Influence of Manures on Mutton. 305 



the larger dressing of slag (No. 3) has always been in excess 

 of the yield of Plot 4, though in 1898 the difference was 

 hardly appreciable. On the three years the total increase of 

 hay has been 42 cwt. on Plot 3, and 29J cwt. on Plot 4. The 

 double dose of slag has thus failed to produce a double 

 increase of hay, whereas it produced much more than a 

 double increase of mutton, showing that the larger dressing 

 of slag has had much more effect on the quality than on the 

 quantity of the herbage. 



The difference in the botanical composition of the herbage 

 in 1899 was very marked, and is best summarised thus : — 



Percentage abundance of certain plants in 1899. 







Agrostis. 



Dogstail. 



Cocks- 

 foot. 



. York- 

 shire Fog 



Fescues. 



Plot 3 



„ 4 



17 Ton Slag 

 \ Ton Slag 



22 

 37 



17 

 10 



9 

 8 



14 

 10 



12 



7 



As compared with former years, it was evident that white 

 clover was getting scarcer, and, rather unexpectedly, more 

 was found on Plot 4 than on Plot 3. The main features of 

 Plot 3, as compared with Plot 6, were the greatly reduced 

 yield of Agrostis, and the marked increase of dogstail, York- 

 shire fog, and the fescues. 



The joint report of the butcher and ' wool expert is as 

 follows : — u Sheep on Plot 3 have evidently thriven and done 

 well. Wool same quality as that of No. 1, but half a pound 

 more of it, namely 3-J lbs. per sheep. Sheep of Plot 4 have 

 not thriven so well as last, and ilb. less wool. On Plot 3, 

 seven of the twelve sheep are prime fat, as against two o f 

 the eight on Plot 4." 



The next important matter to be dealt with relates to the 

 question whether the addition of potash and nitrogen 

 to superphosphate has improved the sheep, the wool, or the 

 hay. The effects of the addition of lime to super have 

 already been noted. 



Plot 7 .—The Effects of adding Potash to Super.— -This plot 

 compares with No. 5, which received super but no potash. 



U 



