ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLVI, Issue 18, 1 May 1919, Page 37

ON THE LAND

i - ONION GROWING. For the highest results in onion growing autumn preparation -of the soil is desirable, ground* got into I shape at once will yield splendid crops ;i (says the N.Z. Farmer):.: Bastard trenching is the best.-"plenty *s of good farmyard manure being . worked between .the first and 5 second 5 spits. Basic / slag l (2oz ; to the 1 square yard) should be sprinkled over the bed and the soil left rough if, it .is heavy. On sandy soil add manure ; or moisture-holding and stiffening matter if you have it; at any rate, give 2oz ] of ; kaiiiitto the yard at once and a third of that amount of super-phosphate of lime at the end of May or early in June. '. . hoHO* 1 On all soils (medium soil' is most suitable) a dressing of 'soot and salt—2ozof soot .and Aoz of salt to the square" yard—must be given ; . for 'first-class onions in August."' ; On a dry clay afterwards the soil should be neatly raked level, rolled firmthe lighter the soil the heavier the rolling should, be—and the onions .planted. | AugustVplanting is the', best, generally speaking and rows 1 15 inches .apart, .with nine inches between the bulbs, are usual. Opinions differ as to the wisdom of shortening onion roots when planting out; shorten- ' ing the leafage undoubtedly does good. Sow seed by covering half an inch deep out of doors: plant as shallow as possible. Hoe often, but do not draw soil to the bulbs; only their roots should be below ground. INTELLIGENT USE OF FERTILISERS. I A better understanding; of the chemistry and use of commercial fertilisers on the part of a great number of our settlers would be a highly important factor in promoting an increased ;.agricultural output (says Mr. A-. McTaggart in the Journal of Agriculture). These valuable 'crop-stimulants are not as well understood by farmers generally as they might be. An understanding -by/ the farming community of their use from the standpoints of .'soil, \ crop, climate, and economics is of first importance. A good deal has been accomplished in this educational : : matter, but much remains to be done. Official experts are at the service of producers,,.; and it behoves any settler who is in doubtas to the manures to use for his particular soil, crop, and climate to obtain advice on' the subject from a scientific-source. t|| ... * ..... f\ - ..<. THOROUGH CULTIVATION TO INCREASE v: ,---.,' PRODUCTION. S3^ l Wherever cultivation is carried out it is essential to increased i>roduction that it.be as thorough as the season, labor, ■ and facilities available permit (says -Mr. A. McTaggart in the course of an article in the Journal of. Agriculture). Thorough and timely cultivation makes available plant-food and conserves soil-moisture, the two most important factors in promoting abundant crop-growth. In adverse seasons attention to thoroughness and timeliness .as regards cultivation frequently means the difference between success and -failure in crop production. A fine firm seed-bed is important in giving a crop a good start —a highly important factor; and the,rule to follow in. the seeding of crops is, the

finer the seed the finer the seed-bed. Elimination, as

far as possible, of rough-and-ready cultivation will go a long way Toward - materially increasing production from our soils. If A A .-j i

The adoption of methods of r cultivation. and* use of implements, suited to varying conditions climate, and labor supply will, where 1 possible, contribute a great deal towards increased output. Laborsaving machinery can materially assist in this direction. 1 The farm tractor, on land suitable for its use, can playan important part. || | C'-| vA ■ § In parts of the country where the rainfall is prevailingly somewhat < limited,.- or j where in i seasons the weather conditions are dry during the growing period, implements designed for "dry-land" farming could be used -to advantage. In preparing a ' seed-bed n under such conditions use could be made of the subsurface and surface packers, as used in the Western States and provinces of North America. These implements pack the soil, both lower and upper portions, and thereby encourage moisture to travel upwards by capillarity. The thin dust mulch that, in addition to packing, is produced by the subsurface packer tends to check evaporation from the soil. Thus moisture is both conveniently concentrated and conserved, and so made the: most of by the crop. subsequently sown. Disc drills,, especially the double disc, also pack the soil around. the grain as it is sown, thereby causing the young plant to have the benefit of a maximum of the moisture available in this comparatively dry soil. t Failing the use of these special-purpose implements, the roller, of as heavy a type as made, should be made {plenteous use of in preparing "dry-land" seedbeds, and their use should always be followed by a final stroke of a chain or brush harrow to promote a dust mulch, and so prevent evaporation. After every shower of rain in such climates or seasons a stroke of

the harrows (light tine), where possible, will conserve this extra moisture to a marked extent. Indeed, dur-

ing a dry spell when a cereal or turnip crop seems to “stand still” a stroke of the harrows (crosswise) often works like magic in promoting grow r th. This, again, is due to evaporation of moisture being checked and concentrated at the roots of the crop. ; In like manner the intercultivation of drilled crops

during a dry season often-means the difference between success and 3 failure ? with - respect to such" crops. This being so, the expenditure on labor for such purpose .where at all available or procurable is thoroughly fiable. In other words, it pays.