MANORIAL EXPERIMENTS WITH RAPE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8541, 23 March 1908, Page 6

MANORIAL EXPERIMENTS WITH RAPE.

The results of tho manurial experiment with rape In plots on tho property of R. and J. H. Perrett, Saiidon, are now to hand. Owing to tho very dry season rape crops generally have been very poor throughout tho district, and the plots have been no exception to the rule. However, we gained a little information which is likely to prove valuable to us in the future. Tho plots were sown on November 25th, and wo found that a special drill' was necessary to properly carry out the experiments as it was necessary to clean out tho drill after sowing each plot and we were unable to do this with the ordinary drill. It was originally intended to sow plots of oneeighth of an acre, but this trouble necessitated a re-cast of the whole scheme and one-tenth of an acre was sown instead. The following is the report of Mr Baylis of the Agricultural Department on the results : — Yield Cost Manure per Acre. per acre, of lb. m'rs. 581b bonedust, 1401b superphosphate, 341b sulphate of potash, 681b dried blood .... ... ... 10,400 17/7 139 superphosphhate, 571b bonedust, 341b sulphate of potash 10,240 13/1 12 parts superphosphate, 1 part guano, 2 parts kainit 10,240 9/8 141b superphosphate, 591b bonedust 10,080 8/11 1051b superphosphate, 1051b •basic slag. 201b sulphate of potash 9,200 11/7 10511b basic slag. 1051b superphosphate, 201b sulphate of potash, 701b dried blood ! 9,120 16/Basic slag Icwt., super- . phosphate lewt, ... 8,960 ' 9/9 No manure ... ... 4,960 The outstanding feature of the experiment is the increase of production in tho three leading plots by the addition of potash. There has been a difference of opinion in this district for some time as to whether there was any gain by the addition of potash, but I think this shows conclusively, says tho Advocate correspondent, that potash is absolutely necessary and does best in conjunction with superphosphate and bonedust. It also shows that some farmers have not been far wrong in their selection of manures as superphosphate and bonedust; the fourth mixture has been used by some of them for years past, Basic slag and superphosphate, which did well ,in Masterton, has done no good here. Altogether, although such a bad season, tho experiment has been decidedly interesting. ! In connection with the above the Advocate says":—On the assumption that the excess of the yield on the manured plots over Ihe unmanured plot is entirely due to the use of the manure, we have made a calculation as to which mixture produces the best result at least cost. By subtracting 4960—the amount produced without manure —we obtain the number of poinds of yield due to manure. Thus the first plot on the list produced 54401b5, at an expense of 17s 7d for fertiliser or Id spent in manure increased the crop by 261bs per acre. Looked at from this point of view, the least costly manure produced tho beet results, and the yields for each penny spent in manure were- as follows—in the. same order as in the tabe —261bs. 461bs, 341bs, 481bs, 311bs, 341bs, 341bs. Tho best monetary results, therefore, appear to have been obtained from superphosphate and bonedust. It is undesirable to generalise from one year's experiments, especially when it was so abnormal as the present one. We hope that the observations will be repeated for at least three consecutive years, so as> to obtain accurate results