1 Max.,, 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 169 
As a matter of fact, impoverished land of the ‘character above set forth 
should be specially selected, where possible, for all experiments that are mainly 
directed to show the effect, in extent and activity, of manures when used alone 
or in mixture on a particular crop. But with this special object in view the 
field selected should not only be in the impoverished condition just described, 
as regards fertilising constituents, but at the same time its physical condition 
should be such as to render it capable of bearing the heavy harvests anticipated 
from the appropriate manuring, which it is the object of the experiments to 
indicate. 
Tt has been stated that the salts require to be mixed. To effect this, 
Professor Wagner sifts them through a sieve with holes ,%-inch in diameter, 
to ensure sufficient subdivision of the manures. 
This being done and asample taken for analysis, the rest is mixed with 
peat dust which has passed through a sieve of the same dimensions, although 
Mr. D. A. Louis, F.1.C., F.C.S., the translator of Professor Wagner’s pamphlet, 
says that + or inch mesh would do as well. The dust is added in the proportion 
of 1 part to 10 of the salts. The mixing is then effected by shovelling 
together, sifting, and again shovelling together. In use, 11 lb. of the mixture 
is equal to 10 lb. of the salt. 
“The use of the dust is to facilitate the thorough mixing of the salts with 
Thomas’ phosphate powder, and also, when kainit is a constituent, to prevent 
such a mixture from setting hard. 
SPREADING THE MIXTURE ON THE LAND. 
Tf the mixture is so dry that it is likely to be blown about when being 
sown, it must first be thoroughly mixed with moist soil. This admixture must 
be made with great care, and, to ensure thoroughness, the manurial mixture must 
be transferred repeatedly from one tray to another and eavh time mixed with 
the hands. Loss in dust during the sowing must be prevented. 
The spreading should be done by an experienced sower, who, however, 
must not take such wide swings as are required when sowing on larger areas. — 
Wrist movements are what are required, not 1rm movements, and the whole of 
the surface of the plot, right up to the boundaries, must be covered with the 
manure as uniformly as possible. On approaching the boundary. the sower 
should stoop, thus bringing his hand near the ground. 
No spreading should be done in windy weather; but if absolutely calm 
weather cannot be chosen, the spreading must be conducted with the greatest 
care, and the sower’s hand kept the whole while near the ground. 
Nor must the manure be spread just after rain, nor on bedewed ground; 
the soil should, in fact, be sufficiently dry not to adhere. : 
When nitrate of soda is used as a top dressing, one must be very careful 
not to spread it on the plants when they are wet with rain or dew. If the . 
plants are not thoroughly dry the nitrate will have a corrosive action on them. 
The results of the application of fertilisers will satisfy most farmers as 
to whether it will pay to use them or not, but it is decidediy advantageous to 
submit samples of harvested produce and also a sample of the soil to an agri- 
cultural chemist of recognised ability. ‘The soil should be taken from the 
unmanured plot after the harvest. 
Full instructions for taking and collecting samples of soils and subsoils, 
and for their transmission to the Government Agricultural Laboratory at the 
Queensland Agricultural College, at Gatton, are given in each issue of the 
Journal, together with a full schedule of the fees payable for analysis. 
MAIZE AS ENSILAGE. 
TLasv month we dealt with the disposal of the early maize crop which was so 
disastrously affected by the late drought. We recommended the building of 
ensilage stacks where no silo building is available on the farm. At the 
