Improving Grass Lands.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 94, 7 August 1908, Page 3

Improving Grass Lands.

The Victorian Department of Agriculture is carrying on some very interesting experiments, with the view of improving the stock-carrying capacity of grass lands. It has established 60 plots of live acres each, mostly throughout the southern and central portions of the State. Tne area is divided into a number of plots, each of which has been top-dressed with different artificial manures at an expense of 2s 6d per acre. The first year 2s 6d per acre was also spent in clover seeds. The land is harrowed at the time of the distribution of the manures, usually in the early autumn. In the second year of the experiment a portion of the area was treated again with the same manures, at the same rate per acre, and during the autumn just passed a portion has been again dressed. So far as the opinions of the farmers themselves go, there is a noticeable improvement in the sole of grass and the treated area, over the ordinary pasture outside the boundary. The manures showing the most striking results are superphosphates, bonedust, Thomas phosphate and lime, in about that order of precedence. Cattle have free access to the pasture all the year, and it has been observed that they show especial preference for the plots treated with phosphatic manures. The most gratifying feature of the grass experiments is that the manures have brought about, not only a more abundant growth of grass, but grasses hitherto inconspicuous are now more widely distributed, and are gradually supplanting innutritious varieties which characterise land of poor quality. It is only after at least two years' treatment with manures that any noticeable improvement can be seen in the sole of the grass, particularly on poor soils. The results of the experiments, as far as tliey have gone, are considered to have abundantly proved the advantage of topdressing grass land; but there still remains a certain amount of experimenting to ascertain the most economical dressing for various soils.