248 Bulletin 159. 



Whenever it seemed to be necessary, samples of soil were taken 



for analysis. Of these, 38 samples are now being analyzed. In 



the fertilizer work, there had been made to December 10, 1898 : 



76 detenninations of nitrogen. 



42 determinations of total phosphoric acid. 



42 determinations of total potash. 



14 determinations of potash b}- official methods. 



14 determinations of phosphoric acid by official methods. 



14 determinations of available potash in soil. 



14 determinations of available phoshoric acid. 



Experiments on some of these soils, with growing plants, are 

 now proceeding under glass. 



It is expected that the results of this two years' work with 

 fertilizers will be published during the present winter. 



Aside from these general fertilizer investigations, the Horticul- 

 tural Department has been making similar studies along special 

 lines for a number of years ; and the results now await publica- 

 tion. This undertaking has also involved much chemical work. 

 These investigations have been made in 



Nurseries. vStrawberry plantations. 



Vineyards. Currant bushes. 



Apple orchards. Field beans. 



Peach orchards. Celery. 



Potatoes. — Such remarkable results in potato growing have 

 been secured during the past three or four years on the Cornell 

 Experiment Station grounds, that it has been thought desirable 

 to test the methods emplo^^ed here to ascertain whether they will 

 give similar results on other soils and in other hands. It is 

 hoped, also, by having the tests made b}^ the farmers themselves 

 on their own farms, to attract the attention of potato growers 

 throughout the State, more emphatically than it has been poss- 

 ible to do by the work done at the Station. 



'The land used for these experiments at the Station is a gravelly 

 soil which analysis has shown is carrying little more than half 

 the potential plant-food found in average soils. (See Bulletin 130, 

 p. 157.) It has not been manured or fertilized since the autumn of 

 1893 (see the same, p. 157), and has produced heavy crops of 

 grain or forage each season till planted to potatoes. (See Bulle- 

 tin 135, pp. 277, 287.) 



