284 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The exceptionally high yield of nitrogen in the drainage 

 water from plat 1, as given in the Table, can only be ex- 

 plained on the supposition that the labels of the samples 

 from plats and 1, collected at 2.30 p.m., have been trans- 

 posed, either when sampling in a pouring rain or afterwards. 

 The composition of the sample of plat 1, as given in the 

 Table, is approximately what might be expected in the sam- 

 ple from plat 0, from what is known of its characteristics 

 and previous history. The record is, however, given as it 

 was made, and future analysis of the drainage waters from 

 these plats may explain the apparent anomaly. 



There was quite as much nitrogen in the drainage waters 

 of most of the plats as could reasonably be expected under the 

 conditions and at the time of year when they were collected. 



The soluble nitrogen of the soil had been washed out by 

 the spring rains before the tiles were laid, and during the cold 

 and backward spring the process of nitrification had not been 

 carried on actively. 



The composition of the drainage waters may have been 

 somewhat modified by the conditions under which they were 

 collected, as they were the first waters discharged by the 

 tiles that had just been laid. 



The season has been a remarkably dry one, and the drains 

 have not been running since June 2. 



The water table was raised to the grade of the main drain 

 by the fall rains, but the laterals have remained dry. 



To carry out these experiments in a manner that will se- 

 cure the best practical results in the shortest time, three drain- 

 gauges should be provided to determine the relations of the 

 rainfall to the drainage under different conditions of manage- 

 ment, — and laterals should be laid in the upper tier of plats, 

 which should be devoted to crops in systematic rotation. 



The entire expense of these additional facilities for experi- 

 menting will probably not exceed $450. 



In a matter of so much importance to the farmers of the 

 State, there should be no difficulty in securing the required 

 appropriation. 



It is certainly bad policy to buy fertilizers to supply a 

 waste of the elements of fertility in the soil, which may be 

 prevented by better methods of management ; and these can 

 only be determined by carefully conducted experiment. 



