39 



Effect of previous manuring. — A five years' Irial. Gas lime, super- 

 pbosi)bate, and horse manure were apjilied on different plats in 1883, 

 and again in 1884. No manure lias been used since. Tbe immediate 

 effect of tbe gas lime was injurious, and tbe gas lime and superpbos- 

 pbate have produced no material effect on tbe aggregate yield in five 

 years, while the horse manure i)roduced a marked increase, and its 

 effects are not yet exhausted. The maximum yield in every case was 

 in 1875, the year following the last manuring. 



Conqyarison of varieties of corn. — Twenty-two varieties were grown 

 with like treatment and under apparently uniform conditions. The 

 plats, however, proved to be unequal in productive capacity, and there- 

 fore tbe yields are not given. A table recapitulates results, including 

 the i)roportion of ears and stalks in 100 pounds of crop at tbe time of 

 husking, tbe height to ears and to top of stalk, and the percentages of 

 shelled corn in twenty-five ears, selected November 7 and bung in an 

 open loft until March 9. 



It is believed that Blouut's Prolific, Goldeu Beauty, Piasa King, Speckled Deut, 

 Chester Comity Mamuiotb, Maryland White Gourd, Goldeu Deut, and Chester County 

 Gourd Seed would hardly matui'e here in an average season. If a late, tall, leafy 

 variety with a small proportion of corn was desired for ensilage, Blount's Prolific, 

 Golden Beauty, Piasa King, Speckled Dent, and Old Cabin Home would prove satis- 

 factory. Purdue Yellow Dent, First Premium, Smedley, Pride of the North, Early 

 Yellow, Hathoway, and Early Adams would doubtless mature every year in the north 

 part of the State. The last-named is, however, entirely too small for Indiana. Boone 

 County White, Duke's Early, Riley's Favorite, Learning, and Davis's Improved would 

 mature in favorable seasons, but would hardly be reliable north of the latitude of the 

 Station. 



Inferences. — Tbe following are the tentative inferences drawn at tbe 

 present stage of the work : 



(1) Climate is the controlling influence in crop production. It frequently hinders 

 or prevents the action of other causes. For instance, in 1887 — an abnormally dry 

 year — fertilizers, methods of preparing ground, planting, etc., were practically with- 

 out effect. 



(2) If the best results are to be obtained in dry seasons, it is essential to adopt such 

 methods of preparing and cultivating the soil as will best conserve the scanty supply 

 of moisture. The most practicable meaus to this end are: Drainage of lauds, which 

 have retentive subsoils; deep and thorough preparation of the ground before plant- 

 ing; frequent and thorough pulverization of the upper 2 or 15 inches of soil by imple- 

 ments that will leave the ground level and not seriously disturb the corn roots, and 

 the frequent turning under of stable manure, sod, or green manuring crops to keep up 

 the supi)ly of vegetable matter in the soil. 



(3) No corn cultivator is equally adapted to all soils or to all stages of growth of 

 corn. The common corn plow I consider a very imperfect implement for either early 

 or late cultivation, as it ridges and imperfectly pulverizes the ground. The six- 

 shovel plow is better than the four-shovel ; and with the inner pair of shovels set 

 high and the middle aud outer pairs set well down, this implement may be used to 

 advantage early in the season to deeply stir the soil packed by the horses. For the 

 later cultivation, the spriug-tooth, gopher, or some other form of cultivator having 

 a shallow and good pulverizing action, will be found preferable. 



(4) Stable manure has had a more marked effect than commercial fertilizers on the 

 yield of crops at the Experiment Station. Being a complete manure, it will benefit 



