1922.] 



Notes on Manures for Jam ary. 



A method used with success on light land in the Lothians is 

 to sow in the wheat in April IJ biisliels Italian rye grass and 

 2 lb. red clover per acre. This mixture of seeds costs lis., has 

 made good growth at harvest and continues growing well after- 

 Avards. The crop is grazed until the end of January and then 

 ploughed in for oats. As a heavy oat crop is desired this receives 

 a. top dressing of 1 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia per acre. 



Basic Slag: should it be High Soluble or Low Soluble? — 



In days before the War farmers were always urged to 

 purchase only high soluble slag, and the grades sold by the best 

 firms had a solubility of 80 per cent, and upwards. During the 

 War the process of manufacture changed and it is an open 

 secret that the experts are no longer so much in agreement as 

 they were in regard to the desirability of a high soluble slag. 



Experiments have been initiated to obtain more definite in- 

 formation, and untir these are completed it is not possible to 

 lay down precise rules for the farmers' guidance. 



In the meantime it is vrise to assume that a high soluble slag 

 will usually come into action more quickly than one of low 

 solubility, and that a larger return may therefore be t-xpected 

 in the first season. It is possible, however, that in later seasons 

 the low soluble slag may grow in effectiveness, ;ind at 

 the expiration of five years there may be Httle ditierence 

 between the two; in some experiments, e.g. in Essex, this is 

 clearly demonstrated. Until more definite evidence is forth- 

 coming perhaps the safest assumption the farmer can make is 

 that high soluble slag may pay him interest on his outlay almost 

 from the beginning, while the returns from low soluble siag may 

 be deferred. 



Use of Artificial Fertilisers for Barley. — An interesting 

 experiment was made last season to ascertain the effect of 

 fertilisers on barley when grown in the usual way in rotation. 

 [Many farmers do not give artificial manure to their barley for 

 fear it should go dow^n or suffer in malting quality. The risk 

 of lodging is of course real, but it can be minimised by the use 

 of a stiff strawed variety such as " Plumage Archer." In some 

 cases barley responds to superphosphate, which causes no lodg- 

 ing, but in the writer's experience the fear of nitrogenous 

 fertiliser is often unnecessary. The following trial was made 

 on the Stackyard or Sheepcote Field at Eothamsted, the barley 

 being grown in the ordinary way of cropping, and following 

 wheat. The yields were : — 



