Coral Queen or Chesterfield guano. This contained usually 63 per cent., whicli was .valued by the Bettlers at 2s per unit and

sold at Is 61. What he wanted to know was why they should make this differ ence. One firm had vu'ued phosphate at from 3s to 4s, and yet soil it at Is 6d. If the basis were fixed at l-i 6d, the farmer would know exactly wh»t he was doing. Chesterfield guano, 3o per cent., was valued at Is 9d per u.ut, equal to £3 Is 3d, and the selling price £3 10s, instead of £2 12s 6d at Is Gel i er unit, as it should be. The balance of the bulk of the manure was simply rubbish, carbonate of lime, water, etc. They would be told that carbonate of lime was valuable, and so it was, provided one got it for nothing. In another manure quoted they had phosphate of lime 50-61 per cent, at Is (id per unit, and ammonia 4-(50 per cent, at 10s, making in value £0 14s 7d, while the selling price was £b" 10j, less the usual two and a-half per cent discount. Another sample gave 51 per cent phosphate of lime, at 2s. and 4 per cent ammonia at 14s, or £7 18s, and the selling price was £7 ss, less the discount. On the basis of the .first sample, the real value of the second was only £6 9s 3d ! Need he say anything further to exemplify the confusion and loss resulting from the present want of system ? On their own showing the dealers put their unit values too high. He would give another sample (which he had himself taken from bulk) of blood and bone manure, a manure which he valued very highly.- This contained 29 per cent of lime phosphates at Is Gd per unit, £2 3s 6d ; ammonia (NH 3) S 12 per cent at 10s, £4 Is, or a total of £6 4s 6d, while the selling value was £5 10s. In the matter of superphosphates the dealers were like the drapers who wrote 2s in large script and llf-d very small. He would give a sample : Soluble phosphates 27-17 per cent (sold on basis of 36 per cent), 4s per unit, £7 4s ; reverted phosphates, 2-40 per cent, at 3s, 8s ; insoluble do., 3-20 per cent at Is 6d, 4s 9d : total, £7 16s 9d. The first item (36 per cent) was equal to bone earth made soluble, and was sold on a wrong basis, and one he believed contrary to the Act. The "reverted" phosphates was a badly made manure, because the soluble phosphates were better reverted to.the soil. where it would flow round the roots of the plant. In the one case it came to the root, in the other the root had to go co it. The insoluble item was wrong also. Now_ the selling value of this manure was £5 10s, and he had since seen it quoted at £5 2s 6d. In this way the farmer was made to believe that he was getting a cheap article, which was not really the case. The farmer might rest assured that he gave 20s for every £, and if anybody was selling guineas at that sum he had never come, acroia him. Then there were the so-called potato fertilizers. He wanted the.farmers to make their own mixtures. He had said this over and over again. Here were the principal components of one sample: Soluble phosphates, 17 per cent, at os per unit, £4 ss; insoluble phosphate, 8 per cent, at 4s, £1 12s 6d ; ammonia (NH $), 25 per cent, at 16s, £2 ; sulphate of potash, 9 per cent at 4* 6d, £2 0s 6d—total, £9 17s 6d; selling price, £7 10s. These fertilizers contained all sorts of ingredients, though, as he had explained, only three were required, as the land possessed the others. In one sample sulphate of magnesia was included and charged for on a basis of 3s 6d per unit, for the reason, he supposed, that it was injurious Other ingredients were included which were not wanted and might come under the head "fancy elements." Yet the farmer had to pay for these things. He would give them the items of a better and cheaper mix' ture which would contain the sam3 soluble material. It was: Sulphate of ammonia (the pure NH 3, and if they bought without examination they knew who would suffer), 10 per cent., equal to 2-5 NH 3, £1 8a ; sulphate of potash, 9 per ceni. (in 36 per cent of kainit), £1 12s 6d ; superphosphate, 40 per cent,, equal to 15 per cent, of soluble phosphate, £1 19 < —or £4 19s a ton, equal to the article for which they were paying £7 10s. This made only 86 per cent. The weight might be made up in various ways. Some of the additional elements were useless, and would run through the lands in the district. The special fertiliser sampled by him was more suitable for clay lands, and he presumed the members wanted the manure they used to go to the potatoes and not to their neighbours' land. Another kind, which would be still less liable to wash away, was composed of ammonia 25 per cent., sulphate of potash (kainit) 35 per cent., and superphosphates 40 per cent., the value being the same as the other. The blood and bone manure (ammonia) might be advautaeeously increased at the expense of the superphosphate. In the turnip fertiliser he had sampled he had found that only two of the normal fertilisers had been used, the ammonia being left out. This was clearly wrong, as the main object of the grower was to get the turnips on quickly out of the way of the fly. It was a gross feeder, and that was where ammonia was wanted. A better manure for turnips would be similar to that he had suggested for potatoes. If there was more ammonia in it than was required, it would not be lost, but would be retained in the soil. With respect to the Manures Adulteration Act, the measure had been passed in 1892. and had come into operation on the Ist March, 1893. No Act of greater service to the farmers than that had been passed, and yet the use that had been made of it was almost nil. In reviewing the Act he pointed out that ample provisions had been made for the protection of the buyer, by compelling the vendor to provide invoice certificates, aud by laying down regulations for the prompt and effective analysis of samples. Heavy penalties were provided for breaches of its provisions, and if the far- ■ mer was a loser in manure transactions, it was wholly his own fault. Everything rested with the buyers, and, prodded they followed the course laid down, they had the most ample and complete proteetiou. In running over the nanibß of the manures scheduled in the Act, Mr Pond laid stress on the value of basic slag, if it could be pro - cured at, say, £4 a ton. There was no ammonia in it, and where that element was not required, the slag could be substituted for blood and bones. Reverting to the general provisions of the Act, Mr Pond said the measure required that tho unit values bo attached to the invoice certificates. This was now neglected, and he believed that some manure was sold without invoices at all. Well, it was their own fault, as the Act was at their service, and the penalties for not complying with its provisions were, as they would see, severe. He could not impress upon them too strongly the fact that, in order to get the analysis made, the rules laid down in the Act must be strictly followed. The samples must be taken within 14 days after the completion of the purchase and .sealed; two must be deposited with the dealer, two retained, and the fifth scut to the analyst, with the invoice certificate. If the analyst made a mistake, so much the worse for him. In cases of dispute, tho matter was referred to Lincoln Colleyc, and then, if need were, to England. The certificate gives the total value of the article sampled, and the aualyst had to find out the unit value. He had nothing whatever to do with the selling price. There was, he believed, just one blemish in the Act, in the shape of a provision inserted at the instance of the sellers. It was this—that if the selling value were exceeded the vendor should be held blameless. This might work out disastrously for the farmer. Take the case of the potato fertiliser quoted by him. They would see at once that either the ammonia or the sulphate might be left out with impunity. He -lid nut for a moment think that vendors would be guilty of anything of this kind, but there was the loobhole, though it was only fair to add that the Act did not bar anyone aggrieved from sucking a remedy at equity. Power was given tu tho county

councils (he was sorry the same power had not been extended to Farmers' Ulubs) to appoint inspectors, who were empowered to obtain samples of manures offered for sale within the county limits, ami to require the vendor to supply them with invoice certificates, with the necessary penalties for non-comp'iance. Whether the county councils would move in the matter he did not know. Waipa had done so once. It would be quite competent for the council to appoint as inspector the secretary of the Club. The Government had appointed him as analyst, aud by the arrangement between them he had to make analyses for 7s 6d each when the samples and invoices were forwarded as required by the Act. Wheu other modes were adopted a different scale would be charged. Several farmers had utilised his services, but not many in the Wail; a to. It would be easier for the club to take the matter up than for individuals, end all the help he could give them was at their service. At present the farmers often paid £7 10s for an article that was only worth £5, but they had the remedy in their own hands. Replying to questions, Mr Pond said he was not employed to sample bulk manures, as they were imported, though he often did so, and had found as much as 34 per cent, of sand. The price of the ammonia unit was generally 10s, though in the blood manure they got it m a better form for 8s 3d, still 10s was reasonable, while 14s was excessive. The only way to get a fixed unit price was for the fanners to combine and show a lively interest in matters affecting their welfare. As soon aB they began to make themselves heard the vendors would soon come to an agreement about the unit values. He knew of one analysis that had been used for three or four years. The 34 per cent, of sand was only 2i per cent, two years ago. The basic slag was worth about 2s 6d a unit. —Mr J. Fisher said the basic slag contained no ammonia. How should they supply the deficiency.—Mr Pond said they could get it in blood manure. —Mr Fisher said practical experience hid shown them that the blood manuae did not agree with the swedes.—Mr Pond said that might be because the manures so - called did not contain sufficient ammonia. They should get them analysed and find out what they really received, it might be well, perhaps, to add a little sulphate of ammonia.—Mr For rest said experience had proved that green bones and superphosphate was the best manure. Ho would like Mr Pond to explain how it was that wheat did more harm to the soil than oats, notwithstanding the fact that the analyses seemed to prove the contrary.—Mr Pond said with reference to green bones, that some time ago he would have favoured digested bones, on the ground that the fat delayed the work of disintegration,but he had found that this was not really so. However, the difference was not much, as the digested bones were cheaper. He did not like the admixture of superphosphate. He thought more of it as a top dressing, aud strongly advised the farmers to use it more frequently in this way. The farmers preferred to break up ; but they would be surprised at the good results of top dressing. With regard to the lelative exhaustive qualities of wheat and oats, he could not speak without fuller information, as so many things would have to be taken into consideration. If they could grow a good clover crop before wheat they need not fear the result ; but he was aware the Waikato did not grow clover well. The soil .vas deficient in ammonia and phosphoric acid. —Mr Forrest said they had been told in a Government pamphlet that manure on grass land broken for crop was thrown away.—Mr Pond could not believe that. The next crop would get it. In the case of sugar-beet, for instance, the manure must be used with the preceding crop ; but the material to be stored up ought to be as insoluble as possible.—The Chairman said they must all have listened with a good deal of pleasure to Mr Pond's lecture, and he was sure they would profit by it. He felt certain the (Hub would have more analysing dono than in the past. He begged to move a hearty vote ol thanks to Mr Pond for his able lecture and for his kin mets in coming up to Cambridge to deliver it.—The motion was carried by acclamation. —Mr Pond, in responding said he had done his best to make a dull subject interesting, and he hoped he had succeeded. The meeting then closed.