RECLAIMING MOSS LANDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2975, 22 March 1911, Page 15

RECLAIMING MOSS LANDS.

Mr of the West of Scotland Agricultural College, in a lecture recently gave some interesting information as to the results of reclaiming mxx.s lands. Drainage followed by applications of phosphate of lime and' potash are the factors that play the ohief role in the transformation of the moss land into land suitable for agricultural purposes. As Mr Paterson said, the first thing to be attended to was the draining away of the water, go that air could get into the soil. The air hastened decomposition of the peat. After the land was drained, it was still unsuited for cultivation, and the application of lime was -necessary, especially to oorreot acidity. Lime was, of course, also a plant food. After draining and Timing the soil was still far from being in a state for remunerative crops. That was because moss land was deficient in other properties requisite for the growth of crops. Compounds of potash and phosphates were also-necessities for the production of remunerative crops, j Moss land oontaincd a go:d deal of nitro- | gen, and that was a good point At first, it waa necessary to supply a good deal of I liraa, phosphates, and potash, which were) all called mineral matter. Basic slag was j more valuable than superphosphate- for, mossy ©oils, and it had the advantage of | being oheaper than superphosphates. Kamit { would supply the potash required). The first crop to be taken from reolautned moss land should be potatoes, which gave the | best return. In fact, there was little choice, j A potato crop should also bo taken the | second year. After the second year oats. or some" similar crop might be taken off j the land. —Results of Experiments.— I Certain experiments had been made, and were beintf carried on by the West ol Scotland Agricultural College. They were | begun three years ago. Three experiments j on different areas of moss land had been carried out. Very wild moss land in Argyllshire, practically worthless, had been | chosen for one of the experiments. After j bein« drained and limed, each area was : ■divided into two parts—the first to get no further treatment, the second to be liberally manured. The manure used for the | first crop of potatoes was one ton of basic slag, 6cwt ka.inifc, and 2cwt potash salts; for the second crop of potatoes, 10cwt slag, scwt potash; and for the third crop, consisting of cats, no manure. The experiments weii? made at Carwar, NewtonStewart; Daligan, Helensburgh; and Invcrlodky, Dalmally. Argyllshire. In tho manured area at Carwar there was a profit per acre per year of £3 13a 2d more than

ofO the unmanured airea; at Daligan the profit per acre, of course after allowing for ocst of manures, was £6 per acre for each ' of the three years; and a.t Inverlocky the' profit was a little over £6 per acre. I According to the result of some experi- j penis, it would appear that for top dtress j ing barky, if such stimulant is necessary, a mixture of nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia, half and half, produces better results than if either of the fertilisers is applied by itself. j