200 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Mar., 1899. 
Investigations were also conducted, to determine the quantity of mitroge 
available by the rice-plant when green manuring with a legume (Astragalus 
lotoides, iam.) is resorted to.* Astragalus was sown in the autumn, 20 
fertilised with different quantities of lime. In the beginning of May, when 
the plant was in full bloom, it was cut, weighed, and then turned under. The 
yield of green material was as follows :— 
Quantity of lime applied per acre 0 Ib. 89 Ib. 178 lb. 356 Ib. 
Yield of astragalus peracre ... 8,991 ,, 16,573 ,, 16,841 ,, 13,451 » 
The conclusion can thus safely be drawn, that astragalus responds well to 
lime fertilisation, though 89 lb. per acre were sufficient for the soil in question 
The leguminous plants analysed 12°23 per cent. dry matter and 0°369 per cent. 
nitrogen; the plants from the plots fertilised with lime contained 2,266 1b. dry 
matter and 69 |b. nitrogen per acre. In addition to the green manuring, 98 Ib. 
of phosphoric acid in the form of phosphate of soda and 98 Jb. of potash ™ 
the form of carbonate were applied. The yields from the separate plots wet? 
as follow :— 
Yields per Acre in lb. 
Fertilisers Applied per Acre. 
Full Empty Total 
Straw. | Grains, | Grains. | Yield. 
3 asi e f 4 
Potash and phosphoric acid without nitrogen ... sat ... | 0-478 | 3:681 | 0:029 | 0'849 
Potash and phosphoric acid, green manuring without lime ...| 0556 | 5141 | 0-037 0:978 
Potash and phosphoric acid, green manuring with 89 lb. lime | 0'747 | 5:653 | 0:047 | 131d 
Potash and phosphoric acid, green manuring with 178 lb. lime | 0°736 | 5:497 | 0°049 1291 
Potash and phosphoric acid, green manuring with 356 Ib. lime | 0°767 | 5°764 | 0-041 | 1°348 
Potash and phosphoric acid. complete fertiliser with 473 lb. . 
sulphate of ammonia my a i .. | 0'870 | 5'692 | 0:068 | 1*446 
_—— 
Green manuring increased the yield considerably, especially on the plots 
that had received lime. The complete mixture of artificial fertilisers produce 
Just as good yields as the green manuring; as in green manuring the nitrogen 
in the atmosphere can be utilised, this method is naturally less expensive, and 
henee more profitable. 
A similar experiment with green manuring was conducted with another 
nitrogen-gatherer—viz., indigo (Jndigofera tinctoria)——in the botanical garden 
at Buitenzorg, Java. 
The indigo was grown during the East-mongsoon, and as much as possible 
ploughed under during the rainy season. For the sake of comparison, two 
fields were manured with 205 and 410 lb. of lime per acre respectively, while a 
fourth was left unfertilised. ‘The yields were as follow :— 
From 1 Bouw == 17 acre. From | acre. 
Green manuring ... e .. 584 pikul 4,596 lb. 
410 Ib. lime Sw TORS ae Res OO ide 4,407 ,, 
FY 7a 0 Te are 4,156 ,, 
No fertiliser aes es ao ZERO G5, 3,778 ,, 
Meld experiments on « more extensive scale have been condueted in Italy, 
the results of which are given in the following table :— 
: ** Jahvesbericht fiir Agriculturecbemie,” 1891, p. 172, i j ea 
+ * Verslag omtrent den Staat yon ‘Slands plantentuin” te Buitenzorg ofer het Juar 1894, 
Batavia 1895, page 42. ‘ ' 
