324  Final  Report  on  Grass  Experiments,  1895-1904. 
kainit,  and  lime  were  severally  tried.  As  might  be  gathered 
from  the  heavy  nature  of  the  soil  and  the  deficiency  of 
phosphoric  acid,  basic  slag  has  proved  the  effectual  manure, 
and  the  general  improvement  caused  by  it  has  been  very 
marked.  Superphosphate  (5  cwt.  per  acre)  with  kainit  (2  cwt. 
per  acre)  has  also  done  well,  but  on  soils  of  this  character  it  is 
clear  that  basic  slag  answers  best,  and  ])otash  is  probably  not 
needed.  The  amount  of  potash  in  the  soil  was  0'36  per  cent. 
Basic  slag  on  this  land  has  undoubtedlj’  done  best ; trefoil, 
which  originally  was  present  to  a large  extent,  has  now  been 
replaced  by  white  clover,  while  red  clover  has  also  increased, 
and  the  grasses  have  become  more  luxuriant.  The  second 
best  plot  is  superphosphate  and  kainit,  the  trefoil  here  also 
being  reduced,  and  white  clover  coming.  But  there  is  no 
proof  that  potash  is  required.  Lime  follows  in  order,  and 
the  pasture  is  to  some  extent  improved,  biit  farmyard  manure 
and  dissolved  bones  have  both  failed  to  produce  any  permanent 
benefit.  In  the  dry  year  in  which  it  was  first  put  on,  farm- 
yard manure  produced  the  largest  crop,  but  there  was  little 
clover  in  it,  and  the  benefit  passed  off  the  second  year. 
Subsequent  to  the  starting  of  the  experiment  the  whole 
remainder  of  the  field  was  manured  with  basic  slag,  and  this 
was  productive  of  marked  advantage. 
County  Locality  Formation 
1 2.  Durham  Bishop  Auckland  (“  Bell  Hills  ”)  Coal  measures 
This  site  has  been  over  twenty  years  in  grass  and  is  usually 
grazed.  The  grass  is  of  poor,  starved  quality,  and  there  is  much 
moss.  The  soil  is  a heavy  clay  loam,  resting  on  the  Boulder 
Clay.  Analysis  shows  it  to  be  rather  deficient  in  lime  (0'37  per 
cent.),  but  the  projjortions  of  phosphoric  acid  (0’21  per  cent.) 
and  of  potash  (0‘45  per  cent.)  are  quite  good.  Taken  as  a whole, 
it  may  be  said  that  at  the  end  of  the  period  the  experimental 
plots  were  better  than  the  rest  of  the  field,  but,  at  the  same 
time,  there  was  no  one  jilot  that  stood  out  prominently  because 
of  its  excellence.  Lime  produced  the  finest  herbage,  causing 
moss  and  weeds  to  disappear,  and  making  the  herbage  more 
palatable.  This  jilot  was  the  best  grazed,  but  it  seemed  as  if 
the  land  wanted  further  encouragement  after  the  lime.  Basic 
slag  had  more  grass  than  the  lime  plot,  and  this  of  stronger 
growth.  Farmyard  manure  had  the  effect  of  giving  a vigorous 
growth,  and  there  was  almost  no  clover.  On  the  whole,  lime 
had  done  best. 
County  Locality  Formation 
13.  Durliam  Bishop  Auckland  (“  Sheep  Pasture”)  Coal  measures 
This  field  lias  lieen  eighteen  years  in  grass,  and  the  soil  is 
much  like  that  of  the  foregoing  site,  which  is  adjacent  to  it. 
