598 



The Agricultural Value of Sea-Sand. [Oct., 



the majority of farmers believe the sea-sand is more injurious 

 than other forms of hme and the ill effects more lasting. If 

 this is so it is probably because of the large quantities of sea- 

 sand applied. 



Mr. Eoberts of Euthern, Wadebridge, sends the following 

 statement with regard to the action of sea-sand on oats, barley 

 and clovers : — 



Effect of Sea- Sand. 



Field of 14 acres reclaimed from heather, etc. 



2 acres. 



Bvohen 'tn 1908 from heatli, 

 etc. 



1915. Oats. 



1916. Oals, 



1917. Oats. 



1918. Oats. 



1919, Turnips, with 5 tons 



sea-sand per acre. 



1920, White Oat?. 



1921, Oats and Barlcv, with 



"seeds.' 



No oats. Good barley 

 and clover. 



o acres. 



/ acres. 



12 acres hrohen 1914 from heath. 



1915, Oats, good crop. 

 1'.>16. Oats, heavy crop. 



1917. Oats, heavy crop. 



1918. Potatoes, iair crop. 



No sea-sand ap- 

 plied. 



1919. Oats, fair crop. 



1920. Oats, good crop. 



1921. Oats and Bailey, 



with grass and 

 clover seeds. 

 No barley or clover 

 grew, Afairciop 

 of oats. 



1915. Oats, good crop. 



1916. Oats, heavy crop. 



1917. Oats, heavy crop. 



1918. Rape, 5 tons sea- 



sand pel' acre. 

 Good crop, 



1919. Oats, fair crop. 



1920. Oats, good crop. 



1921. Oats and Barley, 



with grass and 

 clover seeds, 

 A fair crop of barley 

 and oats with good 

 clover. 



On the 2-acre piece and the 7-acre piece there is now plenty 

 of clover; on the middle piece (5 acres, no sea-sand) there is 

 absolutely no clover although the mixture of seeds was the same 

 as on the other parts and was drilled across the whole 14 acres." 



Although lime has been proved to be injurious to the mangold 

 crop in many places only one farmer out of several interviewed 

 had observed any ill effects from the use of sea-sand. This 

 farmer, a careful observer and recorder of facts, says, " when 

 heavy dressings are applied oats fail and mangolds go off yellow 

 with little leaf. Personally I think this might be counteracted 

 by ploughing deeper and applying some clay and potash. 

 Although the oat crop fails the sea-sand is of gTeat value to the 

 grass, and seeing that dairying is the chief asset the failure of 

 the oat crop once in 10 or 20 years ought not to weigh very much 

 against it." One farmer states that he gets a fine sample of 

 oats from the use of sea-sand. 



Nearly everyone has something to say concerning the favour- 

 able action of sea-sand on the clovers. Thus one farmer living 

 near Truro says : " I have a field of 3 acres which was sanded 

 7 years ago, except a small part. The sanded part is now a 

 mass of red clover, the remainder nothing but ryegrass and 

 sorrel." As the red and alsike clovers usually die out in the 



