Experiences up to the end of October, 1904. 141 



From October 1, 1901, to December 31, 1901, 4 ewes per acre, with 



the assistance of one cartload of either cabbages or turnips per 



day for the field. 

 Prom March 15 to May 24, 1902, 3 ewes and single lambs per acre, 



with the assistance of two cartloads of turnips per day for the 



field. 

 From May 24 to July 28, 1902, 2i ewes and single lambs per acre. 

 From July 28 to October 1, 1902, 3 ewes per acre. 

 From May 1, 1902, to June 10, 5 cattle. 

 From June 13 to September 4, 2 horses. 



Mxperiments in Alghope Field. — This field was laid down with a 

 crop of barley in 1884 by the new tenant, the mixture consisting of 

 ryegrass and clover, with a very small quantity of cocksfoot. In 

 1896, or twelve years later, about 16 acres of the central portion of 

 the field was ploughed, and the turf laid over as flat as possible. In 

 1897 it was .sown with rape, which was eaten off by sheep. In 1898 

 it was sown with oats (which proved to be a fair crop), and 



Lb. 

 Yarrow 1 



Sheep's Parsley 1 



White Clover 2 



Late-flowering fied Clover 2 



Alsike Clover . 1 



Lb. 

 Cocksfoot 14 



Tall Oat Grass 4 



Hard Fescue 2 



Crested Dogstail 1 



Burnet 8 



Chicory 3 



After the first ploughing the reversed turf was hot stirred, but the 

 ground merely harrowed. In 1899, in consequence of tlie fence 

 having been taken down between the experimental portion and the 

 northern portion of the field, which had been laid down to grass after 

 a course of cropping, the stock neglected the former, and hence the 

 wild grasses in the reversed turf got too much ahead, and injured the 

 newly-sown grasses ; and this, of course, interfered with the experi- 

 ment. In 1900, however, the newly-sown grasses showed much 

 better, and the stock distributed itself evenly over both portions of 

 the field, and the experimental portion has much improved. In 1901 

 the field is to be entirely grazed with cattle till the autumn, or until 

 the grasses have shed their seeds. So far as we can see, the field 

 seems to show that by simply reversing the turf of an old pasture 

 it may be thus cheaply laid down to superior grasses at a very 

 moderate expense, as, after ploughing once, nothing further is 

 required except harrowing and rolling. It is, of course, essential 

 that tall strong grasses like cocksfoot, tall fescue, and tall oat grass 

 should be freely used, as these will overcome the grasses and weeds 

 existing in old pasture to a very great extent, if not entirely, though 

 the latter is a point that remains to be proved. I omitted tall fescue 

 in this experiment in order to lessen the cost of seed. 



It was very noticeable how superior the end rig of the experiment 

 was to the rest of the field, and this evidently arose from more seed 

 having fallen there (from the sowing machine slowing). This con- 



