H.—34

It is a pity that detailed soil work lias not been done, but arrangements are under way to have tiie trial repeated as soon as possible on both good and poor soil, using complete soil, botanical and chemical services to obtain a more complete picture of this most important cycle of growth. Some limitation in the chemical analyses work has perforce had to be made and no balance figures are available for the last year's results. Yield figures in terms of D.M. per acre under different treatments are as follows (periods Ist January to 31st December) : —

Pasture Trials on Conway Block.—These trials have now been closed, due to insufficient staff both in the field and the laboratory. Results of the species trials have shown some very interesting results, which may be summarized as follows: — (1) Pedigree No. 1 white clover is able to compete most successfully with the grass species in the sward, and under the conditions of the trial perennial rye, cocksfoot, and timothy were the only species able to compete at all successfully: (2) It was found that the development of cocksfoot and timothy was much better under close grazing for the first year than under a loose system. This was apparently due to the fact that these high-fertility grasses responded readily to the constant animal droppings and made more headway than when spelled for longer periods and subjected to first weed and later clover competition: (3) The No. 1 white sown with a pedigree rye gave a 40 per cent, increase over the same rye-grass sown with a commercial Dutch clover and resulted in a higher-quality sward—the yield of the sward using Montgomery red clover instead of No. 1 white was 80 per cent, of the latter: (4) There was very little difference in the total yield of the complex and simple swards, the simple mixture being slightly the better of the two. This mixture is easier to handle, but tends to dry out quicker than the complex sward, where several species can take up the running. However, the complex swards rapidly develop into simple mixtures of rye white and the benefit of the added species is quickly lost. There is, however, a definite advantage from the inclusion of some small amount of the Italian rye-grass, in so far as it gives added initial weed smother and allows of an earlier grazing, consolidation, and manurial turnover in the developing sward. Trial to show superphosphate response gave a consistent increase of some 8 per cent, on this soil type. A trial especially designed to test the validity of mowing trials and the Marton mowing and grazing technique has shown somewhat outstanding results. The mowing technique, whilst giving fairly good total yield comparison, results in too much clover competition, whilst the Marton technique makes it very difficult to find responses other than the most marked, due to the transference of fertility from the good to the pool plots and above all from all plots to l the headlands. A technique of measurement involving actual collection and correct proportional redistribution of stock drop2Jings has given results very close to full-scale paddock responses, both from a total yield and a botanical composition point of view. The results of this trial are in the course of publication.. Nutritional Block in Collaboration with M.A.C.—Measurements and botanical analyses ot this trial have been kept up to date. Whilst interesting pasture figures are being obtained, it is still apparent that the difficulty of running pasture and animal experiments is very great. Relative yield figures over the past year in relative terms of DM ner acre are as follows:— ' ' Manurial Trial: 4 cwt. super, 100; lewt. super, 91; 4 cwt. slag 90- 4 cwt super + lime, 105; 4 cwt. super + lime + potash, 100-1. Strain Trial: M/S + M/S, 100; ped. rye + ped. white, 103; ped. rye + low HON white, 94; ped. rye + M/S white, 98; M/S rye + ped. white, 97. Botanical analyses for different period for each treatment, also botanical composition of individual paddocks, have been made, and these show some very interesting variations. SHage and Digestibility Trials.—The work has been continued, in so far as the trials ot last year have been repeated. The data obtained and the sample material secured awaits chemical testing before results can be interpreted fully. However, the losses on a D.M. basis were consistently over 30 per cent. Prior to the commencement of this season s work large concrete silos and bases for stacks were constructed to collect exudate on the normal field juts and stack basis in order to pursue further our study into drymethodf, experimental pits have been put in using A.I.Y. and other acidification Digestibility trials of the material ensiled as well as on the cured silage have been been determined 10nS 0± CXUdate havC been made and their P H variations daily have

20

Full Return. No ltd urn. Urine Return. j Dung Return. 1941 .. .. 17,082 10,71)1 12,544 12,473 1942 .. .. 15,915 12,01(i 14,272 14,473 Difference .. -1,167 +1,225 +1,728 +2,000