868 



Special corn fertilizers vs. a fertilizer richer in potash, 

 W. P. Brooks, B. S. (pp. 90-9:i). — (Jne half acre of land, formerly in 

 pasture, and on which millet had beeu i^rown la 181K), was divided 

 into halves in 1801 and i)lanted to corn. On one half 2U0 ])ounds 

 of a mixed fertilizer was ai)i)lied, containing the proportions of ferti 

 lizing ingredients found on the average to be contained in seven of the 

 more commoidy used special fertilizers for corn, and (»ii the other half 

 a fertilizer niixture furnishing less nitrogen and i>h()sphoric acid, but 

 nearly three times as much potash and costing nearly $3 per acre less 

 than the first. The yields of corn and the financial results show that 

 the crop was equally large from the second section (.">."> and .">(; bushels 

 per acre), and the net returns $4.21 per arre greater than from the 

 first section. The economy of buying the criule materials and mixing 

 the fertilizers at home, instead of buying readyniixed si»ecial fertilizers 

 is urged. The results of the trial strengthen the views with referenc*' 

 to the use of fertilizers for corn advanced in HuUctin No. 14 of the station 

 (see Experiment Station Kecord, vol. in, p. lO.")), which are reprintetl, 

 together with f(»nnulas for mixtures for corn. 



On another half acre the fertilizers used above were aitpHcd for millet. 



The average of the "special corn fertilizers" costiug within I rents of $.S more 

 per acre, gave a crop wortii at li-ast (at current ])riies for common millet) ifti.IW less 

 per acre than the fcrtilizt-r richer in potash — a net atlvantag*- in favor of the latter 

 fertilizer of ffl.;^. This result attonls further evidence, therefore, of the correctness 

 of my conclusion in regard to fertilizers. They are undoulitcdly, as a rule, too poor 

 in ])otash. 



Comparison OF CORN and millet asorain crops, W. V. UPvooks, 

 B. S. (pp. 03, 1>4). — This is (ui the basis of the yield, as the analyses 

 had not yet been comi)leted. Experiments aic in progress to compare 

 meal from millet seed and from <'orn as food tor milch cows. 



For the present I desire simply to call attention to the fact that the millet has 

 enormous cropping cai)acity. It gave tis to the half acre 1^7.2 hushels of seed, 

 weighing 17 pounds [ler bushel, while the corn gave us 80.8 hushels of shelled grain. 

 The millet straw weight-d LMitl ])onnds; the corn stover (by no means as dry) 2,100 

 pounds. 'I'he milht straw chopped, crushed, moistened, and sprinkleil with meal is 

 readily eat<'n by both horses and cattle; but it does not api>ear to be equal to tin' 

 corn stover in fecfling value. The millet seed, as shown by the n'snlts of foreign 

 analyses, appears to resemble oat« very closely in composition. So far a.x our «'xpe- 

 rience in fteding it has gont-. the meal from it a]ij)ears to equal eorn meal in fee<ling 

 value for milk jiroduction. The fertilizers, it will be remembered, were the same 

 for the two crops. The labor cost consideraldy more for the millet than for the 

 eorn. * » * 



Our seed was sown in drills It inches apart at the rate of about 2 <|uarts per acre. 

 It was planted May M, cut and stooke<l September l)<, and threshed October ."> and 7. 



Composition of potatoes as affected iiv fertilizers. W. P. 

 Brooks, W. S. (]>)>. 04-07). — The results are tabulated of deteimiuatious 

 of moisture anil of starch in samples of the tubers for each plat in three 

 of the soil tests with fertilizers for potatoes reported above. 



