1921.] 



Manures for Febbuaby. 



L067 



•2. More marked where the herbage was varied and included 

 other grasses. 



In this case phosphates led to a marked improvement, basic slag 

 and Gafsa phosphate being equally effective; potash had less 

 effect, as also had lime and limestone, except when used in con- 

 junction with superphosphate. 



On fairly Well Drained Acid Peat and on Xeutral Peat 

 (neither of which, however, is common), a marked improvement 

 was effected by basic slag, although neither lime nor limestone 

 was of much use. 



The trials bring out the interesting point that farmers cannot 

 always rely upon lime to improve poor grass land, even if it is wet 

 and acid. This is not peculiar to North Wales. A similar result 

 has been obtained on the poor clay soils in the eastern half of 

 England, in regions as widely separated as Essex and Northum- 

 berland. As a general rule basic slag or mineral phosphate is 

 more useful than lime on grass land ; but the rule is not without 

 exceptions. There are in Yorkshire considerable areas of light 

 loam overlying and derived from Coal Measures sandstone which 

 carry poor herbage when in grass, for which the old idea is 

 more correct ; lime has a marked beneficial effect, greater it is 

 claimed* than that of basic slag. 



The Garforth experiments show that lime is often effective on 

 poor grass land, the results in cwt. per acre being : — 



Plot. 



Treatment. 



Initial 

 difference 

 in favour 

 of S.half. 

 unlimed. 



Average 



1912-1 



919 (8 yrs.) 



S.half. 

 unlimed. 



X.half. 

 limed. 



Inert - 

 presumably 

 dii'- to lime. 



1 



Uomanured ... 



5| 







123 



2 



Dung every year ... 





411 



38 



1* 



G 



Dung and complete artificials, 













alternate years 



H 





38| 



If 



7 



Complete artificials every 













year 







30± 



71 



It is widely recognised, however, that directly sour grass is 

 ploughed out for arable crops it must be adequately treated with 

 lime. Farmers breaking up leys of 3 or more years' duration 

 may lose much of the benefit of the accumulated fertility unless 



° J. A. Hauley, Leeds Bull., No. 115. 19*20. 



