178 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



hundred quarts per acre less than when the same weight of muriate of 

 potash was used with it. 



Experiment 3. These results would tend to show that the soil had a 

 large amount of available potash and was benefited by the application of 

 nitrate soda. 



Experiment 4 shows a phenomenal yield in both cases, and an almost 

 incredible increase when then the dissolved rock was doubled, at an 

 expenditure of a comparatively small amount of money. Each of these 

 plats was one-tenth of an acre in area — large enough to be of value as 

 to an average — and the yield is well authenticated. 



Experiment 5. This test was on low muck land and will well repay a 

 careful study. Notice that where nitrate of soda was increased from 

 three to five hundred pounds, the yield did not equal the first, but where 

 muriate of potash was increased from three to five hundred pounds (plats 

 1 and 5), the yield was raised over one thousand quarts. On Plat 5, there 

 was too much growth of vine; the berries were soft and not equal in 

 quality and firmness to those on the other plats. 



Experiment 6 shows no practical difference between the use of potash 

 .or phosphoric acid, but it does show that the addition of nitrate of soda 

 was of no benefit. 



Experiment 7. This table shows a fairly well-balanced fertilizer, each 

 plat yielding considerable above the average per acre. The muriate of 

 potash, however, shows to better advantage than the sulfate, a result that 

 is to be seen in other tables as well. 



Experiment 8. The laud on which this experiment was made evidently 

 needs potash, the nitrate of soda and dissolved rock plats yielding almost 

 one thousand quarts less per acre than the potash in combination with 

 nitrate of soda or than the potash alone. The small yield in Experiment 

 No. 8 was no doubt due in great part to the fact that the fertilizer was 

 received late and was not applied until August before the fruiting. The 

 succeeding crop of wheat showed that the berries did not get all the 

 fertilizer, for the wheat was much better on the fertilizer plats. 



Experiment 9 represents an acre plat selected because of its known 

 history, it being a rather stony pasture that had never been plowed and 

 was so poor that the owner said it was practically worthless. The sod, 

 which was very thin, was turned under early in the spring, the large 

 stones removed, the ground thoroughly fitted and planted. Clean cultiva- 

 tion was given throughout the growing season, and a mulch of straw was 

 given in November. Unfortunately, the fertilizer applied to Plats 5 and 6 

 was sown too close to the plants, destroying almost every one, thus 

 causing those plats to be left out of the experiment. As would be expected 

 from the condition of the land and the further handicap of an extremely 

 dry season throughout the plant-making period, the yields on every plat 

 were very small, but the benefit of using dissolved rock may readily be 

 seen; as may also the use of manure used on Plats 1 and 7. These plats, 

 1 and 7, made more plants, resisted the drought better and were marked 

 for the largest yield; but the fruiting season showed that Plat 9 had the 



