1910.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 401 



practically the same increase, viz., 10 cwt. 3 qr. This mixture did not 

 give quite the heaviest crop, but it was the most profitable. Its cost 

 was 265. 5^. per acre, and if the hay is valued at 35. per cwt. a profit 

 of 5s. lod. per acre resulted from its use. The omission of any one of 

 the ingredients reduced the crop. Kainit was erratic, each centre need- 

 ing to be studied separately. 



Manuring of Grass Land (Monmouth Educ. Com., Rept. of Director 

 of Agric. Educ, Oct. 20th, 1909). — Trials were carried out in 1909 on 

 four farms in the county. On three farms, where the same system of 

 manuring was adopted, the best results were given by 8 cwt. super- 

 phosphate and 2 cwt. nitrate of soda. Eight cwt. dissolved bone did well 

 on two farms. This last did better than the same quantity of either 

 basic slag or superphosphate. On the fourth farm only manures 

 supplying phosphates and potash were used on two sets of plots, and 

 here 12 cwt. superphosphate per acre gave the best results. Ten cwt. 

 and 12 cwt. of basic slag also gave satisfactory yields. 



Manuring of Grass Land (Herefordshire C.C., Rept. on Trials on 

 the Manuring of Meadow Land). — Twelve plots of meadow land on 

 two different soils have been manured for the last four years. At 

 Weirend, Ross, the land, which is by the River Wye, is a sharp, hungry 

 sand, from wmich the finer particles have probably been removed by 

 the action of the river, and is deficient in carbonate of lime. Here the 

 results of the manuring have been disappointing, but the results were to 

 some extent affected by the dry seasons of 1908 and 1909. The only 

 plot which yielded an appreciable profit over the cost of the manures 

 was one that received in alternate years 10 tons of farmyard manure, 

 and in the other years 102 lb. sulphate of ammonia, and 352 lb. super- 

 phosphate. With this system of manuring the crop was increased by 

 i3_7_ cwt. per acre, which, at £3 per ton, gives a surplus of 5s. nd. 

 per acre over the cost of the manures. As the slight effect of the 

 dressings may be partly due to the lack of lime in the soil, a dressing 

 of lime is to be applied this winter. 



At the second centre, Moreton Jeffreys, the soil is heavy and reten- 

 tive, and all but one of the dressings produced a profit. The farmyard 

 manure plots were the most satisfactory in this respect, the plot 

 receiving farmyard manure and artificials (102 lb. sulphate of ammonia 

 and 352 lb. superphosphate) being the best. These are followed by the 

 plots receiving basic slag in regard to profit, though not in weight 

 of crop. 



Manuring of Poor Grass Land (Devon County Agric. Com., Rept. 

 on Field Expts., 1907-9). — Trials have been carried out on poor down 

 land at Collacombe Down, Tavistock, and also at Heathfield, Tavistock, 

 where the soil is somewhat of a moorland type. 



At Collacombe Down, it was soon observed that basic slag pro- 

 duced a good growth of White Dutch Clover, this effect being favoured 

 by the damp character of the climate. A chemical analysis of the soil 

 showed that there was a deficiency of phosphate, potash, and carbonate 

 of lime. Manures were first applied in the spring of 1907, and but little 

 'improvement was visible in that year. Further small dressings of 

 iphosphates and potash were applied in 1908. The plot receiving basic 

 slag and kainit made a marked advance, closely followed by the plots 

 'having basic slag alone, and those having superphosphate and lime. 



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