458 Formation of Permanent Pastures. [nov., 



other food-materials of which the soil is the ultimate source, but 

 that humus and nitrogen have been lacking. On soils deficient 

 in phosphates or potash, it would be most unwise to attempt to 

 form pastures without manuring. The Abbotsley soil, which 

 happens to be deficient in phosphates, clearly shows what 

 happens when manuring is neglected.* In 190 1 the hay crop 

 produced by Elliot's mixture was 27 cwt. on the manured plot, 

 and 26k cwt. on the unmanured land. The manure applied in 

 the previous autumn had scarcely begun to work, and the sub- 

 plots were of equal merit.. In 1902, however, the manures began 

 to tell, and so marked was the influence of basic slag that in 

 1905 (no further application of manure having been made in the 

 meantime) Plot VIIIb. yielded 364 cwt. of hay, while Plot 

 VI 1 1 A. produced but iy\ cwt. The contrast in the pastures was 

 as marked as in the hay crops. Instead of 43 per cent, of white 

 clover which was present where basic slag had been used, the 

 unmanured land contained but 9 per cent. In place of 2*4 per 

 cent, of bare and weed-covered surface, there was 9 per cent., 

 and in place of a fine even turf, there was a coarse and irregular 

 pasture, disfigured by large tufts of cock's-foot. 



Elsewhere,f I have shown that the great improvement which 

 basic slag effects on the herbage of poor clay soils is due to its 

 influence on the development of the Legwninosce. Gramineous 

 and miscellaneous pasture plants do not respond in any marked 

 degree to phosphatic manures. At Abbotsley, the successful 

 result obtained on Plot VIIIb. as compared with Plot VI 1 1 A. in 

 the years 1902- 1905 is obviously due to the influence of basic 

 slag upon white clover, but this explanation does not altogether 

 account for the success attained on Plot VIIIb. All the "B " 

 plots received basic slag, all of them contained white clover in 

 1901, and on some white clover was abundant up till 1903, but 

 now there is more white clover on the eighth plot than on the 

 other seven put together. 



The marked effect of basic slag on Plot VIII. and its failure 

 on the other plots has been due to several causes. I will 

 refer to one only, which seems to me to be the most impor- 



* On p. 119 of his book Mr. Elliot erroneously cites Abbotsley as supporting his 

 opinions on the subject of manuring. 



f Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. I., p. 136. 



