30 EXPERT MEXT RTATTOX RECORD. 



ne«'d of nitrogen in I he soil. Where pejis and oats were ^rown for bay the 

 l)ani,varil mainire phit ijroducetl 1,360 lbs. of bay per acre and the sodium 

 nitrate and jiroiind limestone plat 1,304 lbs. The largest yield in potato trials 

 at this farm was secured on the plat treated with barnyard manure, followed 

 by the plat receiving acid phosphate, potash, and ground limestone. (Jround 

 limestone seems to have been beneficial but not to the same extent as the 

 nitrogenous substances supi)lied. Hairy vetch sown in the summer of 1900 

 produced an excellent stand, and the following season the yield of hay was 

 estimated at IJ tons per acre. 



On marsh soil at Marinette barley gave a slightly better yield on the plat 

 receiving 30,000 lbs. of barnyard manure per acre, but the use of 300 lbs. of 

 acid phosphate and 2.000 lbs. of wood ashes gave nearly as large a yield, and 

 this is regarded as indicating that for barley the chief need of this soil is for 

 the mineral elements phosphoric acid and potash. Barnyard manure was the 

 most effective fertilizer for potatoes. The use of 10,000 lbs. per acre produced 

 an increase of 50 bu., of 20,000 lbs. an iiK-rease of nearly 100 bu., and an applica- 

 tion of 30,000 lbs. an increase of 130 bu. per acre. At 30 cts. per bushel this 

 indicates a value on such land of $3 per load for good barnyard manure. The 

 experiments with potatoes indicate in general that the crop is well adapted to 

 this soil when well drained, and that manure where available is probably the 

 best fertilizer but that wood ashes applied at the rate of about 1 ton per acre 

 together with 300 lbs. of acid phosphate per acre, or 50 to 75 lbs. of sulphate of 

 potash w'ith 400 lbs. of acid phosphate, can be substituted for the manure. 



At Phillips, where barley, timothy, and alsilce clover were grown, the re- 

 sults seemed to show that there is some other difficulty than the lack of avail- 

 able mineral elements or acidity in the soil. It is believed possible that the 

 infertility is due to a slow rate of nitrification, although it is not understood 

 why wood ashes should have a much more marked effect than lime when sup- 

 plemented with both potash and phosphate on this soil. 



At Superior the tile-drained land averaged 20.2 bu. of barley, 12,956 lbs. 

 of sugar beets, 171 bu. of potatoes, and 12,820 lbs. of corn per acre, as com- 

 I)ared with 11 bu. of barley, 11.367 lbs. of sugar beets, 170 bu. of potatoes, and 

 7,SG2 lbs. of corn per acre on untiled land. This was a dry season and the 

 effect of drainage for this reason was less marlved. There was little difference 

 in the crop of corn whether barnyard manure was plowed, under or given as 

 a top-dressing, while in the case of potatoes tliere was a greater difference, 

 the top-dressed plat yielding at the rate of 161.5 bu. per acre as compared with 

 ISO.l bu. on the plat on which the manure was plowed undei*. 



At Ashland there was a difference of 11.6 bu. of barley, 11.42 l)u. of oats, 

 1.33 tons of corn, and 3.87 tons of sugar beets per acre in favor of tiled 

 as compared with untiled land. Fertilizer experiments with these same crops 

 indicate the lack of nitrogen in available form, and it is believed that the grow- 

 ing of clover or some other leguminous crop is necessary to make the soil 

 fertile. 



The relation of orchard cover crops to soil moisture and soil freezing, E. J. 

 Delwiche and J. G. Moore (Wisconsin 8ta. Rpt. 1907, pp. 579-385 ) .—Obser- 

 vations and determinations on a number of different cover crops are reported. 

 The relative rank of the different crops as to ease in getting a catch, obtain- 

 ing an early cover, resistance to drought, frost, shade, and attacks of fungi, 

 innnunity from insect attacks, ability to withstand tramping, efficiency in low- 

 ering the moisture content in late summer and early fall, soil moisture-holding 

 capacity, and snow-holding efficiency is recorded. 



Oats, rape, rye, and millet were most readily started, cowi)eas were the 

 first to form a cover and also ranked first in drought resistance, field peas stood 



