22 Director's Report of the 



CROP production. 



Experiments in plant nutrition. — During the years 1898 to 1900, 

 inclusive, forcing house experiments were conducted relative to 

 the much discussed substitution of soda for potash in plant 

 growth. Several series of observations were made which were 

 consistent within themselves and with the investigational results 

 of the paet. It was clearly shown that while soda may be sub- 

 stituted for potash in quantity, it cannot supply the place of pot- 

 ash in physiological function. Incidental observations raised the 

 question of the necessary proportion of potash in the plant which 

 is to be made the subject of future studies. 



Commercial fertilizers in potato groioing. — Experiments in 

 potato growing conducted for four years on four Long Island 

 farms with fertilizers varying in quantity from 500 pounds to 

 2,000 pounds per acre showed that on the average the largest 

 profit was realized from the use of 1,000 pound^. 



In comparing mixtures the so-called Long Island formula^ 4, 

 8 and 10, proved to be superior to a potato formula 7, 4 and lOi. 



Other experiments with varying quantities of potash gave re- 

 sults which do not justify the use of such large quantities of this 

 ingredient as are now being applied to potato growing by many 

 Long Island farmers whose conditions are similar to those under 

 which these tests were made. 



One incidental result of these experiments was to make it 

 clearly evident that a large supply of available plant food does 

 not necessarily insure a satisfactory crop. Other conditions 

 which largely pertain to culture, such as texture, humus and 

 water supply, exercise a controlling influence, and when these con- 

 ditions are unfavorable the situation is not overcome by heavy 

 applications of fertilizer. 



DAIRY DEPARTMENT. 



Inftuence of the temperature of curing upon the quality of cheese. — 

 The experiments in cheese-curing which have been conducted for 

 two years have results of the highest importance from the com- 

 mercial standpoint. Oheeses have been cured at temperatures 



