TOP-DRESSING EXPERIMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 761, 9 March 1910, Page 10

TOP-DRESSING EXPERIMENT.

; VALUE OF BASIC SLAG. S..At Saturday's 1 meetilig; of the Palmers- ' ton Nibrffi branch of the Farmers' Union £;; ■'~: a .'report ..was received, from Mr. ,G. de ( » .S. ■ Bnylis;. fields instructqt to ' the Department of Agriculture, on experiments !. . made on the property of Mr. G. Ij. Marti V ;r . 'Shall, ..Turakina .Road,. Bulls. The obj' iject of the, experiments was to test the !• ' Tarrying capacity: of : pa6ture : top-dressed !. •. • with' basic slag against, similar pasture w; untreated. : The report stated: A suitable : jarea of'iand of even quality,. 10 acres'in ji... extent/ was sele'ctM, and' sub-divided'into | . two 5-acre paddocks; : One of. these plots ; -was .dressed . with 4cwt. 711b. of basic

t, ~;. slag. 'The..scheme' was .to .carry sufficient Sv - : ... stock/on"-"each paddock to,, keep them. f-.:.,- ■ evenly grazed.' If anything,- the. manured i-'-:':■";'''. iplot'was-to ha kept slightly the barest ii'■■ /,'-,-.-' of'the,.-tiro'.so''.that there .could be ho i;'.:-: doubt of its inability to carry, in a (V...:'; ■-:'■ treasonable manner, any more' stock than '<(,<. ;'.. -.''-.' tad beenplaced;upon,.it.. ,';.' '-;. '.'.. ■'■'.- ' "£. ■ .No Manure.' -• .•■ .--, -..-'-.•," •-. -■.-. . -. No.ofshcep bk ■ '■>;. , : ii' :■ ' '■-. ' \ " carriedper acre. & : ; -. (A; From'-Oct. 15, '08) to Feb. V, ""'" .'i p\■■'■': ;■-18, W oJ,'''l26'days';:.■..:..''.....".';■ ■; 3.17 f."' '--■■■ .&.■ From:-Feb...' 18,; '03; :.to'/.. \- - Jan. 11, '10, 330 ...days . ' 2.11r . : C.'From Oct. .15, '08 to ~ r;- : ;- ! .'• Jan.'lJ. '10, 456 days ... . 2.40 ~-'. *■':■;■ ■ ■'■'. '■-■'■• .—r:\-i-.. Manured.'- ~";..; ;.; From Oct. 15, '08 ' to K'V" vi , eb-aß,'';'o9,'.'l2GVdays.-...:.:-..'.-.;5;7-. .' ■', [■■-■ ".''SB.''From'':'. Feb. 18, •' : 'o9-'"-,to.' £■;-.'.. '.-'' ; ; Jah. U,.'10, 330: days ;..- ' " 4.29 . f: : £ ' ■ Oct.: 15, .'OB 'to ■:, \ v ;'. i fe,. : :;- ■'~ Jan.,-14, ; '10,: 450. days-..;'. ;. 4.68 '.>

Period A, as will, be noticed,;represents -wqatmay.be termed the summer period of:the 1908-09 season, wlitfc period B represents the. winter of the. 1909 .season and part of .the summer of 1910. This m- : elusion of. the winter-period .in B,; of .'course,' accounts' for the. slightly lower. :..'■'.- average in the. carrying.capacity, of both : - «ectio'ns.. Period C shows, the' entire period;, 1 from.the' start of.the experiment on October 15,: 1909, until January 14, 1910, .. .'arid the carrying- capacity', of the land '. has been, as..'jrill.be noticed,'practically. ':'■■': .doubled by the -use "of .slag.' .It.is.instructive ,to 'compare' the, same/{period, Tiz.,i'Oetoher 15 to January H in/both ".'iyeirs^andl to..note plots we're . .; 'carrying last year for the'period,as com-. V. . p'aT'ea: with-this : year. > -. t"' ;.' . ■:'■■ : ' ■' . V '■ ;' ; '*. - Unmanured.- -' ..:..:■ .'■. ■'■' : '.;i .';'•■ :'.'-• Average No: of sheep, :'.'■. V '..■.,'■■' '.'■■■ ~- carried per acre for .--. .:■:.:;,?•:,: ;,-.'; •■■■',: : whole period. : ■'■■'■ 4.\ From 1 October 15 '08;" to"v.;- '.;.'■ •-.': '■".; Je.n.l4 '09,'91;day5 : .'.....; : - 2.84 : ! . ■:■■■. 18. 'From Oct/- 15 ; '09,' to■"■• ■ ... : Jan. 14 J lO, ?l-.'days':.,..'.,■.: 3.16 . ■''.-• .",'<■ •'■-.■:', *.. Manured...', . '.'■..--' - :K";'A.'"'.9l' days-:-Average No.- of sheep :4.88: ■'- ')E.' days-'-Average'''No:" of ■ sheep. .7.43 .:: Here'we"' note that-'for 'the period' Ocv ' .tnber 15; 1908, and January 14, 1909 the; ' vmahufeil'plot-only: carried 2:04 she'ep;per, ■■■'■ acr.e ; ':m'ore than the ■ unmariured, -while. ■■■'■ Fbi 'the' same- period: in the .season 1909,-10,: '■■'\although"'-the average ' carrying; capacity :.■■■ .of each sward has considerably increased 'owing'no: doubt to' the" factor of ;sub- "' i'diviGion and-, careful -stocking, still, in '- ! ' npite'-'tf • tliis 'the,;manured' plot has .fnr- : 'ther -largely - increased in . carrying ;.ca v " ; - jpacits" over the unmanured arid' has car-. aiii '4.?7 '■' sheep per acre more'. than the •;/ ntmaririred plot hasi been able' : 'to .'do for «lie ■ same •■ period-*'*-.-- '■',' ■'■.'• ■'-•/' ■;■■ -'.-. ~ .'--. .'■ T"I .may. state; for-.the-benent of those '■'-' rwho r dofriot believe..ip: figures,. th&t'.the. . Results'indicated' By the figures;are borne- '■'.-''' (oat by (the composition': of the swards, in '■either plot,' and' are solf-evidept .to anyone 'who 'nndcr'stands grasses and..their. "'• relative'values.,.The. been ; ■very" carefully carried out'by- Mr. Marshall, who for his own sake was Jde'eifo'us' of proving defiriitejy the yaluei-pf i ' "stag' upon his soil::: Euring..: the ..winter. ''•■:■' of 190?,' ewes' in'lamb w.ere-.earned :on -'.':, both r plots' .(two..ewes' per "acre ion the . mmnanured, and 3.4' ewes per'.acre, on-the manured). and .'Mr. Marshall remarks: in " ■ lEis -letfer of January 14; - "The: ewes, and '■■ - ' lambi's .which had. been. all .the: wmterpn Ee manured plots -were in' much:'better' order than the' others," His- own opinpon upon'' the value of .slag! for, his .sou \Ui best' expressed:- in'./hisY:own words : ,j. • rNeedlessto say 1.-'ani.: very.pleased, with ;"-.;' jthe'slag and^ritend'puttirig. avlpt on- this ■ : .'T ijriut« r "--iii.'.-.'...0V'./.:. '■.'■;':■•'■:'■'.■.