350 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



FIELD CROPS. 



Report of the agriculturists, W. I\ Brooks and V. R. Church (Massachusetts 

 Sta. Rpt. 190S, pp. tlO-149). — The work here reported is in continuation." of fertilizer 

 experiments with Held and garden crops previously undertaken (E. S. R.,15, p. 139). 

 The year's work is briefly described, and the results obtained in t lie different tests 

 are reported in detail. The more important conclusions are here summarized. 



Soy beans were grown in connection with the comparison of different substances 

 as sources of nitrogen. Nitrate of soda ranked relatively lower this year than in 

 most previous years. As compared with the no-nitrogen plats, the various substances, 

 based on the results of this season, ranked in the following order: Barnyard manure, 

 nitrate of soda, dried blood, and sulphate of ammonia. The general average to date, 

 based on the increase over the no-nitrogen plats, ranks the materials as follows: 

 Nitrate of soda, 100; barnyard manure, 77.8; dried blood, 65.1, and sulphate of 

 ammonia, 63.6. 



The results of the year indicate that liigh-grade sulphate of potash is superior to 

 muriate of potash for potatoes. The two salts gave practically equal yields when 

 used for soy beans. An untoward season vitiated the results with cabbages and 

 onions. 



For the last 6 years nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, and dried blood, in 

 amounts furnishing 60 lbs. of nitrogen per acre, have been used in addition to 30 

 tons of barnyard manure per acre as applications for garden crops. For the early 

 crops, including dandelions, strawberries, peas, and beets, dried blood ranked first, 

 nitrate of soda second, and sulphate of ammonia third; while for the late crops, 

 including late cabbages, turnips, celery, tomatoes, and squashes, nitrate of soda 

 ranked tirst, dried blood next, and sulphate of ammonia last. Sulphate and muriate 

 of potash were tested in connection with the applications just described, and the 

 results for the year indicated the sulphate to be better for strawberries, tomatoes, 

 cucumbers, celery, and turnips, while the muriate gave slightly better results with 

 dandelions, peas, and beets. 



The following potash salts, in applications supplying 165 lbs. of actual potash per 

 acre, were tested on clover mixed with timothy: High-grade sulphate, low-grade sul- 

 phate, kainit, muriate, nitrate, carbonate, and silicate. The high-grade sulphate gave 

 the best yields of clover, being closely followed by the silicate, carbonate, low-grade 

 sulphate, and nitrate. The heaviest timothy was produced by the kainit and 

 muriate. The potash salts containing chlorin, especially kainit, were injurious to 

 the clover. 



Different phosphates applied in amounts giving 96 lbs. of actual potash per acre 

 were used this year in growing cabbages. Those giving satisfactory results ranked 

 as follows: Dissolved bone meal, South Carolina rock phosphate, raw bone meal, 

 phosphatic slag, steamed bone meal, and dissolved boneblack. Tennessee phosphate, 

 apatite, and Florida soft phosphate proved much inferior to all others. 



The season was unfavorable to the soil test with corn, but the results showed that 

 potash gave a much greater increase in crop than any other plant-food element. 

 The results of a soil test with mixed grass and clover demonstrated the need of 

 nitrate of soda for grass, and also indicated a strong tendency to render the soil 

 acid by the continued use of nitrate of soda and muriate of potash. In this experi- 

 ment lime produced a marked result in increasing the proportion of timothy in a 

 mixture of timothy, redtop, and clover. 



Grass plats receiving the first year 8 tons of barnyard manure per acre, the second 

 year 1 ton of wood ashes, and the third 600 lbs. of ground bone and 200 lbs. of 

 muriate of potash as a fertilizer rotation gave this year an average yield of 8,104 lbs. 

 of hay per acre in 2 crops. A portion of the field reseeded last year yielded 8,546.5 

 lbs., as compared with 6,243 his. fortheportion not reseeded. On one plat reseeding 



