FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11199, 20 October 1899, Page 7

FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

[tY OTO ENGLISH AOBIOUITUBAL COBEEBPOKDENT.] London, August 26. CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM EXPERIMENTS. Pbofessob Campbell, of the Yorkshire 'College, contributes an article to the current number of the Land Magazine, on " Lessons From Field Experiments." For some years lie took part in the management of field experiments in Scotland, under Professor Wright, of the Glasgow Technical College and since his appointment at Leeds, he has carried out similar trials in various parts of the North of England. From the results of his experience lie draws the following conclu- : eions: — '• 1. In using an artificial fertiliser without farmyard manure the qualitative composition of the compound ought to resemblo the qualitative composition of farmyard manure. " 2. The system of manuring the root crop heavily, and using no manures for the rest of the rotation, is not so profitable as that of distributing the manures over the rotation. "3. The mechanical condition of the land is quite as important as the kinds and quantities of fertilisers employed, "4. A more frequent use of artificial manure.- to the grain crop would be profitable. ' "5. A liberal use of potassic manures is . advisable. "6. fertilisers for grain and grass crops should contain a higher percentage of nitrogen. "7. For arable crops use a quick-acting manure; for pasture a more lasting one." These conclusions are fairly derived from the experiments on which they are based; but it must be pointed out that potassic manures have shown much better results in Scotland and the North of England than in other parts of Great Britain, at any rate for i.irn a.id root crops. For potatoes potash is ry where beneficial, and nothing does more good to clovers; but in most of the heavy soil* of England there appears to.be an inexhaustible supply of this plant food, and its application in artificial manures often shows no result on eucli soils. EXPERIMENTS ON POTATOES. Professor Campbell might have added to his conclusions the ilnlement that it is more profitable to use artificials with a moderate dressing of farmyard manure than to apply a heavy dressing of the latter alone, as nothing has been more conclusively proved in experiments carried out under his notice. For example, in his report on experiments carried out in Yorkshire last year at six centres, 5 tons of farm manuro and sicwt of artificials (consisting of one part of sulphate of ammonia, two parts of sulphate of potash, and five parts of superphosphate) gavo an average crop of 1 1-3 tons more than 10 tons of farm manure alone. Again, the average yield on 19 farms in the West of Scotland, in experiments carried out by Professor Wright, of the Glasgow Technical College, was 9 tons 15ewt pel' acre, and only 3cwt less where half the farm manure was used with 4cwt of superphosphate, lcwt of sulphate of potash, and 1431b of nitrate of soda. As tlio yield was practically equal, end the artificials cost only £1 13s, whereas tlio 10 tons of farm manure which they replaced must be valued at £2 10s, the mixture of artificials with the smaller dressing of farm manure was highly profitable. Professor Wright, in his conclusions, says that, although good crops of potatoes can be grown with the help of farm manure alone, equally good crops can be produced at less cost by applying artificials with a comparatively small quantity of farm manure. He further points out that the artificials should contain nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, and that the omission of any one of them is attended by a reduction of the orop. Superphosphate was found to improve the quality of the tubers. 1 EXPERIMENTS ON SWEDES IN CORNWALL. As the result of three years' trials'! in Cornwall, the best dressing of artificial manures for Swedes is declared to bo 6cwt of superphosphate, 2cwt of kainit, and iowt of nitrate of soda. The addition of a second jewt of nitrate of soda did not increase the crop on the average. As no fewer than -2047 experiments were carried out in the three years (counting each plot every year as one), this conclusion carries weight. Moreover, it tallies with results in other counties. It is phosphoric acid mainly that swedes and other turnips need; but potash is also valuable, and the stimulating effect of a little nitrate of soda starts the plants quickly and vigorously, and helps them to grow, away from the "fly." SALES OF PURE BRED SHEEP. Sales of rams and ewes from the most famous fiocks of different breeds have gone off surprisingly well so far, considering what a dearth of'feed there is, and how bad the prospects for winter keep are. Here are a fow of the top prices and averagos:— the sale of the late Mr. J. J. Coleman's famous Southdowns, top price for a rain, 110 guineas; average for 33 shearling rams, £26 6s 4d each average for 16 old rams, £26 7s 3d; averago for 107 two-year-old ewes, £6 3s; average for 725 ewe lambs, £4 10s; average for the whole 830 rams and ewes, including lambs, £6 Is 3d. Top prico for a ram from Mr. H. Duckling's noted Lincoln flock, 160 guinea;; average for five rams, £74 lis each. Top price for a rem from Mr. T. Cosswell's Lincoln flock, 200 guineas; average for 21 ram.s, £42 3s; average for other Lincoln rams, £25 ss; for 20 belonging to Messrs. Wright, £28 19s; for 10 belonging to Mr. Goodyear, £23 10s 4d; for 20 out of Messrs. Dean and Son's flock, £25 ss. Mr. A. E. Manoell sold one Lincoln ram at 150 guineas. Suffolks camo nearost to the Lincolns in realising " booming" prices. For a ram lamb of this breed, bred bv Mr. Herbert Smith, of Walton, Suffolk. Mr. Sherwood made 145 guineas, and he sold another of his own breeding at 100 guineas. 'Mr. Smith made an average of 30 guineas for a consignment of Suffolk rams, the number of which was not reported. Sir T. B. Lcnnard received an average of £6 5s each for 20 Suffolk ewes, and one of £4 6s for 100; while Mr. P. K. Blofield got £7 4s 7d for 120 ewes. These are extraordinary prices for ewes. Hampshires have not sold as viell as some other breeds; but averages o £10 to £12 have been made for rams. Among the few averages of Shropshires at present reported are £14 lis 6d each for a number of Mr. J. Harding's rams; and £17 13s for a dozen or more of Mr. T. 8. Minton rams, one of which sold at 120 guineas. DAIRY FACTORIES IN IRELAND. From the complete agricultural statistics of Ireland for 1898, only iccently issued, it appears that there were 387 dairy factories in that country, or 63 more than in I™'- u> these 109 were owned by individuals, 113 by joint slock companies, and 165 by c °*°Pf r ' 1 " ing farmers. The number of hands ' regularly employed was 3323; and the quantity of butter produced during the 12 months, ended with September, was 360,79-cwt, 66,6&3cwt more than in the P^ cedl , ng „. months. In addition 30,832,3421 bob o denscd milk and 12f0cwt of cheese were produced. These figures show how the dairy factory system lias gone ahead in Irelan . ANALYSES OF IMPORTED BUTTER. It is stated in the annual report of the Government Laboratory for the yea. ended on March 31 last, that 1033 samples of imported butter were taken by the Customs and sent for analysis, only two of them being found adulterate I, as compared .with 25 and 46 in the two preceding years. This shows that the new plan of taking samples . ports of landing has done good by foreign consignors that they canno , send margarine as butter. It wasi i however, that boracic acid was used as a pre servative in butter received from m 0 3: and colonial sources, Denmark and ' liavia lining exceptions; also that derived from coal tar is much .used in butter from Holland and the United States.