COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS FOR ONIONS. 



* 



W. H. JORDAN AND F. A. SIRRINE. 



SUMMARY. 



(1) Experiments in the use of different quantities of a com- 

 plete fertilizer in growing onions were conducted at Florida, 

 Orange county, N. Y., for four years on the same field and for 

 one year on a field of another farm. 



(2) The quantities of fertilizer used were 0, 500 lbs., 1000 lbs., 

 1500 lbs. and 2000 lbs. per acre. 



(3) On the Purdy field (four years), when only 500 lbs. of fer- 

 tilizer was used, the manure cost of the increase of crop was 

 16.6 cts. per barrel; with 1000 lbs., 79.3 cts.j with 1500 lbs., 80.4 

 cts., and with 2000 lbs., 227.8 cts. 



(4) The profit from using the fertilizer came mostly from the 

 first 500 lbs, api>lied, averaging |35.84 per acre. With onions 

 at 11.25 per barrel the profit was slightly larger (about |3 per 

 acre) with both the 1000 lbs. and 1500 lbs. of fertilizer per 

 acre; but 2000 lbs. was used at a loss. 



(5) On the Mars field one experiment was conducted which 

 showed no increase of yield from applying commercial fertilizer 

 even in the larger quantities, 



(6) The results of these experiments show clearly that the 

 crops were limited more by other conditions than by the extent 

 of the plant-food supply. With the best conditions of season 

 and water supply the smallest amount of fertilizer supported 

 the maximum crop. 



*A reprint of Bulletin No. 206. 



