.358 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



In his experiments, which have now been going on five years, 

 Mr. Fairchild has been getting light upon a number of questions 

 of importance in the cultivation of his farm, some of which may 

 be expressed thus. 



1. Do crops on my land demand more nitrogen, phosphoric 

 acid, potash, sulphuric acid, or lime, than the soil supplies ? 



2. How do different crops differ with respect to their power 

 to gather these materials for themselves, and their consequent 

 demand for them in fertilizers ? 



3. In what forms, quantities, and ways can I use these fertiliz- 

 ing elements with profit ? 



As the result of tests on the plan of the "general experiments " 

 referred to above, Mr. Fairchild found that Phosphoric Acid and 

 Potash generally brought profitable returns, but on what crops 

 and to what extent Nitrogen would be advantageous seemed less 

 certain. In 1880 he commenced a special Nitrogen experiment, 

 selecting for the purpose an old "worn out "pasture, laying out 

 25 plots of one-twentieth of acre each, applying fertilizers and 

 getting corn as shown in Table 1. In 1881 he devoted one half 

 to potatoes and the other half to oats, with results as shown in 

 Table 2. By using the same fertilizers on the same plots year 

 after year, through his regular rotation, Mr. P. is gaining definite 

 information as to the effect, the cost and profit, of the more expen- 

 sive ingredients of the fertilizers used, particularly of the Nitrogen, 



MR. FAIRCHILD's EXPERIENCE. 



Some time since Mr. Fairchild favored me with a visit at my 

 study, and gave quite a number of details concerning the results 

 of his experiments and experience. With his permission I made 

 notes of some of the conversation, and on looking them over after 

 his departure, took occasion to send him a few further questions 

 in a letter which he has kindly answered. The observations 

 seemed to me so correct, apposite, and valuable that I asked the 

 privilege of putting them in print. The argument, strongly urged 

 that they would be very useful to his fellow farmers, finally over- 

 came the objections which his modesty interposed. I quote, as 

 nearly as practicable, his own words in the statements which 

 follow. 



"... On the whole, phosphoric acid in superphosphate and 

 "bone, and potash in muriate, have thus far proved most efficient. 



