FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2953, 18 June 1891, Page 4

FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Mu. I. "I" 11 I-. lilvT "I il' -' r '• 'I , l' U ' ~. ~:l: n tb in not tii i' i!r' l---".'-r «'"' Tμ- |v.,.v.|i 1 i - i 111 li' - li.l ■ - ''I i[ |, | "'"■' and .•:!•.".■ hat U ■ li. I i '■'■ '■■-■ •">"'■'» «;e> :.,„.- tb" "iH-.e-y , ' ■■:■■■ "' •"" !„,;.■ :, ~ I, tM .'.il'.-'H.UI '!'■;!. '" l'!'.;' , ; ,'.' ' i.,, i...i;-.i- -; _■- '!■=•- i!'-.iM t!;- ;;,:;: ;:r'',;;;:;..;';;'' , ti,- ;i '^-r K ;,f .. „,..„_, - |n -, ■<■«• •.Vμ k- ■■■.!<■ wmil.l IV.. , I; now it '.V.l- "!■■ -:.ill" Ir.ise, :ui.l t;,,. ,•:, i,....,{ ,:..:,. lii i. -ii i . d'.e i-inir. ly t i in-.ip'-r "U". I' ( '"' f'irii:--r would not 1 " s.i' n'u'l'aid'.y in tin- matti-r of cUiuw nTIN . would s|wii"e ..ii and vb-.m up his hor.-.s as he .-lioul'i, the cll'ecl woird be M'.n in bettei' prices for the animals he (f<.w Ti> (iuow Kai.i-:.—lt if nit sutli- ( ~p.,t ! v undersliiofi tliil kale does not irrow Htr.iiL'ht away to maturii v utter tlv manner i.f tli"e turnip but. that it tir-t arrows into ii i>iil-:i trie-shaped pi int ami does not give oil its many shoot- until after theliipseof a eonsid''i'ilili.' amount of time. The best, methods of onsuriiiir the growth of |)lants ■whieh eim he drawn from dry ground and yet. retain their riKitluts, i- to prep ire a Hhallow tilth and keep the miiuiin,' near the Hurtae.e. The main portion of the root dot s not then strike, down readily, but, ii dense, fibroin mat of runlets, which holpe In keep the surface soil loose, is fnrmiid iminiiliately below the surfaw, >"> thuttlio plants may bo drawn readily without injury. A heavy dressing of superphosphate of lime worked in near the t-urfaco will iiKM«t the germination of tho seed and cuiiHo tho rootlets to keep near the sHrfaco. If tho plants are to be pulled early in the year, and tho land in not infested with iinliual'weedi, it is best to sow broadcast, an tin , plants are morn shapely than when drilled ; but if the land is likely to produce ninny weeds, iiud thu plants are to stand until tin' Inter summer months, it is >vser to drill in tho hi I'd. A dressing of soot lit the time the plant.s are nhowiiiL' iiUivc irrnuud is useful in keeping uway the turnip fly, and (is a manure. iSTRKSIiTIIKNINfi TIIK WIIEAT PLANT.— Strengthening plants by thu aid of topdressings is by no means so simple a ltiattcr'as may be thought. Undoubtedly iTeatcr growth can bo obtained by the application of quickly acting nitrogenous manures ; but these manures must not be applied in a haphazard manner. It must be borne in mind that, when increasing I.Ik: growth, the aim is to increase the phut, so that it may Ik: .a better crop at harvest time, and not merely a more bulky crop. Tho effect of heavy nitrogenous dressings on a thin plant of wheat is to cause the wheat to grow strongly and more thickly on the ground ; but a ri:-k is run, as there is probability that the crop may be overdone just before harvest, and it will h<; highly susceptible to fungoid diseasis, such as" mildew and blight. A dressing o' nitrate of noda, lor instance, which would act beneficially on a wheat crop with a full plant, might cause the crop to bi> a total failure under similar circumstances on a thin plant. Where the liberal allowance of forcing manures, ■wiiijli are frequently recommended for bringing an insect-attacked crop into siluiy, are applied, the crop is often brought out of one danger into a much fi-eaf'T one. The wonderful effect of half a hundredweight of nitrate, of soda on plants of small size, is :iot realised, and a hundredweight is often used when, if properly mi.vi-d with sand to ensure cv.n distribution, S.jlb would produce MiHicieiit, growth to "arry the plant out nl danger of the ins-ects, and would not be likdy to cause harm. lln'.VTii DkTKKMINK TIIK AMOUNT OF 1,1 mi: in A>'V iSiiil.— In hU ledum on Aili:i''ial Mannrintf, Or. Bernard Dyer stall's a very simple plan by which the U'.;iii:ulturi;>t" can easily determine whether or not hifi noil possesses u siiillicicut prop irt.ic'uof Hnie. Chalky or marshy soils ai'.vfiv have nu übundiiiu-i! of liino but iivwiiand and windy soils are very deficient, and on such foils tho application of liiiio is usually attended with excellent, results. But tho averairn loam oil her may o: , may not contain a snfliciciit proportion of lime, and a wtnplo plan of ranking 1 .sure on this point is a f»ro;it desideratum. Dr. Dyer's pl'iu, brielly stated, is as follows:— Take a few clods of soil from different parts of the liuld, and get them well dried, pulverised and uiixed. Thou take a fow imnwH of this dried noil, powder it well, iinil bum H to ashea cm an iiou bhovelover the ilre. Then have, the mixture, of ashes and water stirred with a glass rod or. bit of ittiek (hut uot with anything , metallic) into a tine piifite.iiiid to this paste add one oiiuco of hydrochloric aeiJ, commonly 0 iid as muriatic arid or spirits of suits, the mixture boiii^ , wellstirred at tho i-ame time 1 i'a pretty brisk eu"erve:-;e,i'iicy thc-n takes place, it may bo tiiktu for granted that a ills unutaiiis a fair uroportiou of lime ; b it if there bo littlo or no fir'ervescenee, i', may bo taken for grunted that tho soil i< dsfioicnt in litr o. In tho former case Dr. Dyer says ho would recommend the use of superpbosiates, dissolved bones, or similar dissolved manure ; while in cases where the ."oil is deficient in lime, ho would recommend basin sia<. , , botiemeal, or phosphatic I'iruvian guai.o.