i9o6.] 



Cost of Charlock Spraying. 



361 



Comparison has also been made at Cockle Park of the effects 

 .of dung made from moss litter and from straw, produced by 

 .cattle under the same conditions. This manure was applied to 

 .two -^i^--acre plots on light soil in Back House Field for swedes 

 in 1905, with the result that 12 tons of moss-litter dung gave 

 2^j\ tons of swedes an acre, while 12 tons of straw dung gave 

 .23J tons of swedes an acre. All through the season the 

 .swedes manued with the moss litter looked best. 



Seedling trees were planted last spring on land manured with 

 .these kinds of dung. That made from moss litter gave the 

 ■best results with quick-growing acacia seedlings, but by far the 

 worst results with slow-growing pine seedlings. 



Professor Gilchrist considers that the results i ndicate that 

 moss-litter dung is quicker in its action than ordinary dung, 

 -and is likely to give its best results on a quick-growing crop, 

 it is evidently important also that moss-litter dung should be 

 in a moist state when applied to the soil, as if dry and friable 

 when applied, it will tend to bring about a dry condition of the 

 .soil, especially in a dry spring. The test is being repeated on 

 larger plots. 



Experiments for the purpose of testing the effect of spraying 

 charlock in corn have been carried out by the University College 

 of North Wales, Bangor, for many years 

 Charlock P^st, and they have almost without excep- 

 Spraying". ^^^^ been successful. No experiments are 

 now being made, but demonstrations are 

 -Still given in the various districts of North Wales in order to 

 induce farmers to undertake spraying, which is by far the most 

 :satisfactory and economical method of dealing with charlock. 



It has been stated that charlock spraying would be much 

 more common than it is but for the cost of the spraying 

 machines. Very little consideration will show that this objec- 

 tion is not a serious one. Professor Winter points out that one 

 machine, costing anything from £s to £S, would be sufficient 

 to spray all the charlock in at least three or four parishes. If a 

 few farmers, therefore, combined to purchase, the cost to each 

 would be very small, or if any enterprising man in a district 

 were to purchase a machine for himself and spray the corn in 



