ROTATION SUITABLE TO LIGHT AND MEDIUM SOILS.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 1007, 5 December 1878, Page 2

ROTATION SUITABLE TO LIGHT AND MEDIUM SOILS.

[From the Canterbury'' Press.*J There jcan.be no question but that a rotation somewhat similar to that pursued in Norfolk,and known as the four course, is the very best for the bulk of our lands in Canterbury, which are 1 ight and easily worked. We advocate this system because it is capable of considerable modifications without imparing or materially altering the proper course. For the purpose of illusbratioa, we will suppose a farm of 100 acres which has been in crop for several years, : and which has been part laid down to grass and part in Vsfubble, say one-half of each. Taking possession immediately after harvest, the modern farmer who has learnt something of his business, and who has a moderate amount of capital, say J&5 per acre, will immediately divide the farm into four—it may be imaginary—phrts of twenty-five acres each ; the greater the number, of paddocks the better, provide of course the divisions are not great nneared for Jive fences,, which not only waste space, but offer a retreat for vermin; many of.the internal fences may be composed of hurdles. The main fence may .be of gorse, kept well trimmed; up, and sown or planted on the flat. The first year’s

work will be as follows:—Twenty five acres of old stubble turned under immediately -on possession, ftnd sown down with rape .and . bonedust at the rate o: five hundredweight per acre; harrowed in before the seed, six pounds of seed per acre, covered.in with a ehain harrow, and, if the ground be dry rolled, tweuby-rive acrss of the grass land will then be ploughed for corn ; if considered 'sufficiently fertile to produce a crop ef wheat, it may be sown the latter end of April or early in May. It must always be borne in mind that the early sown corn has two chances to one which the later sown has. No sooner has the corn been sown than the ploughs will be set to Work on the twenty-five acre area intended for green crops. The remaining twenty-five acres of stubble laud will then, receive, attention, and should be turned over with a broad and deep furrow, followed by a subsoiler, a'tid left so exposed to : ' the-: /meliorating- ; influence of the w.icter'.s frosts, and rains. AVhen.3pring.ardves.it must be croW-gruiabe'd.'and'' harrowed, arid allowed; to remain for a time, iu order that those seeds of ,weeds near the surface may vegetate, when, another stroke of the grubber and harrows will destroy these,,and render the land completely pulverised. yWe .■•would'i crop this block as fol-lows:—-Five acres of mangolds,yellow .

anil orange globes, sown in September | three acres of carrots, lons' reds or intermediates ; two acres of field-peasj same timej five acres of potatoes, in October ; and ten acres of turnips, in November 5 tb,e whole to he sown ov planted in drills as fht as possible. At least six tons of bonedust w.ill'be required for the green crops; if really good guano could be procured (we mean Peruvian), one hundred weight per acre in addition to .the dressing of bones would be found a good investment ~ a far better one than the same amount at a fixed deposit of 7 per cent. We have now disposed of seventy-five acres ; the remaining twenty-five will remain iii grass, arid so on alternating wheat, oats, barley, rape, turnips, mangolds, carrots, beans, peas, lucerne, &c, so that seven or eight years be "made to intervene between orops of the same kind ou the same land. "We shall now enquire what the cost of .production would be' for this first crop, bearing in mind that twelve tons of bones have been purchased as agunst six (ons, which is all that will be required i : the future per annum, or one fourth of the farm mauured every yo.tr, and

the whole in four years. This oatlay of say fifty pounds per annum, together with the manure made and carefully looked after, would be sufficient to keep the land in a high state of fertility ; but to figures :-

