938 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



sium carbonate, sodium carbonate, and caustic magnesia may have had, they were 

 probably useful, in a high degree, on account of a natural deficiency of bases in the 

 soil, and their ability to correct acidity (sourness) naturally existing or induced 

 therein by artificial methods of cropping and manuring." 



Trial of phosphates, C. <). Flagg and G. M. Ticker (Rhode Island 

 Sta, Bpt. 1896, pp. 327-343, pi. 1).— 



"The plan of this experiment, commenced in 1804 [E. S. R., 7, p. 851], is to apply 

 the same money value of various materials used to supply phosphoric acid, together 

 with a suitable and like quantity of nitrate of soda and muriate of potash, to 2 scries 

 of 10 plats each (including 1 check plat without phosphoric acid), one series limed 

 at the rate of 1 ton per acre at the beginning of the experiment, and the other series 

 unlimed. . . . 



"In the fall of 1895, when the plats were seeded to grass, a full ration of the 

 insoluble phosphates — fine ground bone, slag meal, floats, raw alumina phosphate, 

 and ignited alumina phosphate — was applied. [None of ] the soluble phosphates — 

 dissolved boneblack, dissolved bone, dissolved phosphate rock (often called acid 

 phosphate) and double superphosphate— were used at time of seeding, but one-third 

 of a full ration was applied each of 3 successive springtimes as a top-dressing. A 

 one-third ration of nitrate of soda and muriate of potash was applied to all the 

 plats. . . . 



"The grass in the spring of 1896 showed a much deeper green color throughout the 

 limed series and in the unlimed plats which had received fine ground bone, slag meal, 

 and floats presented the best appearance. The phosphates above named gave the 

 best catch in both series, while dissolved boneblack, dissolved bone, and dissolved 

 phosphate rock were next in rank, giving a fair to good catch in connection with 

 lime, but a very poor one without it. Double superphosphate gave a fair catch with 

 lime and without it a failure. The raw and ignited alumina phosphates and the plat 

 with no phosphoric acid gave the poorest catch in the limed series and without lime 

 a practical failure. 



"It is manifestly unfair to judge the efficiency of the various phosphates at this 

 time, because only 3 years have elapsed since the experiment was begun, but espe- 

 cially because the soluble phosphates will not lie upon an equal footing with the 

 insoluble until 2 more annual top-dressings have been applied. Judging from the 

 crops produced thus far, they appear to stand in the following order: Fine ground 

 bone, slag meal, floats, dissolved boneblack, dissolved phosphate rock (3 last named 

 about equal), dissolved bone, double superphosphate, ignited alumina phosphate, 

 and raw alumina phosphate, the latter failing to produce as good a crop as the check 

 plat, without phosphoric acid. 



"The application of 1 ton of air-slacked lime per acre at the beginning of the 

 experiment in connection with the phosphates has produced a marked beneficial 

 effect, as seen in the general color, growth, and appearance of the crops. The yields 

 have been greater from the limed series than from the unlimed with all the crops 

 grown since the installation of the experiment, the increase due to liming being as 

 follows: Com crop of 1894 (9 plats), 669.3 lbs. stover, 460.9 lbs. hard corn, and 43.8 

 lbs. soft corn ; oat crop of 1885 1 10 plats), 20.25 lhs. of grain and 813.5 lbs. of straw; 

 hay crop of 1896 (10 plats), 1.593 lbs." 



Concerning fertilizers and manures, G, L. Teller (Arkansas Sla. Bpt. 1S97, pp. 

 101-118).— A reprint of Bulletin 47 of the station (E. S. h\, it, p. 740). 



Fertilizer analyses, K. C. Kedzie (Michigan Via. Bui. 145, pp. 23). — This bulletin 

 reports analyses of 55 samples of fertilizers examined during 1897, with a schedule 

 of trade values of fertilizing ingredients and a popular discussion of the subject of 

 fertilizers under the following heads: Commercial fertilizers a modern product, 

 names of fertilizers, what do commercial fertilizers contain, results of soW analyses, 



