936 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



crimson clover, barley, beets, carrots, dandelion, rye, spinach, gladiolus, 

 and various small fruits, orchard fruits, and trees. 



"The experiments with grasses show that they vary almost as widely as other 

 plants, so far as concerns the effect of lime upon them. Of the glasses tested, Ken- 

 tucky blue glass and timothy seem to be most benefited by liming, and Rhode 

 Isiaml bent and redtop most indifferent to it. Awnless broine grass, meadow oat 

 grass, tall fescue and orchard grass, which are among the most promising of the 

 other grasses tried, all show decided benefit from liming. These results serve to 

 explain why on many of our Rhode Island soils timothy runs out quickly, and 

 redtop and Rhode Island bent persist better. . . . 



■'The watermelon seems thus far to be about the only plant frequently grown 

 here which may not be benefited eventually by liming. It is hoped, however, in 

 succeeding years to test this plant more fully. 



" Potatoes have sometimes produced a slightly greater total yield from liming and 

 usually a much greater percentage of merchantable tubers, but [lime in the form of] 

 wood ashes and water or air-slacked lime (not gypsum or land plaster) increases the 

 virulence of the potato scab to a serious degree. . . . 



"Since potatoes, Indian corn, rye, Rhode Island bent grass, and redtop are less in 

 need of lime than timothy, clover, barley, etc., certain fields could be set aside for 

 rotations without lime and others with it. 



"Beets have shown a wonderful benefit from liming, not only on the station farm, 

 but in many other sections of the State where experiments with them have been 

 tried. 



" Spinach has again shown great benefit from liming, it being in this particular 

 like lettuce. 



"Rye, dandelions (excepting the first crop in the spring), carrots, and crimson 

 clover have shown a less marked benefit from liming than beets and spinach. 



"Lupines . . . are seriously injured by liming. 



"In regard to small fruits, orchard fruits, and forest trees little can be said at this 

 time, except that grapes (particularly the Delaware), peach, and elm trees, and 

 quince bushes seem to be benefited by liming. Blackberries were apparently very 

 thrifty on the unlimed sulphate of ammonia plat, where many plants are wholly 

 unable to endure the soil conditions." 



A description of the formalin and corrosive-sublimate treatments for 

 potato scab is added. 



Continued observations for the purpose of determining in how 

 far the results secured in a soil test with a given plant are 

 applicable to others, H. J. Wheeler and G. M. Tucker (Rhode 

 Islemd Sta. Bpt. 1896, pp. 273-278). — In previous experiments (E. S. E., 

 8, p. 571) a majority of the crops experimented with indicated a greater 

 deficiency of phosphoric acid than of potash in the soil, while 3 plants, 

 white bean, sunflower, and summer squash, indicated that potash was 

 more deficient than phosphoric acid. 



"In order to further test this question the experiment was continued in 1896 with 

 the sunflower, white bean, and crimson clover, and the following crops which had 

 heretofore invariably shown a deficiency of phosphoric acid, namely, Indian corn, 

 millet, and spring rye. 



"The results of the experiment this season with the sunflower indicate that the 

 soil was chiefly deficient in phosphoric acid, followed by potash and nitrogen, respec- 

 tively, <>r, in other words, was practically in accord with results secured with other 

 plants in previous years. Crimson clover from this year's indications, as well as from 

 those of the 2 previous years, does not seem to be so well adapted as many other 



