48 Influence on the Production of Mutton 



with phosphate alone,* but for the moment we are estimating 

 the results in the way that a farmer growing hay for sale 

 would estimate them, namely, by determining the weight. 

 The manuring of pasture must be considered from an entirely 

 different standpoint than the manuring of a meadow, and 

 this applies equally to the consideration of potash. The 

 plants, both on the pasture and meadow, push their roots 

 deep into soil and subsoil and bring up potash into their 

 stems and leaves. When the herbage is made into hay the 

 potash is removed from the field, but when it is consumed 

 by pasturing stock very little is removed from the land. The 

 great bulk simply passes through the animals' bodies, and 

 is dropped upon the surface in the form of urine and dung. 

 The plants continue to take as much potash as before from 

 the deeper layers of the soil and from the subsoil, and, in 

 addition, they have at their disposal the potash in the manurial 

 residues. The latter source of supply is not at the disposal 

 of the plants in a meadow, and as it is much more "avail- 

 able " than the original potash, it becomes evident why it 

 can only be in very exceptional circumstances that it will 

 pay to apply potash to a pasture. 



The Effects of using Ground Lime with Superphosphate. 



As has already been shown, the result of applying four 

 tons per acre of common lime to Plot 2 at Cockle Park, 

 Sevington, and Cransley was very small and quite incom- 

 mensurate with the cost (see p. 26). At these three stations 

 another plot (No. 8) was given over to a test with lime, but 

 in this case the substance used was freshly burned lime which 

 had been passed through a disintegrator, and was, in fact, 

 the material known as "ground lime." It differs from 

 ordinary lime, as used in agriculture, in being put on the 

 land in the form of anhydrous oxide, CaO, whereas ordinary 

 lime is first slaked before being spread, and is in the form 

 of hydrated oxide, Ca(OH) 2 . In point of fact it is to be 

 doubted whether the effects of the two substances are materi- 

 ally different, for although much of the ground lime may be 

 unslaked when put on the land, it must all slake in a very 

 short time by taking water from the air or soil. 



* Middleton, 6th Anmial Report of Cockle Park, p. 29. 



