SLAG ON GRASS LAND

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 3270, 9 November 1928, Page 8

SLAG ON GRASS LAND

EXPERIMENTS IN ENGLAND,

SOME INTERESTING FACTS

Sir John Russell, of Rothamsted,

gives un account in a recent issue of the Journal of the Ministry of Agriculture of the experiments which have been carried out at Rothamsted, in Leicestershire and in Somerset to test the effect of varying applications of basic slag fertiliser to grass land fed off by sheep. The grazing results have brought out the interesting fact that the better grazing land, '* capable of yielding in its unmanured state about 2001b. live weight increase per acre, in sheep, "is difficult to improve by slag, and land which without manure gives only 501b. increase or less may be considerably improved so as to give 1001b. or 1201b. Application of slag will undoubtedly bring good returns on the poorer grazings, but not necessarily on the better land. At Fiddington, Somerset, the slags did not increase the output of mutton from the land; on the contrary, they lowered it, so that the unmanured land came out best. This remarkable result was obtained because the land was not sufficiently closely grazed; in consequence the j grass grew away from the sheep and became coarse and innutritious. The j old saying, common among the Leicesi tershire graziers, that ' ' grass grown in May must be eaten in May,'' is very wise, and embodies the profound ! truth that young herbage is more nutritious than old. It seems clear that farmers should not slag more land than they can properly graze or hay.

In selecting the ram for wool-grow-ing purposes the small flock owner is advised to go to some reputable breeder where he can be sure of procuring a pure-bred animal. If he is satisfied with his purchase —satisfied that improvement is being made in his flock by the introduction of this particular type —he should continue to use the same strain, as he will not get such even results if he buys from different studs, even though the animals are apparently similar in shape, class of wool, etc. One of the most prepotent bulls ever bred must be that wonderful Hereford sire Resolute, which was sold in England in 1918 for the sum of £8,400, and i whieh, by stock he has left behind him, was well worth the money. The recent Three Counties Show at Hereford England, gave proof of the wonderful quality and character of this great bull, for, as the judges went through the classes, winner after winner was found to have been sired by Resolute. It was found impossible to put a real cash value upon such a sire, or to estimate the good he has done to his breed —a breed noted for the good bulls it produces, and for the quality and type of its animals.