The Bozeman courier., 1921-07-13

Stag or superphosphate (acid phos-
phate), and part has received nitro
genous fertilizers, either in the form
of sulphate of ammonia or nitrate
of soda, or of oil cakes fed to the
sheep.
The outcome has been that where
no treatment was given, the herbage
has been of the poorer grasses with
about four per cent OF clover. Where
basic Stag has been used, the total
herbage has been two or three times
as great as on the untreated land,
and the percentage of clover has been
increased to thirty, thus improving
the quality as well as the quantity Of
the pasturage, so that it's value, as
measured by the increase in the live
weight of the sheep has been multi
piled by three or four.
| Of the phophates, basic Stag has |
been much more effective than su-
perphosphate used alone, but when
the land has been lined there is prac-
tically no difference in the effect.
The phosphorus in basic Stag, how
ever, has been much cheaper in Eng
land than that in superphosphate, be-
cause the basic Stag is home prod
uct, whereas the materials Tor super
phosphate are imported, consequent
ly the net gain from the use of Stag
has been twice as great as that from
the superphosphate and lime, the Stag
having apparently carried sufficient
lime to neutralize the acidity of this
soil, when used at the rate of $50 to
1120 pounds per acre every third sea-
son, as it has been in these expert
ments.
The difference in cost would not
have held good in America, where
until recently basic Stag has been
! chiefly imported from Europe, and
where the price has always been
based upon that of acid phosphate,
without regard to original cost.
l Neither would the comparison hold
t good on more acid soils.
Lime alone, like phosphorus alone,
: has produced a comparatively mea-
t ger effect ar Cackle Park, an out
come that has been observed else
Y where on soils quite urgently in need
t of lime. Bone is built upon foun-
t dation of both lime and phosphorus,
f and both must be returned to land
e that has been exhausted of bone ma
S terial by lond continued pasturage,
before either can have it sfull eff
f feet.
n The nitrogenous fertilizers have in
r every case reduced the net gain both
h because of the added cost and be-
S cause they have encouraged the
g growth of the grasses at the ex,
Y pense of the clovers, thus reducing
the value of the herbage.
# Even the feeding of oil cake
a on the land has reduced the net prof
O. it, for gain in live weight produced
If by oil cake has been but little great
A. er than that produced by the richie
e, grazing due to the growth of Glove
A. induced by the basic Stag, while th
l. cost of oil cake has been much great
rt er than that of the Stag.
" While, however, the adding of nj
IN trogen in oil cake or other nitrogen
n Gus fertilizers has been unprofitable
the combination of basic Stag wit
It, farmyard manure has been profitabl
re because of the lower cost of the ma
I'D nure.
De The change in the character of tn
If herbage between the untreated Ian
n and that receiving basic Stag wa
to really marvellous from a thin, shol
growth of inferior grasses alone o
ed the untreated land, to dense carpC
k, of grass and white clover whereve
ut the Stag had been applied.
in The standard application of basi
n Stag has been $50 pounds per acl
es of Stag containing about Is pc
cent of phosphate acid. given ever
,c- third season; but larger gain ha
h resulted from doubling the dressin
lis at the outset and repeating it les
re. often. Probably this larger dressin
ch has more thoroughly neutralized til
en- soil acidity, thus favoring a MOI
lr; effective action of the phosphat
nd which does not waste from the Ian
nd as do nitrogenous fertilizers.
ng On the heavy boulder clay so
of which covers the larger part of tn
,e- farm, the addition of potash to tt
Ity phasphates has not been profitable
but on part of the farm the soil hs
m been deprived directly from the sane
w. stones instead of from the drift, ar
en here potash has increased the nj
H. gain. Potash, however, is not ca
of ried away from the soil by pastu
his age to the extent that it is in gra
ul- crops that are removed from Il
ge, land, as the larger part of the pota'
A. consumed by the grazing animals
,he returned to the land in the dro
in pings.
nm The native grass here is a redtC
rs . bent grass, species Of Agrosti
or ,ioh pTnfocco~ EiIobric+ oboro efn