42 Influence on the Production of Mutton 



out in the lower part of Table XVIII., where it will be seen 

 that the slag has always left considerable, and often very 

 large, profits, whereas at two stations the superphosphate has 

 failed to leave a profit on three and five years' results 

 respectively. 



Table XVIII. also shows the results of these two manures 

 year by year, and it is satisfactory to find that the popular 

 belief that superphosphate is more rapid in its action than 

 basic slag is confirmed. Without exception the super- 

 phosphate has always produced more mutton in the first year 

 than the slag, but, except at Sevington and Hatley, the slag 

 has always taken the lead in the second year. 



As regards persistency, it may be pointed out that at every 

 station, except Cransley, the slag has had more effect than 

 the superphosphate in the last year of the experiment, and it is 

 evident from the figures for the previous years that the excep- 

 tion at Cransley admits of explanation. On looking into the 

 detailed monthly weighings of the individual sheep at this 

 station for the last year of the experiment (1908), I find that 

 two of the six sheep lost weight seriously in the last month 

 on the slag plot, and that the superphosphate plot happens to 

 have had a sheep which gained more in the season than any 

 other animal on the ten plots. The exception at Cransley, 

 therefore, is more apparent than real, and, in any case, the 

 popular view that slag is more lasting than superphosphate is 

 confirmed. As has already been mentioned, Plot 5 at Cransley 

 suffered greatly, owing to its situation, from the excessive 

 rainfall of 1903. This affected the weights of the sheep not 

 only for that year, but also for the next two. Some allowance 

 should therefore be made for Plot 5 on account of this circum- 

 stance.* 



It is also interesting to note that the scientific view that 

 the more alkaline a soil, the more does it favour an acid 

 manure like superphosphate, is confirmed. Judged by the 

 effect on the sheep the two manures have practically produced 

 equal effects on the chalk at Sevington ; it is only when the 

 greater cost of the superphosphate is taken into account that 

 the inferiority of that manure at this station becomes 

 apparent. 



* See interim Report on this experiment for 1901-3 by Professor Middleton, 

 p. 22. 



