EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS 61 



CLOVER. 



Plots of alsike^ Russian, mammoth and June clover, sown in May, 1898, 

 have withstood the winter and promise abundant crops. Two plots of 

 sand lucerne, medicago media, were cut June 1st, yielding over two tons 

 per acre. This is a new plant with us, but it bids fair to take a promi- 

 nent place among our forage and hay crops. 



In 1896 several experiments were begun, consisting of continuous crop- 

 ping with wheat;, corn, grass and clover, continuous fallow, and the fol- 

 lowing rotations: 



Two year — Wheat, clover. 



Three year — Wheat, clover, corn. 



Three year — Wheat, clover, potatoes. 



One year — Rye and beans. 



Four year — Oats, wheat, oats and peas — rape. 



All of the above are being carefully maintained in duplicate on plots in 

 Field 3. 



On another series of plots on which a fertilizer test was begun in 1894, 

 a soil test experiment with fertilizers has been inaugurated, the object 

 being to determine to what extent our soil is exhausted and w^hat 

 materials we must apply to keep up the supply of available plant food. 

 The plan of this experiment accords with the one suggested by the office 

 of Experiment Station, and is substantially as follows: 



The area to be tested is divided into plots of equal size and uniform 

 fertility. Three of the plots are fertilized with the single elements — 

 nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash; another three with combinations of 

 two elements; and another plot with all three elements. As a source of 

 nitrogen, nitrate of soda was used; of phosphoric acid, dissolved phos- 

 phate rock; and of potash, muriate of potash. For the sake of com- 

 parison, stable manure and commercial fertilizers were each given a plot, 

 while several plots were planted without the application of any fertilizer. 

 To make this experiment more complete and give it a more general ap- 

 plication to our Michigan soils, the department offered to furnish fertiliz- 

 ers and superintend the work on a limited number of farms in the State. 

 This offer was promptly accepted, and soon more than enough applica- 

 tions were presented. The following men are conducting these experi- 

 ments on their own farms: 



L. B. Walton Dryden Lapeer county. 



J. Y. Clark Orion Oakland county. 



Bruce Phillips Utica Macomb county. 



Glen C. Lawrence Ypsilanti Washtenaw county. 



E. C. Reed Howell Livingston county. 



L. L. Thompson East Cooper Kalamazoo county. 



A. E. Gregory Dowagiac Cass county. 



H. M. Kingsley Kendall Van Buren county. 



H. D. Weatherwax Jenison Ottawa county. 



T. P. Steadman Manistee Manistee county. 



O. C. Wheeler Belding Ionia county. 



Mills Manceloua • Antrim county. 



L. R. Williams Otsego Lake Otsego county. 



The same experiment is being conducted by M. H. Lapham, under 

 direction of the department, on the Parmelee Farm, opposite the College. 



