1910.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 757 



This leaves nearly £i gross profit per head, or 6§d. a week each 

 for grazing and hay. 



Breeding of Sheep (Univ. Coll. of N. Wales, Bangor, Bull. 7, 

 1909). — Breeding experiments with Welsh mountain ewes for the pro- 

 duction of fat lambs have been carried out for the last ten years. In 

 1909 four lots of twenty-five ewes were mated with Southdown, Dorset 

 Horned, Ryeland, and Kerry Hill rams. The lambs were sold to the 

 butcher as they became fat. Particulars are given of the number of 

 lambs of each cross dropped, the dates at which they were sold fat, 

 and their live weights at that time. No very marked differences 

 are shown. It is considered that in 1909 the Southdown cross were 

 the best in point of quality and fatness. The lambs of this cross have 

 not been at the top each year, but they have always given good results. 

 Whatever the season few have failed to get fat. Other crosses in 

 some circumstances reach higher weights, but for those who desire 

 to have fat lambs of the highest, quality this cross would appear to 

 give all that is desired. 



.The Dorset Horned cross has done well on each of the occasions 

 on which it has been tried at Madryn. The lambs are larger in frame 

 than those of the Southdown cross, but do not equal them in quality. 

 On really good land they would probably show to greater advantage 

 than at Madryn. The Ryeland cross are perhaps better suited for 

 slaughtering in the late summer or early autumn than as fat lambs. 

 They have good frames, and would probably do better than some of 

 the other crosses for keeping till the following spring. The Kerry Hill 

 cross did well, but were not so good as in the previous year. 



Foreign Experiments. 



Manuring of Apple Orchards (Pennsylvania Agric. Expt. Stn., Bull. 

 No. 100 — The Fertilisation- of Apple Orchards). — In this bulletin an 

 account is given of an extensive series of experiments on fertilisers 

 for apple orchards in Pennslyvania. The trials were made on eleven 

 orchards, comprising ten soil types and twelve varieties of apples. 

 The aggregate experimental area was 91 acres, and the experiments 

 extended over three years. 



The authors of the bulletin state that no recommendation will fit all 

 cases, but where a fertiliser is needed good results may be expected 

 from a dressing of artificial manure containing 30 lb. nitrogen, 60 to 

 75 lb. phosphoric acid, and 50 lb. potash per acre. Young trees require 

 smaller, old trees heavier dressings. Nitrate of soda should be given 

 after the blossoms fall; other manures during winter or spring. 

 Nitrogen may also be profitably supplied by growing and ploughing 

 in some leguminous crop, such as clover. Stress is laid on the need 

 for maintaining a surface mulch, either by cultivation, or by littering 

 with some loose material, such as old straw. It is stated that nitro- 

 genous manures give an increased yield and growth at a sacrifice of 

 colour. The Woburn experiments, 1894-1908, are discussed. In the 

 authors' opinion, the negative results obtained are due to the fact that 

 "some orchards are limited" by factors other than fertilisers. 



It is suggested in the bulletin that the quantities of plant food 

 recommended may be made up as follows, per acre : — too lb. nitrate 



