280 Bulletin 232. 



in yield of oats enters into the final problem. Two circumstances 

 conspire to make the fertilizers less effective probably than normally 

 in increasing the yield of oats, namely, (1) the fertilizers were applied 

 in the previous year for reasons heretofore explained*; and (2) 

 the seasonal conditions were favorable to a high yield of oats upon 

 the untreated plats. The oat crop is known as a weather crop, 

 that is to say, the crop is sensitive to the temperature and moisture 

 conditions during the growing season, and if these are just right 

 the soil is relatively less important. The residual influence of stable 

 manure was quite marked upon the timothy hay, although it did not 

 greatly increase the yield of oats. In no case did the increase in 

 the yield of oats pay for the cost of the fertilizer applied, and on 

 two plats where only mineral fertilizers were applied there was a 

 decrease in yield. 



Yield of Timothy Hay in 1905. 



After the removal of oats in 1904 nothing was done to the plats 

 until April 5th, when each plat was fertilized as indicated in the table 

 on page 279 except Plat 728, which received all fertilizers designated 

 except "Niterlime." Plats 731 and 732, which had received 10 

 and 20 tons of stable manure respectively in 1903, were left untreated 

 in 1905. On July 7, 1905, the timothy was mown, and on July 12, 

 1905, the hay was weighed. The following table gives the yields 

 of hay per acre, the increased yield of hay due to treatment, total 

 value of the increase, and the net gain or loss from fertilizers. The 

 total value of the increase is obtained by multiplying the increase 

 in yield in tons by $10.60. This, according to the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, is the average December farm price of 

 hay in New York State for the ten years ending 1903. The net 

 gain or loss from fertilizers is obtained by subtracting from the total 

 value of the increase the cost of the fertilizers, as shown in table 

 on page 281. 



*See note page 278. 



