442 Field-Experiments on Permanent Pasture. 



In Air. Walls experiments quicklime appears to have had an 

 injurious effect upon the herbajje, for the weight of hay produced 

 on the plots dressed with quicklime for four seasons in succession, 

 was less than that of the unmanured plots. 



Bone-dust also did not appear the most suitable manure for 

 the field upon which the experiments were tried. 



This is not the first time that I have found bone-dust ineffica- 

 cious as a manure for permanent pasture. On some soils, inore 

 especially on poor light pastures, the effect of bone-dust on the 

 heritage is truly marvellous : and hence it is that in certain 

 counties bone-dust is justly held in the highest esteem as a means 

 for renovating worn-out pasture land ; whilst in other localities 

 bones do not show any marked effect upon meadow land, and 

 are seldom employed upon pasture. I have had brought under 

 my notice, at one time or the other, many instances in which the 

 expenditure of money for bone-dust as a means of improving 

 pasture land, was almost entirely thrown away ; and 1 would 

 therefore strongly advise landlords and tenants to ascertain, by a 

 field-trial on a limited scale, whether or not bones really and 

 materially improve the grass-land on a particular farm, before 

 heavy expense is incurred in boning permanent pastures. On 

 cold clay soils money not unfrequently is wasted by applying bone- 

 dust to pastures. On such land it has been found a much better 

 plan to top-dress the pasture with a mixture of superphosphate, 

 potash salts, and guano, or nitrate of soda, than to apply U> 

 it a heavy and more expensive dressing of bone-dust. Similar 

 remarks may be made with regard to the application of lime in 

 grass-land. 



There are, no doubt, soils upon which lime has been used 

 with most beneficial effect upon the herbage. Indeed I do 

 not hesitate to say that, on soils utterly deficient in lime, 

 it is impossible to derive the greatest benefit from the use of 

 farmyard manure or guano and other concentrated manures, 

 unless they have been previously limed or marled. On the 

 other hand, there are both light and heavy pastures on which 

 lime has no effect whatever, for the simple reason that such 

 land contains naturally a superabundance of carbonate of lime. 

 Before a heavy expense is incurred in liming or boning grass- 

 land, it appears to me desirable to examine the pasture land for 

 lime and phosphoric acid. The presence of lime is readily enough 

 detected, but the accurate determination of phosphoric acid in 

 a soil is both troublesome and time-consuming. The necessary 

 cost for a careful soil-analysis should not for a moment deter the 

 occupier of grass-land from ordering a chemical examination, 

 which may save him hundreds of pounds in expending money 

 for manures which, like bone-dust or lime, produce excellent effects 



