v] 



IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY 



53 



When the complete dressing of artificials is used instead of 

 nitrate or ammonium salts alone, a higher yield of considerably 

 better quality is obtained: the average results at Rothamsted 

 are: 



Percentage composition of 

 hay, samples taken during 



Nitrate of soda + phos- 

 phates and potash, etc. 

 Nitrate of soda alone ... 



The clovers, etc., do better, and so do the grasses, consequently 

 the weeds become crowded out to a greater extent. 



This is further demonstrated in the Cambridge experiments at 

 the University farm for the seasons 1901 and 1902, when the 

 following results were obtained 1 : 



The fact that a complete artificial manure is well suited to 

 grass land laid in for hay is shown by the fact that the hay steadily 

 improves as time goes on. Thus at Rothamsted in 1914, a dry 

 year very unfavourable for hay, the results were: 



Percentage composition 

 of hay 



Nitrate of soda + phos- 

 phates and potash, etc. 

 Nitrate of soda alone . 



Plot 



16 

 17 



Yield of hay, 



cwts 

 per acre Grasses 



37-5 

 23-3 



74-4 

 68-4 



Clovers, etc. 

 (Leguminosae) 



15-6 



0-6 



Others 



(weeds, 



etc.) 



8-3 

 30-2 



1 Cambridge Dept. of Agric. Fifth Annual Report, 1903, p. 29. 



