448 Bulletin i66. 



plat and to a depth of two feet below the surface of the ground. 

 This wall was constructed so that there would be no possible 

 chance for the beets in one plat to receive the benefit of the 

 fertilizer applied to any other plat. After the construction of 

 the wall the soil which had been removed was replaced in the 

 inverse order of its removal, the eight inches removed last was 

 returned first so that it would occupy its original place at the 

 bottom. Before being returned each eight inches of soil was 

 thoroughly mixed and then an equal number of pounds was put 

 into each plat and packed. In this way all the plats were filled, 

 each la^^er of soil after having been thoroughl}^ mixed was 

 returned to its original position." 



Fertilizer experiments were continued upon these same plats 

 in 1898, each fertilizer being applied to the plat which received 

 similar fertilizer in 1897. 



The table on page 449 gives the record of the plats and the 

 results for 1898. 



The plats upon which these experiments w^ere conducted were 

 so limited in area that no estimate is given of the yield per acre. 

 The object of the experiment was to determine what effect if any, 

 the various fertilizers would have upon the qualit}' of the beets 

 grown. The most noticable effect is seen on Plat No. 6, where 

 nitrate of soda was applied. The per cent of sugar and the per 

 cent of purity falling considerably below that of the other plats. 



Where more than one chemical were used they were combined 

 in equal proportions and all fertilizers were thoroughly incor- 

 porated with the soil before the seed was planted. The results 

 would seem to indicate that the use of nitrate of soda is con- 

 ducive to the growth of large beets of poor quality. When used 

 it should be in combination with other chemicals unless the soil 

 is markedly deficient in nitrogen. 



