lo Nov., 1908.] Culture of Permanent Pastures. 665 



Potash Omitted. — The omission of potash from the manurial dressing 

 occasioned a reduction of about 25 per cent, in the yield, a continuous loss 

 of fertil'tv and the diminution in the proportion of clover and allied 

 plants. 



From these results it is clear that for hay meadows, nitrogenous manures 

 are indicated, whilst pastures need potash and phosphoric acid. Lime and 

 gypsum also increase the proportion of legumes, but thev do so only when, 

 there is a supply of potash lying dormant in the land. In other words they 

 act by liberating the residues of potash that have accumulated in the soil. 

 This potash encourages the clovers just as freely as the direct application 

 of a potassic fertilizer would do. The truth of this theory of the indirect 

 •Stimulation of legumes is shown by the fact that whenever lime was applied 

 to soils deficient in potash no appreciable effect was observed, but when 

 sown on soils rich in potash residues a marked increase in yield and in the 

 development of clovers and trefoils soon followed. In any case a good 

 dressing of lime is a very necessary thing for nearly all grass land as the 

 decaying organic matter which accumulates in the surface soil generates 

 vegetable acids, and these require to be neutralized and the soil sweetened 

 if full returns are desired. 



The best natural manure for grass land is dung or fami-yard manure, 

 given either in the form of a special application in the autumn or as a 

 natural deposition by grazing stock. It seems that whereas sewerage has 

 the effect of stimulating the true grasses yard-manure produces practically 

 no injurious changes in the composition of the sod, and is con.sequently 

 held in high favour by practical men. Indeed, even when it is deemed 

 necessary to add more concentrated fertilizers to grass land, farmers often 

 prefer to bring about the same result by feeding concentrated food stuffs 

 to stock in the field. Under Victorian systems of husbandry no great 

 amount of farm-vard manure will be available for pastures, and we have 

 therefore to fall back on artificial fertilizers. Of these kainit, basic slag, 

 and bonedust merit consideration. Usually there is a sufficiency of assimilable 

 nitrogen in our soils so that a mineral manure containing phosphoric acid and 

 potash will meet our requirements. On grass- growing paddocks the more 

 slowlv acting fertilizers are generallv to be preferred as they furnish a 

 continuous supplv of nutriment throughout the year. On good strong soils, 

 applv a winter dressing of from 2 to 2% cwt. of bonedust every second or 

 third year combined with 2 cwt. of kainit. Superphosphate or basic slag 

 may be substituted for bonedust in the case of a weak struggling stand of 

 grass which requires a stimulant, and along the coastal areas it will be 

 wiser to substitute \ cwt. of muriate or sulphate of potash as they 

 contain pract'cally no salt, whereas kainit consists very largely of it. 



The important point to dwell upon, however, is. not the actual fertilizer 

 to be emploved but the absolutely urgent necessity of realizing the foolishness 

 of attempting to establish and maintain permanent grass paddocks on a 

 starvation ration. There is a big drain on the phosphates of the land when 

 young stock and milking cattle are used to graze down the pasture, and 

 this has to be made good, otherwise the grasses will run out. The effect of 

 kainit is to supply potash and so induce luxuriant clover growth. Basic 

 slag and bonedust both contain lime, while superphosphate of lime is rick 

 in gypsum, so that they all tend to increase the amount of available potash 

 as well as to directly supply phosphoric acid. Except when dealing with a 

 weak plant, basic slag seems preferable, as i't not only supplies a large per- 

 centage of citrate soluble plant food, but the lime it contains is in a free 



