15 



reasonable excess of all the fertilizer constituents is required for all 

 garden crops, and where succulency is specially required, nitrogen and 

 potash should predominate. 



How to Experiment with Fertilizers. 



Every man must study his own soil and crop conditions. Experi- 

 ment stations may experiment from now until the end of time and still 

 not be able to answer the question for the individual. Principles can be 

 established, the needs of different crops can be learned, the composition 

 of fertilizers can be determined, chemical and physical analyses may 

 show wherein soils differ ; but when it comes to the question of the pro- 

 fitable use of the fertilizers, each farm, each field, must answer for itself. 

 That is, careful, intelligent, and accurate experiments must be carried 

 on by every farmer, gardener, and orchardist who wishes to settle this 

 point. 



In all fertilizer experimental work it is important that the land used 

 be as uniform in soil condition and previous manuring and cropping as 

 can be procured. The size of the plots may vary according to the nature 

 of the crop from two square rods to one-tenth to one-third of an acre, 

 or larger if desired. The larger plots have some advantages, but, the 

 smaller the plots the more likely they are to be of uniform soil, and the 

 labor involved in harvesting and weighing the crop is less. A space 

 should be left between the plots to prevent the roots of the plants in the 

 border line drawing food from both plots. 



The following simple plan for experimenting can be carried out by 

 any farmer without difficulty, and enables him to find out if the land is 

 in need of plant food. The plan as it is can be adopted for vegetables, 

 fruits, and most field crops, except legumes. The amount of fertilizers 

 given are for an acre, and can be reduced according to the size of the 

 plot. 



Plot No. I.— Check. No fertilizer. 



" II. — 600 pounds of superphosphate. 



120 muriate of potash. 



180 " nitrate of soda. 



III. — 600 superphosphate. 



180 " nitrate of soda. 



In this experiment, plot No. I. will show what the land without any 

 fertilizer will produce; plot No. II. indicates what effect an average 

 complete fertilizer will have, and plot No. III. shows the effect of nitro- 

 geo and phosphoric acid, and brings out the influence potash has had 

 on the crop. 



A simple form of experiment to study the soil deficiencies in respect 

 to a single element of plant food, and the relative needs of the different 

 crops for the various constituents, is as follows : 

 Plot No. I. — Check. No fertilizer. 



" II. — 160 pounds of nitrate of soda. 



" III. — 160 " muriate of potash. 



" IV. — 320 " superphosphate. 



