LIME v. BASIC SLAG.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 84, 4 September 1914, Page 7

LIME v. BASIC SLAG.

(To the Kditor.) 4Sir.—Mr Lawrence, in Ihis letter 01 27th iilto., trios to make your reader--believe tJrnt the importers of basic slug do not charge lor the iron that is m tho slag, but only' for the lime and phosphate that the slag contain-. Now. lot us set how this works out as to price. Suppose the lime was new and fresh, the 60 per cent, of lime ; 'i the slag. The highest market price lor it would be 9s 10'/ a d. The 20 per cent, of phosphate found in the - 1 :t .- ought to be sold at fl Bs, but it is sold lo Uie settler at the rate of £23 15s lOd v- 1 ' ton. Is this just dealing? '1 ihave bcca told tnat the unjust dealer is win-" than a thief. If luiew a litil? more about manures, and the sourcs from which they come, it would save tlhern many a pound. Mr Lawrence ask-: "Whoever heard of iron Hieing sold as plant food:" on cannot grow either plants or anima's and keep tlieni healthy without putting small traces of iron in their fo-d. N> amiah for expert knowledge in agricultural science. The great objection ! taw against basic, stag is that thw :- by I',it too much iron in it. A lev.- ! \cars ago a neighbor of ours dressed one of his paddock's with Ui.su- >l«ig. bul a dry season set in and I lie iron Imrn._! up the grass, little or no feed being ll ' u for the cattle. At the same time onrrf our jKiddocks wa« Undressed wii'i lime. The land was grassing 14 sheep to tho acre. I told several people \ »;■> could count the sheep and inca-ure i.e.land Tile sooner the settlors get 1111■: milk analysed, the better il will *' ; l themselves, as by tnat .mean* they w-ll know what elements of plant 10. .1 v.c.-. taken out of the land, (ieorge. \ illc ■- a high authority in prescribing i"od un taie plant and here is what 1m» say.-: '•(.Jive the earth more phosphates, more potash, more lime than the haiveNt lettaken from it, and ->0 per cent. or mtroiren."- —f am, etc.. * (J. INKSTKI!. N onnanby, September 2, 11 4.