1906.] 



IiMPROVEMENT OF POOR PASTURE. 



549 



and improved agriculture, especially better implements and 

 machines, are likely in the future to give Caucasia a prominent 

 place among the wheat-growing countries of the world. 



Siberia. — A very small part of the available territory in 

 Siberia has been settled as yet, the total area under cultivation 

 being about lof millions of acres. Wheat is the most important 

 crop, but many conditions are necessary for its rapid develop- 

 ment, such as a growth in the population, assisted by immi- 

 gration from European Russia, improved agriculture, &c. The 

 commercial demand will ensure this to some extent, but it 

 partly depends upon Governmental measures and social efforts 

 for the enlightenment of the Siberian population. 



For some years past experiments have been conducted in 



different parts of the country with the view of testing the effect 



of different manures on poor pastures. 



Improvement Of had their origin in the so-called 



Poor Pasture. ^ „ 



Manuring for Mutton experiments, 



initiated by Dr. Somerville at the Northumberland Agricultural 

 Experiment Station at Cockle Park, and were designed to test 

 the question whether the application of artificial manures would 

 not at a less cost so improve the herbage that sheep would lay 

 on more mutton than similar animals grazing similar, but 

 unmanured, land, though the latter animals were fed with cake. 

 These experiments have now been proceeding at Cockle Park 

 for nine years (1897-1905) and in a Report just issued Pro- 

 fessor Gilchrist summarizes the results obtained over the whole 

 period. 



The field extends to 34 acres, and is divided into 11 plots, 

 each acres in extent ; each plot is stocked annually with % 

 suitable number of sheep, varying with the quality of the 

 pasturage, and the benefit derived from the manuring is 

 measured by the progress made by the sheep. The manures 

 applied and the average results are given in the following 

 table:-— 



