44 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Commercial fertilizers were applied to 21 bay and pasture plats. The 

 best results were obtained from phosphate manures. Basic slag proved 

 more effective and lasting than superphosphates. 



Commercial fertilizers produced an increase of the potato crop at a 

 much less cost thau barnyard manure. The best results were obtained 

 from a complete fertilizer consisting of 20 tons barnyard manure, 100 

 lbs. ammonium sulphate, 200 lbs. superphosphate, and 200 lbs. potas- 

 sium sulphate. 



Manurial experiments in various parts of Scotland (Trans. 

 Highland and Agl. Sac, Scotland, ser. 5, 7 (1895), pp. 436-459). — Experi- 

 ments were made in 1894 with turnips, beans, and oats. 



Turnips. — Seventy-eight experiments were made by the Banffshire 

 farmers — 41 with commercial phosphatic and nitrogeuous fertilizers, 

 and 37 with the amount of commercial fertilizers reduced to one-half 

 and barnyard manure added. Bone meal, superphosphate, and slag 

 were applied with nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia. On one 

 plat a mixture of superphosphate and slag was applied at the rate of 7£ 

 cwt. per acre without any nitrogenous fertilizer and this plat proved the 

 most profitable. A further addition of 1 cwt. of nitrate of soda per acre 

 increased the crop by nearly 2 tons per acre; but when this amount 

 of nitrate was doubled, the increase was not relatively large enough to 

 warrant such a practice. It is stated that the rains washed away some 

 of the nitrate before the roots could utilize it. Sulphate of ammonia 

 was found to be better than nitrate of soda during wet seasons. Super- 

 phosphate, or a mixture of superphosphate and slag was found to be 

 the best of the phosphatic fertilizers. The barnyard manure seemed 

 to have no advantage over the commercial fertilizers. An application 

 of 20 tons per acre produced an average of 16£ tons — the amount 

 obtained from the plat to which superphosphate and slag only had 

 been applied. 



One experiment was made to determine the efficacy of natural phos- 

 phates when applied in the same state of fineness. The results placed 

 the phosphate fertilizers in the following order: Superphosphate, slag, 

 Carolina (Charleston), phosphatic guano, Algerian, Belgian, Florida 

 (Peace River), and Florida rock. 



Beans. — An experiment to test the utility of potash, lime, and green 

 vitriol (sulphate of iron) as ingredients in a bean manure was made. 

 Green vitriol did not seem to be of any special value to the crop. 



Oats. — This experiment was made to determine the value of muriate 

 of potash and superphosphate as a preparation for lea oats, and the 

 advantage of applying the manure about two months before sowing. 

 The results indicated that the increase in yield due to the superphos- 

 phate was very slight, and that due to muriate of potash was insignifi- 

 cant, but sulphate of ammonia gave a considerable increase. It was 

 also shown that potash and superphosphate, and even sulphate of 

 ammonia may be applied advantageously some weeks before sowing. 



