152 Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 
It might have been of advantage to the farmers of the hills near 
Wellington and other parts of New Zealand, if the phosphates there had 
also been entirely wanting, because by this time they would have learnt the 
necessity of applying them. As the case stands the phosphates are merely 
deficient in quantity, not absent altogether, and thus the farmers have been 
able to get along somehow. A liberal dose of bone-dust, repeated when 
required, would vastly increase the produce of their soils. 
I am inclined to suppose that there is generally a sufficient supply of 
potash in the soils of this Colony, but no doubt the quantity is constantly 
subjected to diminution. On grazing lands a considerable portion is an- 
nually removed in the wool, and sent to England, and in cultivated land it 
is carried away as a constituent of the crop, and if not restored in manure 
is lost to the soil. 
I suppose fresh supplies of potash might be procured by taking more 
care of our waste timber—by saving ashes from timber land when cleared, 
and from the toppings of branches at the saw mills, and also from sea- 
weeds. 
Growing continuous grain crops is not confined to new countries but 
has been tried in England—of course in that country with the use of 
manure 
i think that Mr. Dawes, the celebrated agriculturist, first tried the 
system, and I have come across an account of some experiments in the 
same direction, conducted at Paxton in Berwickshire. These experiments 
seem to have extended over seven years, and a statement of the results may 
prove of interest. I therefore give it :— 
Four-Acre Field. 
; Value of Crop 
Year. Kind of Crop. | Kind of Manure and quantity per Acre. per acre 
with Straw. 
1870  ..| Turnips, after) | Portion of turnips eaten on ground b £ sd 
Barley ..]| shee z io z 917 6 
A3NI es | ey c. [2 owt, nitrate of soda 2 s s 1118 4 
18/2. ...|Osld  .. cwt. guan ja p a 0 0 
19573. >. | Beans .. ..|2 owt. dissolved Noe s : ba 1410 0 
1874  ..| Wheat 20 tons farmyard l0 0 0 
1876  ..|Barley .. .. | 1d cwt. nitrate of soda, and 1 ewt. super- 
phosphate 3 910 0 
1870  .. | Barley .. -« | 14 cwt. nitrate ol pe and 1 ewt. super- ) 
phosphate of lime xd 910 0 
1877  .: | Barley .. .. | 23 cwt. nitrate of d). and 2 ewt. . super- 
phosphate of lim 3 Um 
