44 



Improvement of Poor Pastures. 



weighed, sampled, and separated out into its botanical con- 

 stituents. 



The experiments have only recently been started in Essex, 

 Northampton, and Norfolk, but although these stations 

 have, so far, furnished no results attributable to manurial 

 treatment, they have yielded information of much value, for the 

 natural capabilities of every plot have been determined, and 

 the data obtained cannot fail in future years to be most use- 

 ful as a basis of comparison. The Northampton station, 

 moreover, is situated in a field which is typical of large areas 

 of pasture in the higher and poorer parts of the county, and, 

 should the Northumberland results be confirmed there, the 

 information should prove of service to Midland farmers. 



Detailed information is, however, given regarding the 

 Cambridge experiment station, which is situated on a field 

 of very poor boulder clay on the farm of Hatley Wilds, belong-- 

 ing to Downing College. An average sample of the soil 

 indicated -0087 per cent, potash and -014 per cent, phosphoric 

 acid soluble in 1 per cent, solution of citric acid. Each plot 

 was stocked with six Oxford cross wedders on the 22nd May,. 

 1900, and two months later the sheep which were fit for the 

 butcher were removed and others substituted. The grazing 

 season was closed on the 9th October. The following table 

 gives a summary of the results obtained : — 



Plot 



Treatment of plot per acre. 



Mean 

 number 

 of sheep 

 per acre. 



Live- 

 weight 

 gain per 



acre. 



Mean 

 gain 



per 

 sheep 



per 

 weelc. 



Weight 

 of hay 

 from 

 sub- 

 plots 

 per acre. 





No manure ; sheep got daily an 





Lb. 



Lb. 



Cwt. 



I 













average of o'86 lb. linseed cake 













(=11 '3 lb. nitiogen per acre) - 



6-o 



94 



2 36 



4i 1 



2 



|.ton basic slag ( = 200 lb. phosphoric 









acid) 



8-1 



142 



2-62 



9l 



3 



Unn.anured - - 



54 



74 



2*05 





4 



| ton basic slag ( = 100 lb. phosphoric 













acid) 



6-4 



117 



273 



1 1 



5 



7 cwt. superphosphate ( = ico lb. 









i8£ 





phosphoric acid) .... 





127 



2-65 



