New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 471 



Forty-three days after seed planting, when the plants were well 

 established and making good growth, the first application of nitrate 

 of soda was made at the rate of 33 1-3 pounds per acre. It was 

 applied in solution to the soil around each plant. Two other ap- 

 plications were made at intervals of 10 days. When the time 

 came for the fourth application it was not given because the plants 

 were nearly mature. The results as set forth in Table 4, page 166, 

 confirm the results which were obtained on the same soils with 

 the preceding crop. The length of time required to mature the 

 crop was shorter because Crop II matured in midwinter while 

 Crop III matured in May and had the advantage of the increasing- 

 light and heat as the season advanced. 



Considering the results with both crops it is seen that the average 

 weight was lightly greater with Soils 5 and 5a than with 4 and 4a. 

 On Soils 6 and 6a the lettuce was noticeably larger and heavier 

 although the texture was not so good and the heads not so firm as 

 they were on Soils 4, 4a, 5 and 5a. On Soils 4 and 4a which 

 contained the most loam and which, it will be remembered, were 

 much like Soil 2, the lettuce was best in firmness of head, texture 

 and general appearance. 



CROP IV. FALL AND WINTER 1897~8. 



The arrangement of the benches was changed for Crop IV by 

 taking out the side-benches and having walks next the wall on all 

 sides of the house for the reasons set forth on page 462. The rest 

 of the floor space was occupied by two wide benches, separated by 

 a walk passing lengthwise through the middle of the house. The 

 heating pipes were placed next to the outside walls. By this ar- 

 rangement the conditions of light, heat and the circulation of 

 air were made more uniform throughout the area occupied by the 

 benches. The depth of the benches was 11 inches inside. The plats 

 were separated from each other by board partitions cemented at the 

 joints and over the bottom to provide for sub-watering and to pre- 

 vent the passage of soil water from one plat to another, as illus- 



