9 



Regarding the latter the result is so far disappointing. Out of 

 four plots, Nos. 1 and 3 were manured, No. 2 was changkolled only, 

 and No. 4 is kept as check. 



A record was kept of the yield for seven months before the manure 

 was applied. During the succeeding 12 months the yield of 

 plots Nos. 1 and 3 rose by only 1 lb. and 6 lbs. per acre per annum, 

 respectively, whereas the unmanured plots, Nos. 2 and 4, rose by 

 20 lbs. and 51 lbs., respectively. 



During the last four months the yield of No. 1 has increaseil 

 considerably, but as there has been a general increase all over the 

 estate and as the check-block also shows an appreciable inci*ease it is 

 hardly fair to attribute the whole increase of No. 1 to the effect of 

 the manure. 



The check-block had the l:)est trees, and we naturally reckoned 

 that a heavy dressing of manure would improve Nos. 1-3 to such 

 an extent that they would at least be just as good as the check-block, 

 and I am unable to explain why it did not. 



The following quantities of manure were applied per acre : 



Field No. J— 



500 lbs. basic slag and bone-meal, mixed ; 



600 „ lime ; 



100 ,, superphosphate and mxu'iate of- potash, mixed. 



Cost per acre, 130.77. 



Field No. Ill— 



500 lbs. basic slag and bune-meal, mixed ; 



600 ,, lime ; 



100 „ concentrated superphosphate. 



Cost per acre, $36.32. 



The manuied trees look much better than those not manured 

 and this improvement is sure to tell upon the yield in future, but 

 that more than a year should elapse without any noteworthy increase 

 of the yield seems to indicate that the mixtures were not the niost 

 suitable for this particular soil. 



Discussion. 

 The Chairman (Mr. R. W. Munro) : rising, after the applause 

 given to Mr. Vesterdal had subsided, said : The subject chosen by 

 Mr. Vesterdal is a very wide one and all of us will agree as to the 

 importance of cultivation and the manuring of soil. If this is the 

 fii"st, as we hope it is, of what Avill be a series of Agricultural 

 Conferences, I think that we shall hnd that the question of the 

 cultivation and manuring of soil is one that will have to receive 

 a very large degree of attention at oui- Conferences. Mr. Vesterdal 

 is in a position to tell us a great deal because he is in charge of 



