29 



3 cvrt. of Kangaroo Island guano broadcasted in May, June, and July 

 with the oats, the yield was 25 per cent, better than the unmanured. 

 Hot winds reduced the grain crop by one-third. Cost of manure, 

 about 7/ per acre. At the Tatiara (21.13 in.) and Yankalilla (28.14 

 in.) commercial manures, chiefly bonedust and phosphates, have been 

 given, and the results are stated to have been 30 to 33 per cent, 

 better than where no manure was spread ; but there are no quantities 

 given. 



Mr. Joseph CorreH's father, of Minlaton (17.62 in.), once had 

 50 bushels of Cape oats per acre off a small paddock, which he sub- 

 soiled, without the application of manure. This can be accounted for by 

 the ability of the oats to avail itself of plant food, and more moisture 

 in the subsoil. If not subsoiled, Professor Wagner says nothing but 

 "fall manuring" will give a profitable crop. If nitrogen is omitted, 

 the profit falls off considerably, sometimes a loss is incurred, and in 

 omitting phosphoric acid and potash it is the same. The average 

 of seven fields of oats changed from 1,280 Ib. to 2,400 Ib. per acre 

 when fully manured. Professor Wagner's recommendation is to use 

 per acre 1 \ cwt. of nitrate of soda, 4J cwt. of Thomas phosphate, and 

 1J cwt. of sulphate of potash per acre, or double the quantity to see 

 which will pay best, and omitting one of the above in three other 

 plots. The nitrate should not be given before sowing, and one-half 

 later on. 



Wagner reports the following experiments : Mr. Jacob Keller, 

 of Ernsthofen, had an average from each two plots of one ar (10 = J 

 acre) and by me calculated at per acre with the following manures, 

 of which kainit and Thomas phosphate was given on the 18th of 

 January, and the nitrate of soda, half on the 14th of April, and the 

 other on the 18th of May. The land was a loamy, humose, silicious 

 soil. The two plots that received a complete manure received 494 

 Ib. of kainit, and the same of Thomas phosphate, and 325 Ib. of 

 nitrate of soda, and the return was 17 cwt. 22 Ib. of grain and 23 

 cwt. 25 Ib. of straw per acre more than from the unmanured plots. 

 Without the kainit the excess was 15 cwt. 28 Ib. of grain and 17 cwt. 

 22 Ib. of straw ; without the phosphoric acid, 12 cwt. 70 Ib. of grain 

 and 15 cwt. of straw ; and without the nitrogen, only 6 cwt. of grain 

 and 6 cwt. 25 Ib. of straw per acre. The profit per acre of the 

 land receiving the complete manure was 5 above the unmanured ; 

 without the kainit, <4/6/; without th Thomas phosphate, .3/8/; 

 and without the nitrate of soda, 1/10/. (See plates IV. 

 and IVA. The complete manuring had subdued almost 

 entirely the wild mustard, which was more or less in evi- 

 dence on the other plots. Other experiments with oats were made 

 at Neuhof by Director Weitzel, of the Agricultural School at Langen, 

 Agricultural Teacher Ruths and the owner (Mr. Simon). Kainit 

 and Thomas phosphate were given on the 5th of March, half of the 

 nitrate of soda on the 23rd of March, and the other half on the 6th 

 day of May. The soil was not uniform, but poor, and here and 

 there clay in the sand. With three plots for each experiment 



