﻿Ceawfoed. 
  — 
  Growth 
  of 
  Cereals 
  in 
  New 
  Zealand. 
  151 
  

  

  Can 
  we 
  in 
  the 
  climate 
  of 
  New 
  Zealand 
  grow 
  a 
  crop 
  of 
  some 
  plant 
  of 
  the 
  

   bean 
  tribe, 
  after 
  the 
  grain 
  crop 
  has 
  been 
  harvested, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  ready 
  to 
  be 
  

   ploughed 
  in 
  before 
  the 
  next 
  year's 
  grain 
  crop 
  is 
  sown 
  ? 
  If 
  we 
  can 
  do 
  this, 
  

   then, 
  with 
  a 
  supply 
  of 
  phosphate 
  of 
  lime 
  and 
  of 
  potash 
  when 
  required, 
  we 
  

   might 
  grow 
  wheat 
  every 
  year. 
  I 
  think 
  this 
  might 
  be 
  done 
  in 
  the 
  North 
  

   Island, 
  but 
  as 
  regards 
  the 
  wheat-growing 
  districts 
  of 
  the 
  South, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  

   doubtful. 
  However, 
  I 
  suppose 
  the 
  plan 
  would 
  be 
  to 
  grow 
  and 
  plough 
  in 
  a 
  

   bean 
  crop 
  whenever 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  thought 
  necessary, 
  if 
  a 
  crop 
  of 
  turnips, 
  or 
  

   vetches, 
  fed 
  off 
  by 
  sheep, 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  found 
  equally 
  satisfactory. 
  

  

  The 
  main 
  point, 
  however, 
  is 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  phosphate 
  of 
  lime. 
  As 
  a 
  

   rule, 
  the 
  soils 
  of 
  the 
  colony 
  are 
  deficient 
  in 
  this 
  mineral, 
  and 
  every 
  effort 
  of 
  

   the 
  farmer 
  should 
  go 
  to 
  increase 
  it 
  in 
  quantity. 
  As 
  the 
  best 
  suj^ply 
  of 
  

   nitrogen 
  would 
  be 
  derived 
  from 
  Peruvian 
  guano, 
  so 
  probably 
  the 
  readiest 
  

   supply 
  of 
  phosphate 
  of 
  lime 
  would 
  be 
  from 
  the 
  phosphatic 
  guanos. 
  But 
  we 
  

   have 
  a 
  grand 
  supply 
  of 
  phosphate 
  of 
  lime 
  within 
  the 
  colony 
  without 
  going 
  

   abroad 
  to 
  look 
  for 
  it. 
  We 
  have 
  over 
  12,000,000 
  sheep, 
  and 
  a 
  corresponding 
  

   number 
  of 
  great 
  cattle. 
  We 
  have 
  a 
  large 
  supply 
  of 
  bones 
  every 
  year, 
  much 
  

   of 
  which 
  is 
  exported. 
  Not 
  a 
  pound 
  of 
  bones 
  ought 
  to 
  leave 
  new 
  Zealand, 
  

   but, 
  on 
  the 
  contrary, 
  they 
  should 
  be 
  imported 
  from 
  Australia 
  or 
  elsewhere. 
  

   We 
  have 
  plenty 
  of 
  sulphur. 
  The 
  manufacture 
  of 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  should 
  be 
  

   commenced. 
  Bones 
  treated 
  with 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  in 
  a 
  state 
  of 
  readiness 
  for 
  

   use, 
  and 
  other 
  manures, 
  such 
  as 
  nitrate 
  of 
  soda, 
  can 
  be 
  manufactured 
  when 
  

   sulphuric 
  acid 
  is 
  procurable. 
  A 
  country 
  which 
  contains 
  a 
  liberal 
  supply 
  of 
  

   sulphur, 
  and 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  are 
  intelligent 
  enough 
  to 
  understand 
  

   the 
  uses 
  of 
  sulphuric 
  acid, 
  is 
  placed 
  at 
  an 
  immense 
  advantage 
  over 
  countries 
  

   deficient 
  in 
  this 
  mineral. 
  Both 
  in 
  agriculture 
  and 
  in 
  manufacture 
  the 
  uses 
  

   of 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  are 
  manifold, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  second 
  to 
  coal 
  in 
  

   productive 
  economy. 
  How 
  much 
  more 
  is 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  sulphur 
  a 
  God- 
  

   send 
  in 
  a 
  country 
  so 
  remote 
  from 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  world 
  as 
  is 
  New 
  Zea- 
  

   land, 
  because 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  is 
  a 
  dangerous 
  commodity 
  to 
  send 
  by 
  sea, 
  

   and 
  in 
  consequence, 
  when 
  brought 
  from 
  Europe, 
  is 
  very 
  expensive. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  hoped, 
  therefore, 
  that 
  the 
  manufacture 
  of 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  

   within 
  the 
  colony 
  may 
  be 
  soon 
  commenced, 
  and 
  then 
  the 
  farmers 
  may 
  be 
  

   supplied 
  with 
  a 
  liberal 
  quantity 
  of 
  superphosphates. 
  

  

  An 
  excellent 
  example 
  of 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  supj)lying 
  phosphate 
  of 
  Hme 
  may 
  be 
  

   seen 
  in 
  the 
  treatment 
  of 
  the 
  clay 
  soils 
  near 
  Auckland. 
  These 
  soils 
  appear 
  

   to 
  be 
  in 
  their 
  natural 
  state 
  entirely 
  devoid 
  of 
  this 
  mineral, 
  and 
  are 
  in 
  con- 
  

   sequence 
  extremely 
  sterile. 
  A 
  liberal 
  dose 
  of 
  crushed 
  bones 
  makes 
  them 
  

   productive, 
  and 
  without 
  this 
  supply 
  their 
  cultivation 
  is 
  useless, 
  as 
  they 
  will 
  

   give 
  no 
  returns. 
  

  

  