THE TREATMENT OF LAND.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 288, 18 April 1889, Page 2

THE TREATMENT OF LAND.

“ You cannot eat a cake and have it too.” So rune the proverb, That proverb applies as much to land as to the nice cake of the good housewife. Wo have in this district some of the finest land in New Zealand, especially upon the flats, but with the proverb in view, we must be careful what uso we make of it,' as we are going on without much care for the future. There is such a thing as exhaustion of soils: it is as to that we would give a warning, as there are signs to be seen by those who care to look for them that many farms are falling off in their yield. For years, we have been taking grass seed off the same flats, scarcely ever giving the land a year’s rest. This continued for only a few years will Boon impoverish the best of land; but when we find the breeding and rearing of stock going on at the same time, we wonder that land should have remained so productive. Every sack of seed, pound of boot, mutton, etc., carried away from the farm reduces the pro duotive capabilities of that land by exactly the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, etc., which has been abstracted from the soil by these productions. You find this showing in many’ ways ; on some farms you will find where strong healthy sheep were bred, now a large percentage are sickly and with ill-formed and weak bones and prone to “ staggers.” In these cases, the land requires a rest and liberal treatment in the way of manuring, or a change to arable farming.

Wherever young stock is reared in any quantity, the bone-forming constituents of the soil are bound sooner or later to become scarce, and then follow the ill effects mentioned. The same effects will come from tho growth of any crop continuously. It is in this where science, with practice, comes to the aid of the farmer. We arc glad to notice a general tendency growing in this district to go more into arable farming, as by so doing the aclual production of the land is increased by a more equable use of the nianurial constituents of the soil, the simple act of ploughing in these vergin soils having a wonderful effect, bringing the hidden and buried soil to the fertilising action of the sun, air, wind, etc. Of course, the actual improvement of grass land is a subject which would require considerable thought and experience, but a study of the chemical constituents taken out of soil by a growing sheep, calf, or crop of any kind will, with a like study of tho composition of manures, give an enquiring farmer a good idea how to improve his grass lands with comparatively little cost. We feel confident it is a subject which is bound to force itself upon every farmer sooner or later. We may instance one well authenticated case, namely, the continued growing of wheat in the district surrounding Adelaide, which is now, owing to non-adriition of manure, practically worn out, or as some people say, “ Wheat sick,”