Fertilizers for Timothy 593 



As compared with legTimes, timothy does not make a heavy draft 

 on nitrogen, the fonner crops using from two to three times as 

 hirge a proportion. The fact must be considered that timothy is 

 not a legume and, therefore, cannot secure its nitrogen direct from 

 the atmosphere through the aid of bacteria in nodules on the roots. 



TIMOTHY INTERFERES WITH NITRIFICATION 



Another point to be considered is the fact that the roots of 

 timothy interfere with the formation of nitrates in the soil.* The 

 investigations of Lyon and Bizzell indicate that timothy, more than 

 any other crop commonly grown on the farm, interferes with the 

 formation of nitrates. This interference extends beyond the time 

 when the crop has been cut and the roots plowed under. The 

 effect extends to the nitrification of materials added to the soil, 

 such as dried blood. This means that nitrogen fertilizers for 

 timothy should be very largely in forms immediately available to 

 the plant. It also suggests the importance of available nitrogen 

 fertilizers on crops growing with timothy, such as orchard trees. 



NITROGEN FERTILIZERS ESSENTIAL 



In view of the facts presented, it may be laid down as a general 

 proposition that nitrogenous fertilizers are particularly beneficial 

 to the timothy crop. If the soil is not heavily stocked with 

 organic matter and in an active condition, the use of some form 

 of nitrogenous fertilizer will largely increase the yield. This 

 point may be considered in connection with tlie statement in the 

 article on "Soils for Timothy" (page 2738), namely, that the 

 soils of swamp and muck and those of recent alluvial origin are 

 best suited to the production of the crop. 



EXPERIMENTS AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY 



Investigations and experience show that the crop will respond 

 to any of the soluble forms of nitrogen. The use of mineral 

 forms has been extensively practiced. For ten years a series of 

 plots devoted to timothy for three-year periods in rotation with 

 corn, oats, and wheat one year each, has been in progress at the 



* Lyon, T. L. and Bizzell, J. A. (1913). Some relations of certain higher plants to the forma- 

 tion of nitrates in soils. Cornell University Agr. Exp. Sta. Memoir No. 1, 1913. 



