Influence on the Production of Mutton 



of 34 acres was selected for what has come to be known as 

 the "Manuring for Mutton" experiment* It is situated on 

 the lower part of the farm, at an altitude of about 300 feet, 

 has a gentle slope to the north end, which is about 20 feet 

 lower than the southern boundary, and is very uniform 

 throughout. It consists of strong boulder clay, overlying 

 the millstone grit of the carboniferous system. The plots 

 were laid down to run east and west, a ditch on the east 

 side providing each with water. The land had been down 

 to grass for some 40 years, and was certainly not worth 

 more than 5s. per acre per annum; in fact, many farmers 

 said it was not worth half-a-crown. Samples of soil taken 

 throughout the field in January, 1900, showed an average 

 weight of practically 1 cwt. per cubic foot, and a water- 

 content of 22.3 per cent. A chemical analysis, made by 

 Mr. Hoare Collins, of the Durham College of Science (now 

 Armstrong College), gave the results shown in Table I. 



TABLE I. — Analysis of Unmanured Soil at the Commencement 

 of the Experiments at Cockle Park, Sevington and Cransley. 





Cockle Park. 



Sevington. 



Cransley. 



Nitrogen... 



Total Phosphoric Acid 



Do. sol. in 1 per cent. Citric Acid .. 

 Total Potash ... 



Do. sol. in 1 per cent. Citric Acid ... 

 Total lime 



Per cent. 



0'2O 



0*07 



OOO5 



0-50 



0-OI3 



070 



Per cent. 

 0*22 

 0-18 

 0-013 

 0-56 

 0-008 

 2-87 



Per cent. 

 029 

 0-13 

 0-013 



o'57 



0008 



0-63 



These figures represent a perfectly normal soil, rather rich 

 than otherwise in nitrogen and potash, but deficient in 

 "available" phosphoric acid, and rather low in lime. 



The herbage consisted chiefly of Agrostis vulgaris with a 

 thin sprinkling of Sweet-scented Vernal, Briza, Dogstail, 

 Yorkshire Fog, Yellow Oat Grass, Lotus, Luzula, etc. 



In the autumn of 1896 the field was subdivided by means 

 of suitable fences into 10 plots containing 3 2V acres each. 

 An eleventh plot was also under treatment for some time, 

 but as it does not really enter into the scheme of the experi- 

 ment it need not be further regarded. The intention was 

 to stock each main plot of 3 acres with sheep, and to enclose 



