PERMANENT PASTURES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16326, 23 August 1913, Page 13

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. /'