Two of these sets of soil thftrmoiueters are placed ou the top of a hill which is ex- 

 posed to the constant sweep of the wiuds and the full strength of the sun's rays. The 

 third set is located in bottom land, on the banks of a running stream. This set ia 

 more or less shaded by a rank growth of vegetation. Over each instrument is placed 

 a box perforated with holes to allow a free circulation of air, and at the same time to 

 exclude the heat rays of the sun. The soil is sandy and is well drained. 



From the data atforded by these instruments the following conclusions may be 

 drawn. During the summer months the upper layers of the soil are 10 to 1.5 d(^grees 

 warmer than the atmosphere, but become cooler with depth, and in July a depth of 

 5 feet below the surface shows a temperature 10 degrees cooler than the upper layer. 

 In the fall and winter the reverse of this is true; that while the upper layers of the 

 soil are still somewhat Avarmer than the atmosphere, yet the lower layers increase in 

 warmth, proportionally so with depth. For instance, the month of July shows a tem- 

 perature, at the depth of 96 inches below the surface, 11 degrees cooler than the air; 

 while December shows a temperature at the same depth nearly 1.5 degrees warmer 

 than that of the air. 



It is also observed that while the range of temperature of the atmosphere fluctuates 

 considerably, that of the soil is more constant ; and further, that the daily range 

 steadily decreases for 24 inches, below which depth it is practically nothing — seldom 

 being greater than a half of a degree, and from the figures in the table it will be seen 

 that the daily range of temperature is several degrees less in the bottom than it is on 

 the hill ; showing the effects of location of land, moisture in soil, and the effects of 

 evaporation caused by the sweep of the winds — the bottom being greatly protected 

 from this agent. 



Again, it will be seen that there is but little difference in the temjierature of the 

 bottom land and upland during the fall months. During the hot summer the bottom 

 is a little cooler; during the winter it is a little warmer than the upland, and when- 

 ever the temperature is about 40 degrees and below, then the bottom land is sevez'al 

 degrees warmer than the upland. 



BULLETIN NO. 4 (NEW SERIES^ FEBRUARY, 1889. 



Strawberry, grape, and raspberry culture, J. S. Newman 

 (pp. 3-12). — The bulletin contains practical directions for the cultiva- 

 tion of strawberries, grapes, and raspberries, written "in response to 

 uuraeroiis inquiries from those who have been induced by the work of 

 this Station to begin fruit culture, and for the purpose of instructing 

 local experimenters who receive plants from this Station for experi- 

 mental purposes." 



B[ILLETIN no. .5 (NEW SERIES), APRIL, 1889. 



Cotton, J. S. Newman (pp. 3-28). 



Experimenis with fertilizers (pp. 3-13). — The object of these experi- 

 ments was — 



to inquire how much reserve force remained from previous applications of commercial 

 manures to sandy soil which has no retentive clay within 3 feet of the surface. Cot- 

 ton was planted in 1883, without manitre, upon plats to which different elenuMits and 

 combinations of elements of plant food had been applied in 1886 and 1887. 



As indicated below, several questions were studied, each by a series 

 of trials. Tlie results of each series are stated in tabular form. 



Proper ratio hetween phosphoric acid and nitrogen in fertilizers for cotton. — In this ex- 

 periment the quantities of phosphoric acid and potash are constant, while the nitro- 



