FIELD EXPERIMENTS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 76, 30 August 1915, Page 1

FIELD EXPERIMENTS.

| Keporti of ttu lield experiments | conducted at different centres ; throughout Great Biitam in 1914 J coittiati to come to hand, and having I during the past few week 3 locked through a number of them, cne is struck with the care devoted t" experimental wo:k and to the picparation ol the rt potts. The sreond impression conveyed is the ur.iforir character of the work carried out, and also the uniform nature of the results obtained. 1 his produces in the reader a eens3 of monotony, but on reflection this is a feeling tot justified, because the experiments at the different stations are made in the firrt place for the guidance and information cf the agriculturists in t-ie locality; the loca. farmers are invited and encouraged to visit the station, and the experts of the station are always ready to accompany visitors round the experimental fields and explain the nature of the information t) be gathered from the results. There is no r'oubt that farmers who avail themselves rf such opportunities can pick up marya hint uselul in their practical tarming operation*. It is also fair to add that at many of the stations in addition to the ordinary routine demonstrations, there are valuable experiments nude to tist the efficacy of new fertilisers and new feeding stuffs arcPfreeh protlems that may crop up.

In trie report now before us "Field Experiments at the Harper Adams Agricuhtral College"—there is an account of SOME EXPERIMENTS WITH MANGELS

which is well worth of note at the present time, because it seems to demonstrate the beet method cf applying salt to the crop. The crop received the usual dreeing of farmyard manure and artificials, and the salt was in addition. The best result was obtained by a dressing of Jcwt of talt per acre, and 2Jcwt applied with nitrate of soda as a top dressing. This yielded an increase ovtr tha "no salt" plol of 10 ton 14cwt. It may also be noted that the plot "no salt," but lewt sulphate of potash applied with the standard dressing produced only an increase of 6cwt, thia demonstrating the greater nted of the cri>p for salt than for potash. Salt applied at the rate of 10 cwt per acre worked in before ridging gave an increase of 3tona 4cwt, and on this small effect there ia the remark that this method "very obviously hindered germination to a great extent" The same quantity applied after splitting ridges but before sowing produced an increase of 10 tons 4 cwt. The mferer.ee is obvious that salt should be applied after splittirg ridges. There is also a rote on the IMPORTANCE OF LIME in view ol tha shortage of potash supples. The importance of lime in some form or other cannot ba too strongly emphasised, on account of its properly of liberating potash compounds from the stores in the soil. As has been previously pointed out, Shropshire soils are very generally deiicient in lime. Recent work on this subject has shown very clearly the importance of thi", and Has indicated new lines on which lime exerts an influence on the fertility of the soil; thus, in addition to assisting such processes as nitrification and nitrogen assimilation, it actually liberates a certain amount of ammonia from the organic nature of matter in the soil, and fuitbermore, in certain quantities, depending on the characteristics of the individual soil, it acts as a partial sterilising agent, suppressing detrimental organisms, and enabling the ammonia-producing organisms to carry out their work much more vigorously. A trial was mads with

VULCAN PHONOLITH, a ne« fertiliser introduced from the Germans to this country. It does not appear to have given satisfactory results, so the stoppage of supplies need not be regretted. It ia ;< rock, naturally occurrirg in Westphalia, where it is ground up and used locally, it is Btated, with successful results as a fertiliser. It was tried on potatoes, mangolds, oats and seeds. Its chief value appears to be in the potash which It contakß but from analyses carried out in tha laboratories the great:r part of this wculd appear to be in a very unavailable condition, such as would only 6lowly beome of use to the plant.