330  Final  Report  on  Grass  Experiments,  1895-1904. 
County  Locality  Formation 
22.  Essex  Hatfield  Peverel,  Fairstead  London  Clay 
This  is  a field  always  grazed  by  milking  cows.  The 
herbage  was  at  first  very  thin  and  poor,  but  the  field  has,  as  a 
whole,  decidedly  improved.  The  soil  is  somewhat  deficient  in 
lime  (0'30  per  cent.),  and  has  only  a moderate  amount  (0T3 
per  cent.)  of  phosphoric  acid  or  of  potash  (0‘20  per  cent.). 
Re-seeding  with  cocksfoot  in  one  case  and  timothy  in  another 
was  tried  at  first,  but,  owing  to  the  dry  season,  was  unsuccessful. 
The  manurial  applications  were  : basic  slag,  8 cwt.  per  acre ; 
superphosphate,  3 cwt.,  kainit,  2 cwt.,  and  nitrate  of  soda, 
1 cwt.  per  acre ; lime  4 tons  per  acre. 
Lime  has  not  materially  improved  the  pasture,  and  super- 
phosphate with  kainit  and  nitrate  of  soda,  though  it  showed 
benefit  at  first,  has  failed  to  make  any  permanent  alteration. 
The  basic  slag  plot,  though  patchy,  is,  on  the  whole,  the  best, 
the  grasses  lieing  most  vigorous  there,  with  a good  under- 
growth of  white  clover  and  yellow  suckling  clover.  A further 
application  is  probably  called  for. 
General  Conclusions. 
When  the  several  experiments  are  considered  as  a whole, 
it  maj^  be  fairly  claimed  that  the  general  result  of  the  inquiry 
has  been  to  bring  out  certain  definite,  if  not  perhaps  new, 
facts,  and  to  establish  the  conclusion  that  a great  deal  can  be 
done,  by  proper  treatment,  to  improve  old  worn-out  pastures 
througliout  the  country.  It  may  be  said  that  these  experiments 
can,  at  best,  have  not  much  more  than  local  significance,  but 
the  selection  of  the  areas  was  such  as  to  make  them  typical  of 
large  tracts  of  country,  and  what  has  been  tried  there  might 
with  advantage  be  followed  elsewhere.  Definite  information 
has  also  been  gained  as  to  the  classes  of  land  on  which  par- 
ticular manurial  agents  will  work,  and  as  to  the  length  of 
time  the  effect  of  these  will  last,  more  particularly  lime  and 
basic  slag. 
Success  of  the  Experiments. — Of  the  eighteen  sites  at  which 
manurial  experiments  have  been  continuously  carried  out,  at 
twelve,  viz.,  Tatton  Park  (Cheshire),  Limber  (Lines.),  Laxton 
(Northants)  one  site,  Latimer  (Bucks.)  two  sites,  Basingstoke 
(Hants),  Bishop  Auckland  (Durham)  one  site,  Barnsley  (Yorks.) 
three  sites,  Wilburton  (Cambs.),  and  Hatfield  Peverel  (Essex), 
the  treatment  the  land  recjuired  was  definitely  ascertained. 
At  the  other  six  places,  viz.,  Laxton  (Northants)  one  site, 
Bishoi)  Auckland  (Durham)  two  sites,  and  Hereford  three 
sites,  the  results  were  more  or  less  inconclusive.  The  nine- 
teenth site  (Tabley,  Cheshire)  was  given  up  after  two  years, 
though  already  then  tevStifying  to  the  value  of  lime. 
