KIOPORT OF CHEMIST OF SOILS AND CROP 

 INVESTIGATION. 



J. T. Anderson. 



Dr. C. C. Thach, 



President Alahaniu Pohjteehnic Institute, Auburn/ Ala. 



Sir: — The following rejioit of the work done in the di- 

 vision of the Cheniistrv of Soils during the vear 11M)9 is 

 resjtectfiilly submitted : 



For reasons to be given later, the research work has been 

 (ontined in tlie main to the Adams' i)roject. As stated in 

 previ<»us reports, this project seeks to determine the fertil- 

 izer re<piirements of the soil by the chemical analysis of the 

 plant grown in it. Cotton has been selected as the plant 

 and was grown last season under the following conditions; 



1. In plots in the open field. 



2. In clean sand in day cylinders imbedded in the 

 ground. 



'^>. In wire basket.^. 



1. To secure samjiles of analysis from field plots, use 

 was made again of Prof. iHiggiir's series of Co-operative 

 Fertilizer Exjeriments with Cotton. Thus were obtained 

 sam]>les from some twenty odd sets of ten plots each, 

 located in widely separated sections of the state, and in 

 all varieties of soil. Several of these sets were located in 

 the vicinity of Auburn, and were under the scrutiny of this 

 writer. Most of these samples have already been analyzed, 

 some two or three sets, however, r-emain to be worked up. 



2. An attempt was made to grow cotton in clean sand 

 in clay cylinders which were imbedded in the ground, 

 using the same system of fertilzation as is employed in the 

 field plots. The attempt met with indifferent success, fail- 

 ing entirely, or practically so, on those cylinders where no 

 fertilizer was used. A number of samples, however, were 

 secured from cylinders which were completely or partial Iv 

 fertilize^. With the experience of last season to guide us^ 



