1910.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 581 



At Ardross, the second centre, five plots of rough upland pasture 

 of four acres each were selected, the soil being light and boggy in 

 character, with a fair amount of organic matter, but not deficient in 

 lime. In 1905, plot 1 was manured with 10 cwt. basic slag contain- 

 ing 200 lb. phosphoric acid ; plot 2 received, in addition to this dress- 

 ing, 8 cwt. kainit containing 100 lb. potash ; and plot 4 was treated 

 with one ton of ground lime per acre. Plot 5 was seeded with white 

 clover and cocksfoot in 1905, but the seed failed to germinate. It was, 

 therefore, manured in 1907 with 15 cwt. per acre of low-grade basic 

 slag containing 200 lb. phosphoric acid. Plot 3 was unmanured. The 

 grazing periods were in 1905, 21 weeks; in 1906, 19 weeks; in 1907 

 and 1908, i6£ weeks; in 1909, 18 weeks. It was evident from the 

 first that basic slag had produced an immediate effect on the pasture, 

 so that plots 1 and 2, and in 1907 plot 5 were stocked with a larger 

 number of sheep than the other plots. Black-faced cast ewes were 

 used in 1905 and 1906, but in 1907 these could not be obtained, and 

 were replaced by younger stock taken from lower ground, and un- 

 accustomed to the conditions prevailing at the centre. In 1908 the 

 stock were Black-faced eild ewes, and in 1909 Cheviot hoggs. From 

 1907 onwards the pasture had been stimulated to such an extent that 

 it was more suitable for cattle and horses than for sheep, and a 

 number of stirks were used with the sheep in 1908 and 1909 for various 

 periods. The results of the experiment at Ardross were as follows : — 



Plot. 



Manures applied. 



Total live weight 

 increase of sheep 

 per acre during 

 the five years. 



' Live weight 

 increase 

 over plot 3. 



Value of 

 increase at 

 3d. per lb. 



Net gain or 

 loss after de- 

 ducting cost 

 of manures. 







lb. 



lb. 



5-. d. 



s, d. 



I 



Basic slag 



376 



142 



3> 6 



( + ) 6 7 



2 



Basic slag and kainit 



386 



152 



38 O 



(-) ii 6 



3 



No manure 



234 









4 



Ground lime 



229 



(-) 5 





( - ) 32 3 



5 



Basic slag (in 1907) 



313 



79 



19 9 



(-) 12 1 



Taking into account the grazing rent of the stirks, the loss on plots 

 4 and 5 is reduced, and the loss on plot 2 is turned into a gain of 3s. 

 The basic slag paid very well, but practically no result was obtained 

 from the kainit or from the ground lime. 



The general results of the experiments at these two centres, there- 

 fore, confirmed the opinion based on the results of experiments 

 obtained elsewhere that the most profitable manure for poor hill 

 pasture is basic slag, especially where white clover is abundant, it 

 must also be borne in mind that the sheep used in these experiments 

 were accustomed to wide pasturage, and they could not be expected 

 to thrive well on the comparatively small plots to which they were 

 confined. 



Improvement of Poor Permanent Pasture (West of Scotland Agric. 

 Coll., Bull. No. 48, 1908). — The object of these experiments, which 

 were commenced in 1901, was to ascertain how far remunerative im- 

 provement of the poor hill pastures of Scotland could be effected by 

 the use of different manures. Only those manures were used which 

 were likely to give good results, as it was sought to test the effects 



