EXPERIMENT STATION' BULLETINS 269 



clpixn the prouiul witli a lioise vake. several wagon loads of roots being drawn off 

 and burned. Thorougii shallow cultivation so nearly destroyed the grass that it 

 caused no trouble in 11)00. 



The two acres were divided into 18 plots (according to jilan), each containing 

 one-tenth of an acre, with a fiA'e-foot space between the plots, to i)revent the fertilizer 

 from one ^ilot* mixing with the others by cultivation. The plots were quite luiiforni 

 and with the exception of a slight depression crossing plots seventeen and eight, which 

 was a natural drainage from farm barns in years past, there was no great difference 

 in the mechanical condition of the soil nor the amount of fertility that it contained. 



I'lots li. 7. 12. 10, were used as check plots and had no fertilizer a]i]ilied to them, 

 the other plots being treated as per plan. The fertilizers were aj)plied a few days 

 before planting and thoroughly worked into the soil. 



The season of 1899 was rather dry for the use of commercial fertilizers, there not 

 being suflicient moisture early in the season to properly dissolve the chemicals and 

 make tliem available as plant food, hence the experiment was duplicated and repeated 

 in 1900. with a marked increase in yields, due in part probably to the availability 

 of last year's applications, as well as the thorough dissolving of the materials applied 

 this season. 



The question. "Docs it pay to use commercial fertilizers on crops of this kind." is 

 often asked, and in this case, from strictly a cash basis, the increase in yield did not 

 warrant their use. but succeeding crops will certainly receive some benefit, the value 

 of whicli cannot be estimated. 



Other ycais have given results that made the use of commercial fertilizers very 

 protitabl<\ and the fact that they were not remunerative in these experiments should 

 not wholly discourage their use. 



In 1899 the variety planted was Herrington Peer, which has not given as large an 

 average yield as Carman No. 3, which was used in 1900. 



The growth of vines was very uniform the first year, but in tlie second crop there was ' 

 a noticeable difference in favor of the plots that gave the largest yields. 



The plots were marked three feet each way, to allow cultivation both ways on 

 account of the excessive amount of quack grass, but in 1900 it made but a very little 

 extra work, being so nearly killed the year before. 



The seed was all treated with corrosive sublimate (1-2000) and medium-sized 

 potatoes were cut lengthwise into four pieces, one piece being used for each hill. 



The tubers were nearly free from scab, except on plots 8, 9. 17 and 18, which showed 

 about 10 per cent scab in 1899. In 1900 plots 9 and 18 were badly affected, at 

 least ."iO per cent being worthless. This accounts in part for the small yield of 

 those plots, as manj^ were so badly diseased that they were a mass of decay. Nos. 8 

 and 17 A\ere not as bad, but 25 per cent were unmarketable, seeming to show that 

 compost and wood ashes favor development of the scab fungus. 



The aocomjianying table shows the amount of fertilizers ap])lied per acre and the 

 yields, while the plan shows the exact arrangement of the plots, and amounts ai)plied. 



By studying the table we readily notice that the increase in yields for both years, 

 in some instances, is a large per cent, and would repay the use of fertilizers, while 

 comparing the check plots that had nothing applied to them with some that were 

 fertilized, and it looks as tliougli it was money and time thrown away. 



In looking at plot XI II, which showed a large gain, but not the largest yield, we 

 find that at the prices of the different chemicals ( 100 pounds sodium nitrate $2, 300 

 pounds of phosphate rock $2, 400 pounds of iiigh grade dried blood $4, and 200 

 pounds of su]])hatc of potash $4, or a total of $12), tlie extra expense over plot XII, 

 that had no fertilizer applied, but yielded as much within 11.7 bushels, was not 

 repaid. 



Again, liv comparing plot XL which gave 130.G bushels, with XVI, giving only 

 47.1 bushels, we get a \\ondcrful showing in faNor of the fertilizers. 



Notes taken as short intervals show tliat tiie growth of vines was quite uniform, 

 altlmugli it was found that the plots showing the largest vines gave the greater 

 vields. 



