the present needs of tlie growing plant are concerned. 

 Many agricultural chemists, in this and other countries, 

 are seeking to discover methods for determining avail- 

 able or assimilable planr food in soils, but at present 

 there is no such method known which is satisfactory 

 and which admits of universal application. 



If chemical analysis fails to answer the question, it 

 may be asked, is there not some %vay by which the solu- 

 tion may be found? In answer let us quote the language 

 of Dr. Armsby of the Pennsylvania station : ' ^The most 

 satisfactory, and, indeed, usually the only method by 

 which we can at present determine the needs oi the soil 

 is to ask the question of the soil itself by growing a crop 

 upon it with different kinds of fertilizers and noting the 

 results. Such soil tests with fertilizers have in many 

 cases given results of much immediate practical value 

 for the locality in which they where undertaken." 



On this plan have been conducted for several years the 

 Cooparative fertilizer tests for cotton under the direction 

 of Professor Duggar of the Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion of this State, and much valuable information has 

 been accumulated thereby. It would be highly advan- 

 tageous to the agricultural interests of the State if this 

 work could be greatly extended beyond its present lim- 

 its. It seems to the writer quite feasible for each intel- 

 ligent farmer to conduct the experiments for himself and 

 thus secure data that would be highly useful to him. At 

 first glance they may seem complicated and expensive, 

 but in reality they are neither so difficult nor so expen- 

 sive as they seem. For the benefit of any farmers who 

 may desire to make them the following suggestions are 

 offered : 



Select ground that represents fairly as large an area 

 of the farm, and whose soil is as uniform in character as 



