ON TEXTURE OF THE SOIL 78 



The moisture figures also present no important point of difference. 

 During the dry spells the slag plot, as might be expected considering 

 the heavier crop which it carries, loses moisture at a more rapid rate 

 than the untreated. 



The rainfall at Martin's Hearne and in the west of the county 

 generally is considerably heavier than at Horndon-on-the-Hill, which 

 is situated in the eastern part of the county. 



As a general rule it would be quite a safe practice in the west of 

 the county to cut the meadows for hay every year, and little would 

 be gained by alternating with grazing, except perhaps during a par- 

 ticularly dry season like 1919. 



THE EFFECT OF PHOSPHATES ON THE 

 TEXTURE OF THE SOIL 



Collins (4), discussing the effect of phosphates on grass-land, states 

 that on the untreated plot at Cockle Park yellow clay still remains 

 close to the surface, yet on the plot which has been manured with 

 basic slag for over twenty years a very useful loam extends to 10 or 

 12 inches below the surface. The steady downward trend of the roots 

 on the slag plot opens up the clay soil, and by admitting air and 

 supplying organic matter gradually transforms the soil into a kindly 

 loam. Such a transformation must of necessity have an important 

 influence upon the movement of water in the soil. The experiments 

 described here have only been running for a comparatively short 

 time, and such an effect as Collins indicates would only be starting, 

 and would not be readily noticed. The records of the moisture 

 content at various depths on the two plots at Horndon (16 and 17), 

 and the extraordinary contrast afforded by the root development, 

 suggested that an appreciable alteration in the mechanical condition 

 of the soil might have been brought about on the slag plot. In order 

 to ascertain whether this difference is measurable by the ordinary 

 methods of mechanical analysis, samples to a depth of 9 inches were 

 removed from the slag and untreated plots at several of the centres 

 during the autumn of 1919, and subjected to mechanical analysis. 

 It cannot be said that the results, which are given in Table XXXVIII, 

 afford much positive information. At Tysea Hill, Martin's Hearne 

 and Butterfields, the clay fraction is appreciably less on the slag plots. 

 At Farnham there is no difference, whilst at Horndon, where the 

 experiment had only been in progress for a year, the results are 

 contradictory. In any case, the positive differences are so small as 

 to be in each case within the limits of experimental error. 



