SANSON.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9100, 20 March 1908, Page 5

SANSON.

MANURIAL EXPERIMENT WITH RAPE. From Our Own Correspondent. The results of the manurial experiment with rape in plots on the property of R. &J. H. Perrett are now to hand. Owing to the very dry season rape crops generally have been very poor throughout the district and the plots have been no exception to the rule. However, we gained a little information which is likely to prove valuable to us in the furture. The plots were sown on November 25th, and we found that a special drill ' was necessary to properly carry out the experiments as it was necessary to clean out the drill after sowing eacli plot and we were unable to do this with the ordinary drill. It was originally intended to sow plots of one-eighth of an acre, but this trouble necessitated a recast of the whole scheme and cue-tenth of an acre was sown instead. The following is the report of Mr Baylis of the Agricultural Department on the results":—

The outstanding feature of the experiment is the increase of production in the throe leading plots by the addition of potash. There has been a difference of opinion in this district for some time as to whether there was any gain by the addition of potash, but I think this shows conclusively that potash is absolutely necessary and does best in conjunction with superphosphate and bonedust. It also shows that some farmers have not been faxwrong in their selection cf manures as superphosphate and bouedust, the fourth mixture lias been used by some of them for years past. Basic slag and superphosphate which did well in Mastertou has done no good here. Altogether, although such a bad season, the experiment has been decidedly interesting.

Ou tlie-assnmptiou that the excess of the yield ou the manured plots over the uumauured plot is entirely due to the use of the manure, we have made a calculation as to which mixture produces the best result at least cost. By subtracting 4,9 G0 —• the amount produced without manure —wo obtain the number of pounds of yield due to manure. Tims the first plot ou the list produced 5440 lbs, at an expense of 17s 7d for fertiliser or Id spent in manure increased the crop ‘by 2(jlbs per acre. Locked at from this point of view the least costly manure produced the best results, and the yields for each penny spent in manure were as follows —in the same order as in the table—2Glbs, 4Glbs, 341bs, 481bs, Sllbs, S4lbs, 841bs. The best monetary results therefore appear to have been obtained from superphosphate and bouednst. It is undesirable to generalise from one year’s experiments, especially when it was so abnormal as the present one. We hope that the observations will be repeated for at least three consecutive years so as to obtain accurate results. [Ed. Advocate.]

Manure per Acre. Yield per acre, lbs. Cost of - m’ra ______ 58lbs bouedust, llO.bs superphospate, 3 llbis sulphate of potash, 681 bs dried blood ... 10,400 17/7 139 superphosphate, 571 bs bonedust," 34Ibs sulphate of potash 10,210 13/1 12 parts superphosphate, 1. : part guano, 2 parts' kainit 10,240 9/8 14 libs superphosphate, 591bs bonedust 10,080 8/11 lOolbs superphosphate, lOolbs basic slag, 20lbs sulphate of potash ... 9,200 11/7 1051bs basic Bias?, lOolbs superphosphate, 201bs sulphate of potash. 701bs dried blood ... 9,120 16/Basic slag lewt , superphosphate Icwt, 8,960 9/9 No manure 4,960