962 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



cauliflowers, cabbages, carrots, celery, lettuce, onions, ]^otatoes, peas, i-hnbarli, spin- 

 ach, strawberries, gooseberries, and alfalfa. 



The soil used for the experiments is a rather poor clay loam resting upon a bed of 

 heavy clay. By spade culture and heavy manuring it has been converted into a fer- 

 tile market-garden soil. The results obtained in the different experiments as a whole 

 go to show that the purchase of manure for many crops is highly extravagant, as its 

 place can well he taken by cheaper commercial fertilizers, while for many other 

 crops manure is advantageous, but the enormous quantities often applied are alto- 

 gether too costly and should be replaced in part by fertilizers in the more concen- 

 trated form. In general, the smaller amount of manure used in these experiments 

 supplemented with commercial fertilizers has given the best results. Potash has 

 been found especially desirable in the culture of Globe articihokes. The use of 100 lbs. 

 of sulphate of potash per acre increased the value of the early product nearly $40. 



Asparagus grown with the aid of commercial fertilizers has been more tender and 

 of a l)etter flavor and (juality than that grown with manure alone. It is recommended 

 that the manure and also the superi)hosphate and kainit for asparagus be applied in 

 the latter xiart of the winter or in very early spring. On the whole, it is considered 

 that with asparagus the best crops have l)een grown by using the lesser amount of 

 manure supplemented by a dressing of phosi)hates, kainit, and 400 I1)s. of nitrate of 

 soda per acre. 



With beets, sulphate of potash in the absence of manure increased the yield 3 tons 

 per acre. In every case plats fertilized with the lesser amount of manure and com- 

 mercial fertilizers greatly exceeded in yield the heavily manured plats. 



With broccoli, a moderate application of commercial fertilizers has pi'oduced on 

 the average as good results as when supplemented by 12.2 bins of manure. With this 

 crop the use of 100 lbs. of nitrate of soda jier acre proved most economical. 



The average results for 5 years with cauliflowers show that 122 tons of manure, 

 supplemented with a light dressing of phosjihates and 400 lbs. of nitrate of soda, 

 produced better results than commercial fertilizers alone, but the commercial ferti- 

 lizers alone gave better results than 25 tons of manure alone. Commercial fertilizers 

 in this case not only increased the size of the heads, but uniformly improved the 

 quality. The formula recommended for this crop is 122 tons of manure, 400 to 600 

 lbs. of superphosphate, 400 His. of kainit, and 400 lbs. of nitrate of soda per acre. 



The heaviest yield of P>russels s]irouts was obtained by the use of 25 tons of manure, 

 su])plemented with 200 lbs. of nitrate of soda, with potash in addition. 



A moderate (juantity of manure was fouixl very desirable with fall-set cabbages. 

 It is reconnnended that this be supplemented with 600 lbs. of good phosphates per 

 acre and nitrate of soda up to 600 lbs. applied at 2 or 8 different times. For spring-set 

 cabbages manure has not been found necessary. It is recommended that they be 

 planted out after the removal of some other crop that has been manured, giving a 

 liberal dressing of superphosphate and jiotash. 



Potash has been found very desirable in the production of carrots. When potash 

 has been used in connection with phosphates and 200 lbs. of nitrate of soda per acre, 

 the average yearly increase of roots has been nearlj' ?> tons per acre. 



The heaviest celery plants were obtained when the largest amount of manure was 

 used, l)ut plants raised with the aid of commercial fertilizers have been much crisper 

 and more tender than plants grown with manure alone. Nitrate of soda appeared 

 to render the growth more rapid and to diminish the strength and toughness of the 

 fibrovascular bundles as compared with plants grown by the aid of manure alone. 



With lettuce also it has been noticed that plants grown with the nitrate of soda 

 have been much crisper and more tender than those grown with manure alone. 



With spring oi summer onions the use of 200 lbs. of nitrate of soda per acre, in 

 conjunction with ])otash and phosphates, with a light dressing of manure, has given 

 a better yield than with a heavy dressing of manure. Commercial fertilizers with- 

 out the manure gave much less satisfactory results than with the manure. 



