No. 7. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



245 



sidering all treatments, the fertilized plots show a distinct increase 

 over the unfertilized; and stable manure at the rates applied shows 

 a small gain over chemicals.* 



Examining the data still more closely, we see that in every case 

 on the tilled plots commercial fertilizer has surpassed the manure, 

 while on the untilled plots the reverse is true. In other words, 

 ihe present data indicate that, from equal values of manure and 

 of a proper commercial fertilizer the best results are obtained by 

 using the manure on sod or mulch areas, and reserving the chemi- 

 cals for use in connection with tillage. Either material, however, 

 may be used satisfactorily and it is very probable that in any case 

 a more or less regular alternation can be made more successful 

 than either alone. 



TABLE X 



Effect of Manures on Color, Size and Groivth 



A. Expts. 217, 218 and 219. (a) Color. Per cent. Apples Colored One-half or More 



a 

 S 



Cj 



Average increase. 

 Ratios, - 



4.12 in. 

 100 



4.3 in. 

 104.1 

 100 



S 

 o 

 O 



4.43 In. 

 107.5 

 103 



(b) Size. Average Weight of Apples. 



Average weight. 

 Ratios, 



5.42 oz. 

 110.8 



5.33 oz. 



109. 



(c) Growth. Average Increase in Trunk-girth. 



Average increase, 

 Ratios, 



4.22 in. 

 100 



4.92 in. 

 116.6 

 100 



•More plant food is being furnished by the manure, since twelve tons of average stable 

 manure are estimated to contain about 120 ft. each of nitrogen and potash (K2O), and about 

 80 ft. of phosphoric pento.\id (P:0.^). The relative cost per acre, as applied, is about $15 for 

 the manure and $13 for the commercial fertilizer, outside of the cost of application. 



