140 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



while on an average for seven years a distance of 1 ft. has given the 

 best results. "In five of the seven years the most productive plats 

 were those planted 4 by 1 and 4 by 2." Subsoiling in connection with 

 these experiments proved ineffective. An experiment carried on for 

 four years to ascertain the relation between the width of the rows and 

 the distance between the plants when allowing 6 sq. ft. for each plant 

 led to the conclusion from the average results for the period that the 

 distance between rows should be little if any greater than the spaces 

 between the plants in the row. The distances between the rows were 

 3, 4, 5, and 6 ft. and those between plants in the row 12, 14.4, 18, and 

 24 in. The average results show a regular increase in yield from the 6 

 ft. by 2 in. plats to the 3 ft. by 24 in plats. 



Four different fertilizer tests were made. As between applying all 

 the fertilizer before planting or applying part of it before planting and 

 part of it at planting time, the results indicated no advantage in 

 dividing the fertilizer. A comparison of raw bone meal and acid phos- 

 phate showed that raw bone meal was not a profitable source of phos- 

 phoric acid. A general fertilizer test was made on 17 plats. The 

 normal application consisted of 408 lbs. acid phosphate, 32 lbs. muriate 

 of potash, 208 lbs. of cotton-seed meal, and 32 lbs. nitrate of soda per 

 acre. On some of the plats the various constituents were increased 50 

 per cent, but the amount of nitrate of soda remained constant in all 

 cases. On plats which had received 50 per cent more of each of the 

 three ingredients at an increased cost of $2.63 per acre the increase in 

 the yield of seed cotton per acre over the plats which had received the 

 normal application was only 23 lbs. The results show that the appli- 

 cation of 468 lbs. of acid phosphate, 36 lbs. muriate of potash, and 286 

 lbs. of cotton-seed meal gave better financial results than any other 

 proportions used in these experiments. Drilling and bedding on the 

 fertilizers gave slightly better results than applying them broadcast. 



The effect of various potash salts on the composition and 

 yield of potatoes, T. Pfeiffer, E. Franke, O. Lemmermann, and 

 H. SCHILLBACH (Landiv. Vers. Stat., 49 (1897), No. 4-5, pp. 349-385). — 

 A series of experiments were conducted to ascertain the effect of equal 

 amounts of potash in various forms. The experiments made in 1894 

 led to no conclusions. In 1895 the work was continued in thirty-six 

 pot and twelve plat experiments. Bach pot contained 27 kg. of poor, 

 sandy soil. The plats were a square meter in size, each surrounded by 

 a solid wall and containing an equal amount by weight of soil bedded 

 on a layer of gravel. In each set of experiments a fixed quantity of 

 fertilizing material containing no potash was applied. In addition, 1 

 or 2 gin. of potash in the different forms mentioned below was applied 

 to each pot and 15 gm. to each plat. The application of magnesium 

 chlorid in connection with sulphate of potash and the application of 

 kainit supplied equal amounts of chlorin. In 1896 the investigation 

 was continued on the plats to ascertain the effects of the crude potash 

 salts on the succeeding crop. 



