326 Bulletin 241. 



too large proportions seemed clearly to decrease the yield of hay, fig. — . 

 Within certain limits the " net gain " from larger applications has been 

 greater than from smaller applications of fertilizers. The best results 

 from the use of commercial fertilizers as a top dressing for timothy 

 meadows were with 320 pounds of nitrate of soda, 320 pounds of acid 

 phosphate and 80 pounds of muriate of potash, per acre. With this appli- 

 cation made annually during three years the value of Ihe increase has 

 been about $16 greater than the cost of the fertilizer applied. 

 The increase yield of six plats receiving complete fertilizer was 3848.5 

 pounds. The experiments suggest that better results might have been 

 obtained if a larger proportion of nitrogen to phosphorus had been used. 

 Very important factors in the results obtained have been the soil, a stiff 

 clay loam, and the seasons, which have been especially favorable to the 

 yield of timothy hay and probably to the action of the fertilizers applied. 



In connection with a study of grasses and other forage crops for 

 New York State, the Cornell Station published in 1905 the results of 

 experiments begun in 1903, on the influence of fertilizers upon the yield 

 of timothy hay when grown on Dunkirk clay loam in central New York. 

 The results for 1906 tend to confirm in the main those obtained in the 

 previous years and bring out some additional points of importance. Since 

 Bulletin 232 gives the details of this experiment, they will not be repeated 

 in this bulletin except so far as is necessary to a general vuiderstanding of 

 the results obtained. 



The tract of land on which this experiment is being conducted is a 

 "rather tenacious clay loam, difficult to work except wdien moisture condi- 

 tions are just right. The former management had been such as to reduce 

 somewhat, although not seriously, the crop-producing power of the soil. 

 It is well adapted to the production of timothy ; fairly well adapted to the 

 production of wheat, when properly fertilized, and is less valuable for the 

 production of corn and potatoes. The area was in corn in 1902; in oats 

 in 1903, and would properly have been sown to wheat in fall of 1903. 

 Early fall rains, however, prevented upon this type of soil the seeding 

 of wheat. Oats were therefore sown again in the spring of 1904 and 

 the land seeded to timothy. The first application of fertilizers was made, 

 however, in the fall of 1903 instead of in the spring of 1904. 



In 1906 the same kinds and amounts of fertilizers were applied as in 

 1904 and 1905 with the exception of plats ']2'j and 728 which were treated 

 as follows: (See Bulletin 232, . .) 



Plat 727.* 



320 lbs. Nitrate of Soda 



80 lbs. Muriate of Potasli 



320 lbs. Acid Phosphate 



' J applied April 17 

 ^ applied ]\Iay 8 



