330 Missouri State Horticultural Society. 



THE RUKAL's experiment WITH DIFFEREN"T FERTILIZERS ON 

 POTATOES IN A "WORN OUT" SANDY-LOAM SOIL. 



As already stated, these experiments were designed to test the 

 effect of the various concentrated constituents of which commercial 

 fertilizers are composed, separately and in various combinations. 

 The soil of the plots selected is a worn-out sandy loam, level, and 

 naturally well-drained. There was no air stirring to interfere with 

 the even distribution of the fertilizers ; the soil was mellow and 

 moist without being wet, and with ample assistance, the entire work 

 of sowing the fertilizers^ planting and finishing the plots, was 

 accomplished between seven in the morning and sunset, April 

 14th. 



The seed had been cut several days previously, the White Star 

 having been selected as, by its season of maturing, keejoing quali- 

 ties and vigor, well suited to such tests. Potatoes of nearly the 

 same size were cut in halves lengthwise, the seed end of each hav- 

 ing been cut ofE and rejected. The seed conditions were made still 

 more equal by using the same iueigltt of seed pieces to each plot. 

 Trenches had been dug several days previously, two spades wide 

 and six inches deep — the trenches six feet aj)art so that the roots 

 of one trench should not reach and feed upon the fertilizer of the 

 adjacent trenches. Later, two inches of soil were raked into the 

 trenches and upon this the pieces (cut-surface doAvn) were placed 

 one foot apart, April 14th, as we have said. Two inches of soil 

 were raked over them, and the fertilizers applied as shown in the 

 table. 



The first column gives the amount of fertilizers used in the 

 different trenches. The next column shows the relative size of the 

 tops (vines) of the potatoes, as they appeared June 16. The nat- 

 ural soil is rated at five (5) ; and ten (10) is the maximum. The 

 object of that is that our readers may compare the yield of tubers 

 with the gi'owth (vigor) of the vines ; that, in other words, they 

 may see to what extent the actual yield of potatoes was indicated 

 by the size of the vines as they appeared at their best, June 16. 

 The fourth column gives the actual weight, in pounds, of the pota- 

 toes of each trench 33 feet in length. The fifth column gives the 

 total number of tubers of each trench. All larger than a pea were 

 counted. The sixth column gives the number of marketable pota- 

 toes. The last column gives remarks, which are reprinted "from 

 the Rural of various dates. 



