Grassland in Cornwall. 



[Apr., 



IMPROVEMENT OF GRASSLAND 

 IN CORNWALL. 



Some interestiDg results have been obtained from a series 

 of grassland experiments conducted by the Agricultural Com- 

 mittee of the Cornwall County Council. At one centre at 

 Meudon, Mawnan, two fields of temporary pasture were placed 

 at the disposal of the Committee. In Field A., the herbage of 

 which was very thin and poor, five one-acre plots were set 

 out on one half of the field and treated in the winter of 1920-21 



as follows : — n 



Per acre. 



Plot 1 — Control. No manure. 



2. -1,120 lb. 20 per cent. Basic Slag. 



3. — 448 lb. 30 per cent. Superphosphate. 



4. — 448 lb. 30 per cent. Superphosphate and 168 lb. 



Sulphate of Ammonia. 



5. — As No. 4, with 112 lb. Muriate of Potash. 



The plots were cross-dressed with lime as follows (per acre) : — 

 (a) 4 tons Sea Shell Sand (containing 4 cwt. Lime per ton). 

 (h) 2 tons Ground Limestone, 

 (c) 10 cwt. Ground Lime. 

 {d) No Lime. 



At inspections in November, 1921, and March, 1922, the 

 basic slag plot proved to be the best of the series. There was 

 a close bottom of White Clover, and the VN^hole was closely grazed, 

 while there was an absence of inferior grasses. The herbage on 

 the sulphate of ammonia plot (No. 4) was rougher and coarser, 

 with less White Clover, and was not closely grazed. The com- 

 plete manure plot (No. 5) was almost equal to the slag plot. 

 There was a great contrast between the above plots and the other 

 half of the field which had received farmyard manure only. 

 When the hay crop was weighed green in June, the best results 

 were obtained from slag after lime (3t tons per acre), slag 

 after sand (3=^ tons per acre), superphosphate after sand 

 (34 tons), superphosphate and sulphate of ammonia after lime- 

 stone (5 tons per acre). These should be compared with the 

 yield of 15- tons per acre from the control plot. It is interesting 

 to note that the sea shell sand as a dressing for grassland was 

 at least equal to other forms of lime. Farmers living within a 

 few miles of the coast might well consider the a^rvisability of 

 using lime in this form. 



On Field B. the pasture had been laid down two years before 

 the experiment commenced (spring, 1921), and it was then in a 



