FIELD EXPERIMENTS. 407 



and maturing at different periods of the season, have proved 

 of vahiablc assistance in that direction. Some of tlie results 

 of our trials with cow pea, serradclla, vetch, common lucerne 

 (alfava), sand lucerne, horse bean, lupine and pearl millet, 

 will be reported within a few subsequent pages. This record 

 of our past work in this direction makes no other claim 

 than to more prominently introduce the subject. 



1. Fodder Corn (without Manure), upon Underdrained 



Plats. 



[Sec Sketch A, p. 408.] 



In the first annual report of the station has been described 

 by Prof. M. Miles, the underdraining of a piece of land, one 

 and one-tenth of an acre in size, subdivided into eleven plats. 

 The field was designed to serve for an examination into 

 the action of various manurial substances on the growth of > 

 corn, and the influence on the character of the drainage 

 water discharijed from the drains, under a different treat- 

 ment of the soil. 



The chemical analysis of the first water running from the 

 pipes of the different plats after a rainfall May 22, 1883, 

 has been reported in the above-mentioned connection ; and 

 also the character of the soil, cultivation of the cornfield, 

 and the final yield of corn and of stalks- 

 No manure was applied that year. It was desirable, in the 

 interest of the particular experiments hereafter to be carried 

 on upon that field, that its latent resources of plant-food 

 should be, as far as practicable, exhausted, with reference to 

 the requirements for the production of Indian Corn. 



During the past season the field has been planted again 

 with corn, for corn fodder, without the application of manure 

 of any description. The soil received a thorough mechani- 

 cal preparation ])y ploughing and harrowing, and the corn 

 (variety : Clark) was planted in drills, two and one-half feet 

 apart, at the rate of two bushels per acre, on the 24th of 

 May. The entire area was ploughed lengthwise, and thus 

 across the plats. The crop was kept clean from weeds by 

 timely use of the cultivator. The plants started well in the 

 spring, yet began soon to fall behind, in general appearance, 

 other fodder cornfields in the vicinity, upon fertilized lands. 



