320 MEADOWS AND PASTURED 



were also fed to them in each of the years 1903 and 1904. The 

 result has been an increase of 69^2 pounds in live weight per acre 

 annually and a net gain of $2.14 per acre per annum. Taking the 

 two years 1897-8 as one for this purpose, the cake in the years 

 in which it was fed gave an average increase of 146 pounds in 

 live weight per acre per annum, which is equal to $10.94 at 3 l / 2 c. a 

 pound. As each 600 pounds of cake cost about $9.28 this left a 

 gain of $1.66 an acre from feeding the cake in each of these years. 

 In the five years that cake was not fed on this plot the average 

 live weight increase per acre was about 37^ pounds, equal to about 

 $2.80 in value, a most satisfactory result. There is no doubt that 

 the extra treading of the pasture, by the heavier stock in the years 

 that the cake was fed, has assisted the manurial ingredients of the 

 cake, passed through the sheep to the land, in improving the pas- 

 ture. The good effects of the cake fed in 1897-8 were well main- 

 tained for four years thereafter, as even the fourth season after 

 the cake was stopped there were 30 pounds an acre of live weight 

 increase, worth just over $1.92. The results in 1905, however, were 

 not up to expectation as only 36 pounds increase in live weight were 

 given, although cake had been fed for the two previous years. For 

 every shilling spent on treatment the following returns have been 

 given: By slag on Plot 3, $2.28; by same on Plot 4, $1.90; by super- 

 phosphate on Plot 5, $1.06; by same and potash on Plot 7, $0.72; 

 by same and ground lime on Plot 8, $0.76; by same and sulphate 

 of ammonia on Plot 9, $0.48; by dissolved bones on Plot 10, $0.62; 

 by lime on Plot 2, $0.16 (loss) ; and by cake fed on Plot 1, $0.40. 



"The Tree Field average monthly and average annual gains cal- 

 culated per acre per annum, are shown in the diagram. The best 

 results were given in the earlier periods of the season, and were 

 comparatively small in the last periods (each of four weeks) when 

 grazing was continued for twenty weeks. The climatic conditions 

 make the average grazing season quite a short one. The good 

 results of slag (Plots 3 and 4), and of superphosphate and lime 

 (Plot 8) stand out in a striking manner. Cake fed on Plot 1 also 

 shows well, but lime only on Plot 2, contrasted with Plot 6, shows 

 little improvement over this the untreated plot." 



There follow very interesting accounts of the effect 

 of the various fertilizers on the composition of the herb- 

 age. Briefly, it was seen that any sort of fertilization 



