72 BOAED OF AGKICULTURE. 



tatoes, oats, clover and timothy. This set has been con- 

 tinued in this plan to the present time, and in Table No. III. 

 (see pp. 70-71) are given the kinds, cost and amounts of 

 the materials and the respective yields for the first two 

 years with corn and potatoes, as well as the differences 

 between the plots with nitrogeneous materials and the aver- 

 age of mixed minerals or superphosphate and potash. 



In this series it will be noticed that potash comes to the 

 front and takes the lead of superphosphate, yet, as in the 

 other experiments, both potash and superphosphate are need- 

 ed. This difference is probably due to inequalities in the 

 soil, which were also evident in some of the other plots. 

 Both series of experiments were in the same field, but the 

 part occupied by these was in much better condition to be- 

 gin with than where the others were, having been planted 

 more recently, with better tillage and more manure. 



The effect of nitrogeneous materials seems to be about the 

 same on all the plots which received them, and it will be 

 seen by the column of differences between the average yields 

 of the plots with only potash and dissolved bone-black and 

 those Avith added nitrogeneous materials, that it makes but 

 little difference whether the nitrogen is supplied in nitrate of 

 soda, sulphate of ammonia, or dried blood, or whether in 

 one-third, two-thirds, or full ration. In all cases it increases 

 the foliage, particularly early in the season, and gives the 

 crop a more vig(U'ous appearance, but at harvest the scales 

 indicate but little advantage from its use. 



In most of similar experiments by others reported to Prof. 

 Atwater, nitrogen benefited potatoes much more than 

 corn ; but with me there was but little, if any, difference 

 whether on corn or potatoes. The same fertilizers were ap- 

 plied in the spring of 1883 and the field was seeded down 

 with oats, clover and grass. The oats did well, with the 

 same general appearance on the different plots as the corn 

 and potatoes showed ; but it would require so much extra 

 labor to harvest, thresh, and weigh each plot of oats sepa- 

 rate, that I felt that I could not afford to do so and harvest- 

 ed them together, noting that they were ripest where the 

 superphosphate was used alone, and quite green where only 

 potash was applied, while the heads seemed the heaviest with 



