74 



Notes on Manures for April. 



[Apr., 



Since these notes were written, Mr. . Borlase, the Agricul- 

 tural Organiser, has paid a visit to the plots, and states that the 

 improvement noticed at Meiidon and also at Eoche continues. 

 At the latter centre the quality of the pasture on the part of the 

 field devoted to the experiment is much superior to that on the 

 part seeded and manured by the farmer. 



The results of all these experiments are very striking, in spite 

 of the unfavourable season, and ihey ctinnot but be useful to 

 the farmers of the district. They seem to emphasise the fact 

 that much pasture is starving for want of either lime or phos- 

 phates, in many cases both. 



****** 



NOTES ON MANURES FOR APRIL. 



E. J. Russell, D.Sc, F.R.S., 



Rothamsted Exiierimental Station, Harj^enden. 



Can Lime be mixed with Sulphate oi Ammonia? — Several 

 correspondents have asked v^hether it would be safe to mix 

 lime or calcium carbonate with sulphate of ammonia and super- 

 phosphate in order to counteract t:he tendency of these sub- 

 stances to induce acidity in the soil. This plan cannot be 

 recommended ; it might answer if every condition were 

 favourable, but under ordinary circumstances it is attended 

 with too much risk. Serious loss of ammonia would arise if the 

 mixture became damp or if it were not speedily and sufficiently 

 covered with soil, and there would be danger of serious reversion 

 of the phosphates. It is far better to put on the two substances 

 separately — the lime or calcium carbonate in the autumn or early 

 winter; or, at the present time, to land which is due to come into 

 roots or clover leys; and the sulphate of ammonia for potatoes, 

 barley, etc.,. and as top dressing for winter corn crops. 



Potassic Fertilisers on Pastures: Under what conditions 

 should they be used'? - It has been shown that potassic fw- 

 tilisers give good results on pastures only on certain peaty soils. 

 Professor Somerville quotes an instance in the county of Dum- 

 fries of a pasture on 10 ft. of peat where the addition of 8 cwt. 

 of kainit per acre to 10 cwt. slag markedly increased the yield 

 of mutton during the next 7 years and left a substantial profit. 

 Apart from these peat soils it is not usually found that potash is 

 nn advantage; neither in the English nor in the Scottish trials- 

 did it give more than slight increases and usually not profitable 



