HORTICULTURE. 



813 



minerals (1)oiK'l)lack llO lbs. and nmiiafc of ])otasli 100 lbs. per acre) 

 were applied alone and in combination with "200 lbs. of nitrate of soda 

 and 2S() lbs. of di-ied blood per acre. Stable manure at the rate of 20 

 tons per acre was ai)plied alone, and at the rate of 10 tons per acre in 

 connection with half the quantity of commercial fertilizers indicated 

 above. On 2 j.Iats the amonnts of commercial fertilizers were increased 

 50 per cent. The Ibilowinj;- table gives the yield of sweet potatoes, and 

 the percentage of large potatoes in the crop: 



Yield per acre of sweet potatoes diffenntly fertilised. 



Unfertilized 



TVIiiierals alone 



Minerals ami nitrate of soda 



Minerals and dried blood 



Barnyard manure 



Per cent. 

 61.5 

 72.5 

 74.3 

 71.0 

 75.9 



On this rich and well fertilized soil both nitrate of soda and dried 

 blood proved unprotitable, the former, however, giving" a yield superior 

 to the latter. Increasing the commercial fertilizers by oO per cent failed 

 to increase the yield. 



lleckoning- large ])otatocs at 70 cts. per bushel and small potatoes at 

 50 cts., non-nitrogenous minerals alone gave a net i)rotit of $30.08 jser 

 acre; non-nitrogenous minerals with nitrate of soda -f '-'(;. .")7; non nitrog- 

 enous minerals with dried blood $5.38; stable manuie alone a net loss 

 of $0.57; half rations of cliemicals and manure a gain of $5.30, and 

 whole rations of manure and chemicals a loss of $2<».t!0. 



The results of an experiment at Vineland, New Jersey, are also 

 tabulated, although damage from drought prevented the drawing of 

 conclusions. 



Expsrunents with fertilizers on tomatoes {New Jersey Stas. h'pt. 

 18!)3, JW' 103-119). — Details and results of an experiment on the value 

 of nitrate of soda in varying amounts, both alone and in different com- 

 binations with boneblaclv and muriate of potash. Twelve twentieth- 

 acre plats were employed, 2 of them being left unfertilized and another 

 treated with barnyard manure, as check.s. To some of the ])lats all of 

 the nitrate of soda was api)lied at once, and to others 2 ai)i>lications 

 were made, 3 weeks ap:irt. The tomatoes matured more quickly and 

 gave a greater proportion of early fruit on the plats receiving nitrate 

 of soda. Other results were as follows: 



" (1) Nitrate of soda is superior to both barnyard manure and mineral fertilizers 

 alone. 



"(2) Nitrate of soda alone is on the whole but slightly less etVective tiian the 

 com])lete manure. 



"(3) When small quantities of nitrate are used the second application is advan- 

 tageous; and 



" (4) Large quantities (320 lbs. pisr acre) of nitrate are more effective than small 

 quantilies (160 lbs. per acre)." 



