EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 181 



The results check np well as a whole, the duplicates iu the "Nitron" 

 method agreeing slightly better than in the distillation method. In 

 nearly every case the "Nitron" results are a little lower than the others. 

 This is less than 0.2% in every case. It is probably due to the solution 

 of some of the "Nitron" precipitate rather than high results in the dis- 

 tillation method, as the results in that column are corrected for a blank 

 run on the materials used in the analysis. 



The "Nitron" method presents some advantages over the older method 

 in that it requires less actual time on the part of the operator than does 

 the distillation method and the number of samples that can be run 

 simultaneously by one man is limited by his own ability and not by 

 the capacity of any one piece of apparatus as in distillation method. 



In summing up the work it might be said that the "Nitron" method 

 seems to be generally inapplicable to the determination of nitrate nitro- 

 gen in soils but can be used to advantage in the determination of this 

 form of nitrogen in fertilizers. The reason for its failure in the case 

 of soils is the presence of organic matter which either contaminates the 

 precipitate or holds it up. 



REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST. 



Director R. S. Shaw: 



Sir: — I herewith submit a report of the Horticultural Division of the 

 Experiment Station. 



The cover crop and fertilizer tests have been continued in three vine- 

 yards near Lawton. In this large grape growing section, cover crops 

 are not used to any extent nor is much fertilizer of any kind used. It 

 is our belief that a continuation of this way of handling the land will 

 lead to a marked reduction of the yield of grapes. This has occurred 

 in some of the grape growing regions of New York. The use of cover 

 crops must be adopted; chemical fertilizers alone will not maintain 

 fertility and it would be impossible to secure enough manure for this 

 purpose. 



We want to determine the most suitable plant or plants for a cover 

 crop under the local conditions. The effect of using four hundred or 

 five hundred pounds per acre of a "home mixed" fertilizer in connec- 

 tion with and without the cover crop, is also being tested. 



Among the cover crops under trial are buckwheat, velvet bean, spring 

 vetch, cowpeas, winter vetch, oats and rye. After two years of some of 

 these crops with the resulting humus, the clovers will be tried. 



The fertilizer tested was of the following formulas: 



300 pounds acid phosphate. 

 100 pounds sulphate of potash. 



400 pounds per acre. 



