Influence of Manures on Mutton. 



309 



the influence of the manures on the growth of the sheep is 

 considered, that the effects of basic slag become most 

 interesting. In the first season, when each plot was grazed 

 by eight sheep, the rate of progress of the animals that grazea 

 Plot 3 (i'8 lbs. per head per week) was very much greater 

 than in the case of Plot 4 (ro lb. per head per week). In 

 1898 eight sheep grazed No. 4 for the whole season, whereas 

 ten sheep were on No. 3 for six weeks, and tw^elve sheep for 

 the other fourteen weeks. Although Plot 3 was so much more 

 lieavily stocked than Plot 4, the herbage remained much 

 imore abundant, and the weekly gain per head was also 

 :g'reater. In the two seasons Plot 3 has produced 91 lbs. more 

 live- weight increase per acre than Plot 4, and this, at 4d. per 

 lb., is worth 30s. 4d. In both years also, the butchers 

 valuation of the sheep on Plot 3 is distinctly higher than in 

 the case of those on Plot 4, the] difference amounting to 

 2is. lod. per acre. As the difference in the outlay on the two 

 manurial dressings was only us. per acre, the larger 

 application has proved very much more profitable than the 

 smaller. In both cases, however, the basic slag has paid 

 well, the original outlay having been returned more than twice 

 over. 



The butche]:'s report states, " Plot 3. — Sheep show good 

 bloom, and are in thriving condition. In my opinion these 

 sheep are the best both in condition [wdien alive and in 

 quality when slaughtered. They cut up thick in the loins, 

 and would g'ive satisfaction to purchasers. Plot 4. — Bloom 

 fair, room for improvement, vary in quality. I should not 

 like to class them so high as either Lot i or Lot 3 for 

 *sap' or for eating properties." 



TAe Effect of Superphosphate [Plot 5). — x\s already men- 

 tioned, the 7 cwt. per acre of this manure applied to Plot 5 

 contained the same amount of soluble phosphoric acid — 

 100 lbs. — as the 5 cwt. per acre of basic slag which Plot 4 

 received. The cost, howev^er, of 'the former manure was 

 ^s. 2d. per acre higher. In the season of application the 

 super, produced considerably more hay than the slag, whereas 

 >the opposite was the case in 189S. This result is in accord- 

 ance with popular and scientific opinion, that slag is slower 



