EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 



235 



''The work conducted with muck soils may be divided into three 

 phases, — fertilizer projects, cultural experiments and laboratory analyses. 

 Experimental work with fertilizers on all crops has emphasized the need 

 of fertilization for improvement of crop yields, both in quantity and in 

 quality. Cultural experiments have shown the need of heavy rolling of 

 muck soils for improvement of structure and increase of water-holding 

 capacity. Analyses have shown a wide variation in Michigan mucks in 

 chemical composition and in power to absorb and retain fertilizers. 



The most significant thing in the results of the fertility work is the fact 

 that different mucks vary considerably in their fertilizer needs. In prac- 

 tically all areas on which plot work was conducted, potash fertilizer was 

 most important in stimulating growth, new or recently burned fieldts being 

 the only exceptions. Phosphate fertilizer has shown considerable benefit 

 on some but none on others. Nitrate has been beneficial in only a few 

 cases. While farm manure has in the past been considered superior to 

 commercial fertilizers both for general and truck farming, the opposite 

 has been found true in most cases. This is important in that it permits 

 the use of the manure on the upland soils where it is greatly needed. 



Fourteen projects varying from one t>o seven acres in extent are being 

 eonducted during the present season, these projects being located in 

 thirteen different counties. Tests to determine both the kindis of fer- 

 tilizers needed and the rates of application for optimum returns, are 

 being carried on with a number of general farm crops. Results represen- 

 tative of these obtained during U>21 are presented in tables A and B, 



TABLE A— EFFECTS CF FERTILIZERS CN SUGAR BEETS CN MUCK 



N — nitrate of soda. 

 P — acid phosphate. 

 K — muriate of potash. 

 — no fertilizer. 

 M — manure. 



