No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 463 



there we obtained the best results with nitrogen. When we put 

 on IGU pounds of nitrogen and 32U pounds of phosphorus we got the 

 best results — better than when we put on IGO pounds of nitrogen 

 and 640 pounds of acid phosphorus. When we put on the phos- 

 phorus alone we got no results. When we put on the nitrogen alone 

 we got good results, but when we put them on both together Ave got 

 better results. 



Now, this is nothing against what Dr. Hopkins says, and what he 

 says is gospel truth. He lives in Hlinois and in different climates 

 you get dilferent results. I merely mention this as a matter of cau- 

 tion. I have come to the personal conclusion, and I think that 

 three years of work have demonstrated to me, that in the eastern 

 part of the United States the importance of nitrogen is greater than 

 that of phosi^horus. It is only an opinion based on three or four 

 years' work and does not deserve to be compared with the excellent 

 work at Wooster, Ohio, for the past nine years, and also with tlie 

 excellent work done at the University of Hlinois. 



PROF. HOPKINS: I think I will modify my statement that the 

 hill lands are most deficient in nitrogen, and the other lands in 

 phosphorus. 



MR. WING: What is the original condition of the phosphorus? 

 Is it in a similar condition to the floats? 



PROF. HOPKINS: No, sir; it is in the condition of ground rock; 

 originall}' it was all in that condition, but some of it has been taken 

 up by growing crops and has stored the organic matter, and a little 

 of it now is in the organic matter, but the larger part of it is still in 

 the ground rock. 



MR. RODGERS: Is there any way by which the nverage farmer 

 can tell when it is in the soil? 



PROF HOPKINS: I think the average farmer can do something in 

 the way of experiments by way of peat or seed, but I think the 

 work should be done by the experiment station at the expense of 

 the state. Illinois is now doing it, and the cost is a mere bagatelle 

 comi)ared with the importance of the work. They expect to com- 

 plete the work of nuipping the state in this manner i.s about twelve 

 years. If the same thing were undertaken in Pennsylvania it would 

 not be much more of an expense than the cost of your space at the 

 St. Louis Exposition, and, by the w^ay, how much did you just pay 

 for your new Cajjitol? 



QUESTION: How about calculating the condition of the land by 

 rotation? Can we do that? 



PROF. HOPKINS: That has been dispensed with, because a good 

 many people who wrote about that knew nothing about it. For in- 

 stance, they tell us we have one-tenth as much potassium there as 

 we need, and we find we have as much nitrogen as would be re- 

 quired for five rotations, and then we take another soil and we find 

 as much potassium there in the first seven inches of soil as 100- 

 bushel crops of corn will take out in 1,700 years. 



QUESTION: How much of it is applicable now? 



