22 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I906. 



zers. A few are seriously intended as special formulas for 

 potatoes. These goods carry proportionately more potash and 

 less phosphoric acid. Such brands carry from 3 to 4 per cent 

 nitrogen, about 6 per cent available phosphoric acid and 5, 8 or 

 even 10 or more per cent of potash. 



In 1904 experiments with home mixed fertilizers in com- 

 parison with standard high grade mixed goods were made on 

 two farms in the town of Houlton and also in Fort Farifield. 

 The materials were bought at one time and were all mixed at 

 Houlton. The formula was: — Portland Rendering Company's 

 (rescreened) tankage 420 pounds; acid phosphate 400 pounds; 

 cottonseed meal 200 pounds; sulphate of potash 200 pounds; 

 and nitrate of soda 100 pounds. Analysis showed the mixed 

 goods to have the following composition : Water soluble nitro- 

 gen 1.37 per cent; available nitrogen 2.72 per cent; total nitro- 

 gen 4.09 per cent; available phosphoric acid 7.01 per cent; total 

 phosphoric acid 9.87 per cent; and potash 7.61 per cent. 



The details of these experiments are given in Bulletin 112 of 

 this Station. With the exception of one field of early planted 

 potatoes the results were all in favor of the commercial brands. 



Average yield of merchantable potatoes grown on ho'me mixed 

 fertilizers in 1904 compared with commercial potato fertiUzres. 



This smaller yield was explained as follows : "The tops kept 

 greener in color during the last half of the growing season with 

 the home mixture. September i, there was a severe frost all 

 over Northern Maine. The late potatoes grown upon the home 

 mixture had greener and more succulent vines than those upon 



