350 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



cowpeas each gave a fair return. The potassium gave small re- 

 turn and did not pay in either case. 



The results on corn at Unionville are very nearly the same as 

 those at Monroe City, with the exception that in 1907, the phos- 

 phorus failed to give a return, while potassium in both 1905 and 

 1907 gave a good increase, paying out with a small net return in 

 1907. The crop of 1906 was practically a failure, due to wire- 

 worms. 



It can be said in general regarding the results on both these 

 fields that on this type of land the broad-casting of either bone or 

 muriate of potash for corn will rarely be accompanied by large re- 

 turns, at least, during the first two or three years. That, for wheat 

 phosphorus will usually pay, as will also the use of cowpeas and 

 possibly lime, while potassium will not. 



The plant food problem is not the only one on this flat prairie. 

 Its flatness and the exceeding closeness of the undersoil introduces 

 a drainage problem which is a very serious one. Ordinarily the 

 farmers rely on surface drainage through a bedding up of the 

 land, in plowing, but it is very evident that if tile drainage can be 

 successfully used, the soil will be greatly increased in its produc- 

 tive capacity. The general opinion among farmers is that the land 

 is too impervious to underdrain economically, but not content with 

 this opinion we have set out to prove whether or not underdrain- 

 age will pay. Two drainage fields were therefore laid out on this 

 land, one at Monroe City in the fall of 1906, the other at Vandalia 

 in the spring of 1907. The field at Monroe City was in corn this 

 year and no increase in the corn crop was obtained this first sea- 

 son. At Vandalia, however, where the land was in cowpeas this 

 year, the drained land gave an increase of 160 per cent over 

 the undrained in the weight of hay produced, while the hay was at 

 the same time very much better in quality. 



It is not considered, of course, that these results are conclusive, 

 as it is expected that the tile will increase in efficiency for several 

 years, and the experimental plan includes a comparison of the 

 yields of these drained and undrained areas for at least five years. 

 One cause of the failure to show results on the corn at Monroe 

 City was due to the fact that the wireworms injured the corn most 

 on the drained land, although, of course, this would »of itself indi- 

 cate that the land was more inclined to wetness. All things con- 

 sidered, however, the results are very encouraging. 