£ :d>>d. £ 's^ Ploughing 25 acres for rape, at 10a Vv "i 1 per acre .. .. 12 10 0: l Six tons of bones, at l' : £8 per ton .. 48 ’“- t at 6d ~ ~0 2 6 ■ Harrowing and roll- ' ‘ ing ' .. .. 315 O'- ■ ” Ploughing and subsoiling 25 acres for corn, at 18s per acre .. 22 10 0 Corn . sped rfor. 25 , acres^ v at 5s per bushel ~ 10 0 0 Sowing and harrowing at 3s per‘acre 3 15 0 ■ ;; •. ». 36 5 0 Ploughing ancl subsoiling 25 acres for green crops ■ . . 22 10 0 Grubbing, harrow* : ing, 7s 6d .. 9 7 6 Seed potatoes for 5 ' . acres, -J ton per : • acre .. .. 7 10 0 Five acres of mangold, 31b seed per . acre .. 1 10 0 : Thr'ee acres of carrots, 3lb per r acre .. .. 0 12 0 Two acres of peas, grey- . .. 10 0 Ten actesof turnips, ••■■■■■■•. : ; 241b‘per acre '. . 1 5 0 Bones ~ : .. 60 ;0 :0 • Horse hoeing-and . , thinning, 4s per ’ acre .. ~ 5 0 0 • ! Rent, 100 acres, at 15s per acre ... 75. 0 0 Total cost of production ~ ~ ■ 274 17 0 PEOBABLE YIELD, . Twenty - fiye acres-. ' of com, at 30 bushels = 750 , ■ bushels at 4s ,■ ]. ■ 150. 0 0 Pat sheep, lambs, and wool, the result of 25 acres of rdpe, and. 25 acres of grass ~ 60 0 0 Five acres of mangolds, at 20 tons : ,• per acre=s) 00 tons . at 10s per ton V. 50 0 0 ' Three acres of' 4 4 carrots, at 10 tons ; per acre=3o tons, ■ 15s per ton .. 22 10 ;'0 .•, : , Five acres of potatoes, at 7 tons i S peracre==3s tons, ; •' at : £3 per ton .. 105 0 0 Ten acres of turnips ■ , ' at 15- tons=lso tons, at,Bs v .. ;60 0 0 Two acres of grey • peas, at £5 per . acre ... .. 10 0 0 ’ : ; , Deduct rent and cost . of production r .. , 274 17 6 . ’ ! 182 13 0 Extra labor and incidentals ; .. .. , 82 13 0 Balance .. 100 0 0

Showing a net profit of £IOO over and above the outlay. We have made no mention of straw, -which will he ut least 2<3, tons,, it being considered that 30 bushels per acre is equal to ■& ton, ef straw; arid this we estimate as good yalue_|or_J62s, provided it has been care-;, fully harvested and stacked as soon as thrashed, to be cut; into chaff.for cattle food during the winter months. It must, also, be observed that 12 tons of bones have I een used, this large outlay being necessary owing to the poverty of the land. In the future, half the quantity, or six tons; along with the manure made oh the farm from house-fed pigs, aattle, and horses during the winter, wijl, .be. sufficient to carry on the rotation as indicated... ■ -The ; second' year, trie returns will be, much greater, as there', will be 50 acres, for' corn in splendid condition after' rape and the other root crops. There will only be; 25 acres of stubble to manure for green crops; 25 acres of that in corn last season will now be sown down in grass-seeds and clovers mixed with rape, at the rate of 2lbs. per"' acre—a plan which- many prefer to the usual mothdd of sowing the corn and. grass together. It is not without its advantages, one of which is, that'corn- sown alone is much more easily harvested. There is, however, temptation to sow all at the same time; the growing corn acts as. a niirse to the' tender clover and grass plants, and aa soon as the corn is cut and removed there is usually a good bite for sheep. : We must here caution our readers against the evil practice of allowing sheep to* : remain too long on young grass seeds, the feed being .so tender and sweet theyare'apt to eat it down to the roots. . The".introduction of manure; into .the soil wUr.pToduce a. corresponding growth of weed, which are as partial to good land as wheat or mangolds, and odh-r stant war must be waged "against them if success is to be, achieved, , The growing corti must be lVan.d-hoed';' the green crop's must have' the drill grubber and horse 'hoe'frequently? amongst them. ' By this means, weeds will not only be kept under, :bub-the' soil will be rendered loose and porous, and the better able to resist the evaporating action of the sun and scorches hot..winds. It.is an old adage, that "one year's seeding makes seven years' weeding.y '"..', r . In concluding these remarks, we would remind our readers of the old Flemish saying—" No corn, no straw; no straw, no manure;, no manure, no root crops; no root crops, no moat," Thq experiment of the last season, h,as proved the truth of tljese sayings, ao far at least as the latter portion of the adage goes.