THE VALUE OF MANURES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13311, 13 June 1907, Page 3

THE VALUE OF MANURES.

ROME INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS. . A number of farmers throughout the Wairarapa last year were invited to conduct a series of" experiments with a view to showing the relative value of certain manures in assisting the growth of turnips and mangolds. The experiments were carried out under conditions laid down by the New Zealand Department of Agriculture in "Leaflets for Farmers, No. 77," and were as follows :—-Seven plots of equal size; to be sown with turnips or mangolds of one variety; the ground to be away from the influence of trass-and hedges, and to be uniform in texture and composition. The plots to be laid off fide, by side, and preferably long and narrow. Paddocks which, have saidy, marly, humus, clayey, or gravelly patches distinct from the average soil, or on which hedge clippings, bush, stumps, straw, etc., have-teen-burnt off, or previous treatment of which as regards the method of cultivating, manuring. or cropping has not been, of a. "uniform nature, are not suitable for the purposes of plot experiments. Should it be possible to - dress a strip of the plots with farmyard manure'or with lime before ploughing, the value of the te:;ts will be trebled. The manure must be well rotted, and may be applied at the .rate of ten tons per acre.fc-Jf ground burnt lime can be pro : cured, it will be better to spread it on without previous slaking; if only tha ordinarv agricultural lime is: available, it must "be slaked' in heaps and then spread, a somewhat troublesome operation, and for which a calm day is indispensable. The exact size of the plots is not specified, it being left to the experimentalist's convenience. The manure for each individual plot (as numbered) will contain enough fc|. fertiliser for one acre. '? •The manures to be used were as follow :_Plot No.'l, liewt. superphosphate per acre; Plot No.' 2, 3cwt. superphosphate per acre ■ Plot No. 3, ljrcwt. basic flag per acre, l£cwt. superphosphate per acre; Plot No. 4, no manure; Plot No. 5, |cwt. bonedust per acre, 2cwt. superphosphate per acre; Plot No. 6, fewt. bonedust- per acre, 2cwt. superphosphate per 'acre, 4cwt. potash-sulphate per acre; Plot.No. 7, cwt. of No. 6 mixture per acre. Following are the results obtained from two of the farms where the experiments were faithfully carried out, and which form interesting reading for farmers generally : MR. BLAND RAYNER'S. These experimental plots were sown on the 13th December, 1906, on clay land that was first brought under cultivation seme thirty years ago. The turnips sown were Purp'le Top Aberdeen and Gartoh's Green Top, eleven ounces of seed being sown to the acre. Sixteen square yards of average turnips were weighed and the number of turnips on same counted, with the following results: No. of turnips Weight Weight per on on' acre. ■ Plot 16 sq. yds 16 sq.vds. Tons. Cwts. I■' ... 152 1781b 24 0 2 85 1601b 21 12 5 ... 164 2111b 28 9 . 4 ... 70 451b 6 1 5 .96 1891b 25 10 6 ... 110 ' 1801b 24 6 . i ... 136 1661b 22 8 MESSRS GRAY BEOS. These experimental plots were sown on 10th Devember, 1906, in virgin roil of a free alluvial nature.. The turnips sowti were' Purple Top Aberdeen and Garton's Green Top, sixteen ounces of seed being sown per acre. Sixteen square yards of average turnips were weighed and the number of turnips on same were counted, with the following results : No. of turnips Weight Weight per on on acre. Plot 16 sq. yds. 16 sq. yds. Tons. Cwts. 1 ... 183 . 2031b 27 8 2 .. 83 1721b 23 4 3.' ..." 2C6 2111b 28 9 4. This plot was not taken into consideration. 5 „ 164 1781b 24 0 6 ... 148 2161b 27 3 7'. ... 172 1731b , 23 7 p.,S.—These plots were numbered as per Leaflets for Farmers No. 77. An extraordinary feature of the experiments is the results obtained from plots treated with a mixture of basic slag and superphosphates. It has always been maintained by agricultural chemistry experts that to mix basic slag with superphosphates would nullify the effect of both, one being an alkali and the other an acid. In the experiments that have just l>een concluded in this district, however, it will be seen that in both instances where the mixture was used (plots No. 3). the yields were the heaviest recorded, and stil more remarkable is the fact that t)\e weight per acre of turnips was exactly the same, notwithstanding that the farms are quite two miles apart. , On Mr K J. Haigh's_farm at Greytown, where experiments were carried out in irrowing mangolds under the above conditions, the return is estimated at 126 tons to the acre. One mangold that was pulled by the judges turned the scale at 751b, and was over five feet-in circumference.