3o8 



Influence of Manures on Mutton. 



lime has had no influence on the quantity of the hay, but it. 

 appears to have materially increased the percentage of 

 LegiuninoscE — not so much the white clover, however, as. 

 bird's foot trefoil. In both years the lime has had an appre- 

 ciable effect on the production of mutton, being responsible- 

 for 131b. live-weight increase in 1897, and 151b. in 1898. 

 Moreover, in both years, the butcher's valuation of the sheep 

 on Plot 8 is somewhat in excess of the value put upon the 

 sheep of Plot 5. By the two methods of valuation, however^ 

 the outlay on the lime has not yet been recovered, though 

 ihe debit balance is but small. 



Ihe butcher reported, "Best finished sheep, but rather- 

 small in size, which brings the price down a little. The 

 mutton comes out very well indeed, proving quite equal to» 

 promise." 



It is thus evident that, although a large dressing of lime 

 used alone (Plot 2) has, so far, proved useless if not injurious,, 

 a small quantity, employed in conjunction with a phosphate,, 

 has exercised a beneficial influence. 



The Effect of Basic Slag [Plots 3 ajid — The material' 

 employed contained 38-82 per cent of calcium phosphate, and 

 showed a fineness of 79 per cent. It was applied on or about 

 February 8, 1897. In the first season it had no effect on the 

 quantity of hay produced, though it had a marked influence on 

 the Leguminosce ; white clover, for instance, being twenty- 

 four times as abundant on Plot 4 as on the untreated ground 

 (Plot 6), while on Plot 3 it bulked twice as largely as on Plot 

 4. It is interesting to note that the percentage of white 

 clover on the two slagged " plots is in exact proportion to^ 

 the amount of manure employed. In 1^98 both dressings ot 

 slag more than doubled the yield of hay, though there is- 

 practically no difference in the weight of crop produced by 

 the two quantities of manure. The percentage of Legtimi- 

 noscE was at its maximum on these two plots, though actually 

 more of this class of herbage, including white clover, was. 

 produced by the small than by the large dressing. With 

 hay at 50s. per ton, both dressings have paid well, the larger 

 giving a higher net profit than the smaller. 



It is, however, when reference is made to Table II. and 



