FARM LANDS OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



49 



manuring for the first few years. The extensive use of soluble nitrogenous 

 fertilisers, such as nitrate or sulphate of ammonia, is unnecessary under our 

 conditions, for reasons which are discussed more fully under the heading 

 " The Use of Superphosphates in Manuring* Wheat " in another part of this 

 publication. (Page 84, et seq.) 



Tobacco Soils. 



Tobacco is generally regarded as a very exhausting crop, requiring rich 

 land and heavy manuring. The crop itself, as a matter of fact, makes very 

 little more demand upon the land than root crops, such as mangels or 

 turnips, but, from the fact that it occupies the ground for only a short time, 

 it is necessary that it should be provided with plenty of readily-soluble plant 

 food. 



A light friable loam, well supplied with lime, and of good water-holding 

 capacity, is the best kind of soil for tobacco. The soils averaged in the table 

 on page 35 are from the Tumut neighbourhood, and are soils which give good 

 results with tobacco. They compare favourably with tobacco-soils from 

 Fiji, the average of a number of which is given below for the sake of 

 comparison. 



Capacity 

 for water 



™S. Nitrogen. Lhne. 



Potash. Ph ^° riC 



Typical tobacco soil from Fiji ... 54" 2 

 Tumut tobacco soils ... .. ! 48'3 



7-0 



018 

 015 



134 

 0-37 



27 

 015 



030 

 24 



Though not as rich as the Fiji soils, it Avill be seen that with the exception 

 of lime and potash they approach very close to these, and they are of similar 

 mechanical nature and texture, being light friable loam, with a fairly high 

 water-holding capacity. 



Vineyard Soils. 



The soils taken for the calculation of the typical soil (page 35) for the 

 production of wine are from the principal wine-producing districts of the 

 State — Albury and Hunter River districts. They indicate fairly the charac- 

 teristics of the kind of soil most suitable for the production of the lighter 

 kinds of wine, and are light loams to light sandy loams, fairly deep and well 

 drained, and easily worked. Heavier soils are more productive of the fuller- 

 bodied type of wine, and are said to be liable to impart a heavy and " earthy " 

 flavour to the wine. 



Calcareous soils — soils rich in lime — are particularly regarded in Europe 

 as productive of the best class of wine, and in this respect soils from Hunter 

 River and Albury are exceptional, being deficient in that ingredient, and its 

 application either in the form of freshly slaked or powdered lime or of 

 gypsum will improve the vintage in these districts. 



Citrus Soils. 



The soils from which the average is calculated (page 35) were collected and 

 examined by Dr. Jensen from a number of good orchards in County Cumber- 

 land, between Hornsby and Baulkham Hills. These may be taken as 

 fairly representing the kind of soil suited to citrus fruits. Their present 

 condition is the result of manuring and cultivation extending over many 

 years, and a comparison with the average soil from County Cumberland 



