392 Influence of Mines upon Land and Livestock 



The soil treatments and yield of crop are given in Tables XVII and 

 XVIII. 



Table XVIII. 



Treatment and weight of Oat Crop with Soil B. 



Average Average 



Treatment weight of weight of 



straw (gm.) grain (gm.) 



Untreated -2 -02 



M 11 -2 



M + -3%CaO 31-1 23-8 



M + -6 % CaO 22-5 18-6 



M + 4 cwt. per acre NajSiOj 3-2 -9 



M + 2 cwt. per acre NaMnOj 1-8 '3 



M +4 cwt. per acre NaMnOj 3-4 -8 

 See Photographs "H," "I" and "J." 



It should be noted that the sodium silicate appeared to give very 

 good results with both soils up to the end of the second month of the 

 crop's period of growth. From that time onwards, however, the crop 

 made practically no further progress. 



2. TrifoHum incarnatum was sown for a catch crop after the oat 

 crop of Experiment 1. Satisfactory crops were obtained in the Hmed 

 pots; but the plants died oS in all the other pots. 



3. During the following season (1915) a second crop of oats was 

 grown in the Hmed pots, soil B of Experiments 1 and 2. The yields are 

 shown in Table XIX. 



Table XIX. 



No. of pots Weight of straw Weight of grain 



15 and 16 -8 -08 



17 „ 18 19-7 12-7 



19 „ 20 190 16-8 



See Photograph "K." 



4. Field experiments have indicated that affected land needs an 

 apphcation of lime which is above the "lime requirement" as usually 

 determined. A pot experiment was carried out with soil B of Experi- 

 ment I, which was found to have a "lime requirement" of two tons per 

 acre. The results obtained («) with a crop of oats, and (b) with trifolium 

 catch crop are given in Table XX. See also field experiments described 

 below. 



5. Many farmers maintain that the application of a relatively 

 small quantity of unaffected soil to affected soils greatly improves the 

 fertility of the latter. An experiment with a crop of oats conducted as 

 indicated in Table XXI did not provide any support to this view. 



