725 



receiving fertilizers contaiiiiiijj no potasli, from 33 to 3G bushels; and 

 on those receiving potash fertilizers, from 05 to 70 bushels, the largest 

 yield being with the combination of potash and nitrogen. 



(1) In those plats where potash was one of the iuf^iedieuts of the fertilizers used 

 there was a marked increased yieUl [ranging from 28 to 3'J busliels of corn per acre] 

 both in corn and fodder. 



(2) Where a fertilizer was used without potash there was scarcely any increase in 

 yield over those plats containing no fertilizer. 



(3) The greatest increased yield was made by using a combination of potash and 

 nitrogen [39 bushels per acre]. 



(4) The use of muriate of potash alone resulted in a marked increased yield [30 

 bushels per acre] over the plats receiving no fertilizers. 



(5) There was a profit in the use of fertilizers in every instance where potash was 

 one of the ingredients, the largest net profit arising from the use of the mixture of 

 nitrate of soda and muriate of potash. 



(6) There was a [financial] loss by the use of fertilizers where potash was not one 

 of the ingredients. 



Permanency of effect of fertilizers. — This is a continuation of the exper- 

 iment commenced in 1888 on 10 tenth acre plats "to test the length 

 of time potash fertilizers will remain in the soil and still be available as 

 plant food." The subsoil of the land used is stated as being "so reten- 

 tive as to make the soil deficient in natural drainage. In 1888 a mix- 

 ture of sulphate of potash 100 pounds, sulphate of ammonia 200 i)ounds, 

 and dried blood 100 pounds per acre, was applied on eight plats ; two 

 were unmanured, and the remaining five received respectively cotton- 

 seed-hull ashes 500 pounds, muriate of potash 200 pounds, sulphate 

 of potash 200 pounds, kainit 800 pounds, and tobacco stems 3,000 

 pounds per acre (See Bulletin J^o. 20 of the station, or Experiment 

 Station Record, Vol. II, p. 144). 



In 1890 the three plats which had received cotton-seed-hull ashes, 

 sulphate of potash, and kaiiiit in 1889 were left without manure, and 

 the two remaining plats received muriate of potash 100 pounds and 

 tobacco stems 2,000 pounds, respectively. Thus of the eight plats orig- 

 inally fertilized three had received no fertilizers since 1888, three others 

 had received none since 1889, and the remaining two were fertilized 

 each year. According to the tabulated results for 1890 the yields of 

 ear corn ]ier acre ranged on the unmanured plats, from 17 to 30.5 bush- 

 els; on the plats unmanured since 1888, from 44 to 51 bushels; on those 

 unmanured since 1889, from 44 to 01 bushels; and on those fertilized 

 in 1890, from 59 (muriate of potash) to 71 (tobacco stems) bushels. " It 

 will be seen that the fertilizers applied in 1888 were of benefit to the 

 crop of 1890." 



Relation of fertilizers to shrinkage and the proportion of kernel to corn. — 

 " For the purpose of continuing the study of the above question, the 

 corn [from the nine plats of the first experiment], after being husked 

 and weighed, was spread on the floor of the barn loft and allowed to 

 cure. The loft is well ventilated. After curing it was shelled. The 

 tabul*£ed data for each plat show the number of ears of corn i)er bushel 

 28519— No. 12 3 



