PERMANENT PASTURES.
TO THE EDITOB. Sir,—ln" reference to T.he valuable nr« ticlo by Mr Alexander of Lincoln College, on. the treatment of permanent ) pastures, it may interest your readers to know that experiments on lines similar to those suggested by him are being carried out at the Raugiora High School. , About one-quarter of an acre of fifteen-year-old pasture has been fenced ; off and subdivided into seventeen plots i three of which are control plots._ Four ’ plots have been treated with basic slag, ‘ at the rate of two, four, six and eight •' ! cwfc per acre respectively, and another four similarly treated act as check; ' i plots. ' i According to Mr Alexander tho -nW* 1 trogen content of hay is very.-high.) He suggests that one . way of. supplying this food is by-means of the clovers, ~ but as many pastures are deficient in clovers it becomes a question as to whether an application of a nitrogenous fertiliser would not be profitable. To test tho effect of nitrogenous fertilisers j, nitrolime has been applied t-o t wo', other ’ ''■plots at the rate of lewfc and Jcwt'pero j acre. Several of the plots 'have been') | treated with mixtures of superphos-? ' pliato, basic slag and nit-rolime. ally three plots nave been dressed with ' flax refuse at the rate of nine, ..sii', 2 ?: and three tons per acre respectively. " Vi! The first of these plots is already show- ’.- ing unmistakablo signs of extra green-* ness. This may be bo duo to the fact that the, refuse was well rotted andy.J having a moisture content of sixty-four ); per cent, held the plant-foods in soluble condition, thus giving the a grasses an immediate supply of foodldi The basic slag, _ , not being readily sol-k übio, is not giving such immediate re-r suits. ’ . .. •' As the flax industry, is a staple ouefy in this district, and" the. refuse .may * ho obtained gratis, farmers might- well consider tho advisability of giving a* good top dressing to any of iheii depleted pasture-land. Cost of cartage, however, would he a considerable item, , If the matter is of sufficient inter- ) est to your readers, our results, when.' available, will bo sent to you for pub-':, lication. —I am, etc., • ' "i; T. R. GRESSWELLo Raugiora High School, ■ . : August 22. /'
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Bibliographic details
Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16326, 23 August 1913, Page 13
Word Count
372PERMANENT PASTURES. Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16326, 23 August 1913, Page 13
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