551 



(1) The Hitrogoiions fortilizor.s materially increase the yield of corn. 



(2) Nitrate of soda is better for com thau either sulphate of aiumouia, cottou-seed 

 meal, dried blood, or stable manure. 



(.'!) It is easy to apijly too much nitrogen to corn. 



(4) Nitrogen in moderate quantity, combined with phosphoric acid and potash, is 

 better thau when used alone, on corn. 



(5) Saperi)hosphate does not give satisfactd y results when used alone on corn. 



(6) It is not advisable to apply i)ota8li alone on corn. 



(7) The mixed minerals — superphospliate and potash — combined with a moderate 

 dose of nitrate of soda, give the best results. 



Tlie half of the field wlii(5li was subsoiled in the second experiment 

 averaged 25.08 bushels of shelled corn per acre, as compared with 24.19 

 bushels on the half not subsoiled, a difference of 0.80 bushel. After 

 the crop of corn was harvested a spontaneous growth of crab-grass 

 {Panicum sanguinale) sprang up, the growth of which on the differently 

 fertilized plats was noted. 



The greater luxuriance of the grass on the nitrogenized plats, the luxuriance in- 

 creasing as the (quantity of nitrogen was greater, suggests that there was more nitro- 

 gen than the corn crop could take up and appropriate. The failure of the volunteer 

 crop of grass in the stable-manure plat is inexplicable except on the hypothesis that 

 the organjp nitrogen of the stable manure was more assimilable and consequently 

 more completely removed from the soil than the nitrogen of the dried blood, the 

 nitric acid of the nitrate of soda, or the ammonia of the sulphate. But what became 

 of it ? It did not increase the yield of corn. 



InttrcuUural fertUizing. — " The object of this experiment was to find 

 tlie etfect of dividing a given amount of fertilizer into two or more 

 portions and applying these portions successively at stated periods " 

 during the growing season. Five plats, about one fourteenth acre each 

 in size, and of gray, sandy, nearly level soil, were planted to corn. A 

 fertilizer at the rate of 1G8 pounds superi)hosphate, 189 pounds cotton- 

 seed meal, and G4 pounds muriate of potash per acre was ap|)lied on 

 four of these plats, either all before planting, one half before planting 

 and the other half later, or one third before planting and the balance in 

 two separate api)lications. One plat received no fertilizer. The yield of 

 shelled corn per acre is given for each plat. The largest yield (22.7 

 bushels) was on the plat to which the whole amount of fertilizer was 

 applied before planting. " While not decisive, the results indicate that 

 one undivided application, at or before the time of [)lanting, will give 

 as large a final yield as when divided into two or more portions. * * * 

 This experiment will be repeated next season." 



Fodder pulling, R. J. Kedding (pp. 140-142). — The object of this 

 experiment was to ascertain the advantages of the practice, which " is 

 well-nigh universal in the leading cotton States," of stripping the leaves 

 from the stalks of corn, for feeding purposes. Thirty-eight rows of 

 corn, each 270 feet in length, served for the trial. August 17 the blades 

 werei)ulled from the stalks in ever}'" even-numbered row. The weights 

 of the cured leaves and of the corn from tlie rows "pulled" and those 

 "not pulled" are stated for each plat. 



