3Q 



Influence on the Production of Mutton 



The Effects of 10 cwt. per acre of Basic Slag applied in 

 Two Dressings. 



At Cockle Park, Sevington, and Cransley, Plots 3 and 4 

 received 10 cwt. per acre of Basic Slag, which in the case of 

 Plot 3 was all applied in the first year of the experiments, 

 while Plot 4 received its allowance in two portions, namely, 

 5 cwt. in the first year and 5 cwt. at the beginning of the 

 fourth. For the first three years, therefore, the comparison 

 was between 10 cwt. and 5 cwt. per acre, and we may look 

 for a moment at their relative effects. (Table XIV.) At 

 Cockle Park the double dose of Basic Slag had in three 

 years much more than double the effect of the smaller, at 

 Cransley the effect is practically double, while at Sevington 

 it is about ij- times as great. If the increases in live-weight 

 are worked out at 3d. per lb. it will be found that the larger 

 dressing of slag has paid much better than the smaller. 

 Professor Middleton, in the Ninth Annual Report of Experi- 

 ments' with Crops and Stock in Cumberland, Durham, and 

 Northumberland, p. 73, argues that on poor grass-land, such 

 as much of that under experiment, it is important to so 

 stimulate the clover at the beginning of any improvement that 

 it fills up the ground to the maximum extent. Probably this 

 is the true explanation, but in any case the evidence of these 

 experiments is strikingly in favour of liberal dressings of slag. 



In the late autumn of the third year, that is to say, well 

 ahead of the growing season of the fourth year, Plot 4 at 

 each of these three stations received its other quota of Basic 

 Slag. At Cockle Park (see lower half of Table XIV.) the 

 effects were considerable in the ensuing season, at Sevington 

 they were relatively still more evident, whereas at Cransley 

 the supplementary dose of slag produced no immediate result. 

 In the fifth and subsequent years Plot 4 at Cockle Park was 

 always somewhat better than Plot 3, and for three years this 

 was also the case at Cransley; whereas at Sevington the 

 residues of 10 cwt. of basic slag produced more effect than 

 did a fresh application of 5 cwt. of that substance. If the 

 total effects of the use of additional slag be examined for 

 the six years (five at Cransley), it will be seen that the 

 supplementary dressing has proved very effective at Cockle 

 Park and Cransley, but that it has barely equalled the 

 residues on Plot 3 at Sevington. On the nine years at two 



