Field Experiments with Fektilizeks. 



315 



CIRCULAR OF INSTRUCTIONS 



CONCEKNING 



FIELD EXPERIMENTS 



WITH 



FERTILIZERS 



No. 14. 



CORNELL UNIVERSITY 



AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



I. P. ROBERTS, DIRECTOR. 



Ithaca, N. Y., April, 1899. 



Dear Sir. — We have ordered one set of fertilizers to be sent to you by freight. 

 This set consists of two large sac ks containing four 15 lb. sacks of nitrate of 

 soda; two 15 \h. sacks of muriate of potash; two 30 lb. sacks of superphosphate, 

 and two 45 lb. sacks containing a mixture of 30 lbs. of superphosphate and 15 

 lbs. of muriate of potash. 



We have also sent you a revised copy of Bulletin 129 of this Station. It contains 

 many valuable suggestions about conducting field experiments with fertilizers. 



Circular No. 14 explains how to apply the fertilizers and how to keep a record 

 of the season's work. 



KEEP THIS CIRCULAR IN A HANDY PLACE, and from time to 



TIME JOT DOWN NOTES UNDER THEIR PROPER HEADINGS. FINALLY IN THE 

 FALL RECORD THE WEIGHTS OP CROPS GROWN ON EACH PLAT, AND THEN 



RETURN THIS SAME CIRCULAR to G. C. Caldwell, Ithaca, N. Y. 



Do not get this experimental work confused with another line of investi- 

 gations with sugar beets which the Station is planning. 



SAMPLING THE SOIL. 



The first thing to do before applying the fertilizer is to get a good average 



sample of soil from that portion 



Ijj of the field on which the plats 



are laid out. 



Proceed as follows : With a 

 spade with a square end dig a' 

 hole the width of the spade and 

 nine inches deep, leaving one side 

 of the hole vertical and the other 

 side sloping just as in the cut. 

 Clean out all the loose soil at the 

 bottom of the hole; cut off from the vertical side a slice about two inches thick 

 from top to bottom the full width of the spade; this slice represents one of 

 the partial samples; in precisely the same manner take 10 to 15 other samples 

 from different parts of the field. 



SURFACE OF THE FIELD. 



