DAIRY, SEED IMPROVEMENT, STOCK BREEDERS MEETINGS. 3O3 



pliosphoric acid, and without potash. Also fertiHzers carrying 

 from one tO' five per cent of ammonia, eight to ten per cent of 

 available phosphoric acid' and one per cent of potash will be 

 upon the market. 



In special instances it may be possible to get a fertilize* car- 

 rying more potash. 



The prices for mixed fertilizers were fixed in October last. 

 The prices for potash are based upon a value of about $250 

 per ton for muriate at that time. Today potash salts are worth 

 considerably more — probably double that amount. These 

 prices make potash worth $5 per unit. Hence, a fertilizer with 

 one per cent of potash would cost $5 more per ton than if the 

 'potasih were omitted. Much, if not all, of tihe fertilizer offered 

 in Maine the present year will carry a considerable part of its 

 nitrogen in the form of nitrate of soda. It is urged that the 

 purchaser of mixed fertilizers in 1916 make sure that 'at least 

 one-fourth, and, still better, one-third, of the nitrogen the fer- 

 tilizer carries is in the form of nitrate of soda. 



Growing Potatoes Without Potash. 



Potatoes are the chief cash crop grown in Maine. It is of 

 first im'portance for the grower to have what facts are available 

 relative to the likelihood of obtaining a crop in 19 16 without the 

 application of potash. Foreseeing the 'possibility that the fer- 

 tilizers in 191 6 would contain very little, if any, potas'h, the 

 Maine Agricultural Experiment Station began in 191 5 at 

 Aroostook Parm a series of experiments to determine the ef- 

 fect of different amounts of potash. Four different mixtures 

 were used. In each case the fertilizer contained four per cent 

 of nitrogen (five per cent of ammonia), of which one-third 

 vras in the form of nitrate of soda, and eight per cent of avail- 

 able phosphoric acid. The potash varied as follows : On one 

 plot there was none, on another two per cent, on another five 

 per cent and on another eight per cent. The plots were one- 

 half acre each and they were planted in duplicate. The land 

 liad ibeen in grass for two years, one year in oats and the year 

 before that had been in potatoes. No fertilizer had been used 

 since the potato crop of 191 1. In each case the fertilizer was 

 appHed at the time of planting, at the rate of 1,500 pounds per 



