316 Agbtoultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. T. 



conclusion. 



From these and man}'- other similar experiments conducted in 

 Europe, it is believed that on strong or clayey lands it is often more 

 economical to secure available plant food by culture than by the pur- 

 chase of fertility. 



That in strong wheat soils there is more plant food than the variety 

 of wheat grown can utilize, though enough may Hot be available to 

 produce a maximum crop. 



That in our changeable climate the wheat plant is so handicapped at 

 times for want of suitable climatic conditions, that it is unable to 

 appropriate much of the available plant food in the soil and hence is 

 often not benefited by additional nourishment. 



That the plants were unable to elaborate more food than the amount 

 furnished by the soil under the superior culture. 



That under certain conditions even a moderate amount of manure or 

 fertilizers may not only fail to increase the yield but may be positively 

 injurious to the crop to which they are applied. 



I. P. ROBERTS. 



CORN— DETASSELING. 



July 14, 1893, three plots were marked out in the University corn 

 fields for experiments in detasseling. Plots I and II were side by side 

 in a field of well drained gravelly loam and the corn early and uniform- 

 ly good. Plot III was on a clay knoll in a field of late corn that suffered 

 severely from the drouth during the latter part of the season. All 

 plots were surrounded by corn that had not been detasseled. Plots I 

 and II contained sixteen rows each and- plot III nine rows; each row 

 contained fifteen hills. In plots I and III the tassels were removed 

 from alternate rows, while in plot II every fourth row was left with 

 tassels on, that is the tassels were removed from the firHt three rows, 

 left on the fourth, removed from the next three and left on the 

 eighth row and so on throughout the remaining rows of the plot. 



The tassels were removed by hand by pulling them out as soon as 

 they appeared. This operation was performed quite rapidly as com- 

 paratively little force was necessary to cause the stalk to break just 

 above the upper joint and without any injury to the leaves whatever, 

 if done before the tassels had become fully expanded. From the 

 experiments in detasseling made at the station it is thought to be of 

 prime importance to completely remove the tassel before it has expanded 



