DEPAKTMENT KEPORTS. 



37 



SUPERPHOSPHATE ON "WHEAT. 



The following experiment was tried with superphospate on wheat, viz. : four 

 acres were selected in the west central part of field No. G, where the soil was 

 very uniform, and No. 1 was sowni to wheat with the fertilizer drilled in with 

 the wheat at the rate of 2G0 lbs. per acre. No. 2 was sown with the super- 

 phosphate broadcast over the surface of the ground, but sown at the same time 

 the wheat was drilled (the drill sowing both) and at the same rate. No 3 was 

 sown to wheat without fertilizer, and No. 4 by its side. The following was the 

 result of the experiment : 



No. 1. 

 No. 2 

 No. 3 

 No. 4 



Total, lbs. 



3,904 

 4,490 

 3,656 

 4,850 



The plats dressed with the phosphates show quite a large increase of straw 

 in proportion to wlieat produced. 



While this experiment did not produce flattering results, I believe it to be a 

 good dressing and fertilizer for land that will not produce over 10 to 15 bushels 

 per acre. 



Many questions having been asked in Institutes and by correspondence in 

 regard to the value of salt as a fertilizer, and especially as we have refuse salt 

 from the Saginaw Valley almost at our doors, I resolved to try sowing salt on 

 wheat in spring and note the result. I therefore selected a portion of field No. 

 6, east part, where several persons assured me no one could detect any varia- 

 tion by the eye on two or three acres of wheat. Eight plats of four square rods 

 each were selected and staked out. These plats were in size as one to four in 

 respect to breadth and length. On May 8 salt was sown on all the odd num- 

 bered plats at the rate of 200 lbs per acre. The weather was very dry and the 

 fertilizer lay on the ground undissolved nearly 18 days before rain came to 

 dissolve it ; so I am not sure that best results were reached. The result was 

 as follows : 



I should hope to sec this repeated with the amount of salt divided and one- 



