306 Aijrir.ultural Jouniai of Victoria. 



at £2 10s. per ton is 17s. i^^\. The lieaviei- dressiiig-^ then, in this 

 case lias evidently proved the ])r(ititab]e one. But our experiments 

 liaye shown us that a manure containing- nitrogen, in addition to the 

 phosphoric acid, is required for the maximum crops, and it seems 

 prol)al)]c on southern soils similar to those expei'imented on, that 

 1 cwt. also of nitrate of soda, or its ecpiivalent in sul])hate of ammonia 

 misrht also result in considerably increased vields. On soils with a 

 good rainfall requiring- tlie two ingredients only and no potash, 

 increased yields of 30 cwt. of hay ought to result from such a dressing. 

 The value of this increased yield, with hay at 50s. per ton, would 

 be 75s. Should the farmer not feel disposed to adopt such a dressing, 

 and for the present, until we have furtlu^r experimented, I do not 

 advise him generally to do so, a])plications of 2 cwt. of siq)er])hosphate 

 and 4 cwt. of nitrate of soda would probably result in increased 

 yields of one ton to tlie acre, showing a jn-otit over the cost of manure 

 of 35s. Should even this dressing appear too heavy for liim, then 

 1 cw^t. of superphos])hate and ^ cwt. nitrate of soda would ju'obably 

 produce increases of 15 cwt. to the acre. Of course, on the lighter 

 sandy soils referred to requiring potash, ^ cwt. of potash chloride or 

 more would also require to be added to the manurial mixtures. \ ou 

 will have noticed that througho\it I have included the nitrogenous 

 manure, nitrate of soda, or sul])hate of ammonia as necessary. This 

 ingredient is the most costly in the mixture. To avoid the necessity 

 of applying this ingredient is to reduce the manure bill by more than 

 one-half. Now, uiuler a nioi'e scientific system of farming, and the 

 growth of leguminous cro])s, capable of transforming atmospheric 

 nitrogen into soil nitrogen of an available form, this can be done. 

 The oidy substance, then, which the farmei- would require to apply 

 would l)e a manure containing ])hosphoi'ic acid, or where required, 

 ])otash also. 



Sr.M.MAKV. 



Well, gentlemen, I think we can now get away from these tigures. 

 1 have gone a good deal into detail in this case, in oi'der that no 

 further explanation should be necessary in the results from the 

 manuring of other crops, to which 1 shall call your attention directly. 

 Before (lealing wnth these, let us revicAv the facts which have comt^ 

 out in these experiments, and the lessons they have taught us. 



I'hey have taught us then, firstly, that the main requirement of 

 all tlu' soils experimented on, as far as hay crops are concerned, is 

 iindoubtedh' phosphoric acid ; that large increases result from 

 manui'es containing this ingredient, and that applications u]) to 3 cwt. 

 are certainly in some districts a profitable operation, dejiejident, of 

 course, upon the rainfall of the particular district. 



Secondly, that bonedustas a })hosphatic manure cannot apparently 

 be regarded as of equal value to either su])erphosphate or Thomas 

 phosphate, talcing for conq)arison average samples at present 

 obtainable on the market; but that the two latter manures appear 



