FIELD CROPS. 139 



Anion<r 7 early varieties ot potatoes, Rose of the North, as shown by tlie average 

 results (if i:>") tests, led in prodiu-tiveiiess, with a yield of 197.5 bu. per acre, followed 

 ))y Early Doiniiiion, Burpee Extra Early, and Stray Beauty. The average results 

 in the yields of these 4 varieties did not vary 10 bu. per aere. In 1901 level culture 

 l>roduced 8.5 bu. and in 1902 4.8 bu. more per acre than hill culture. Potato sets 

 sprinkled with land jdaster gave an increase of 16.4 bu. per acre in 1900, 14.4 l)u. in 

 1901, and of J of a bu. in 1902 as compared with untreated sets. 



Report of the agriculturists, W. P. Brooks and H. M. Thomson {3I((.s>^(irhim'Us 

 Sta. Rpt. 1902, pp. 102-15o). — The work here reported followed the general lines of 

 the preceding years (E. S. R., 14, p. 133). 



In the comparison of dried blood, sulphate of ammonia, barnyard ujanure, and 

 nitrate of soda as soun-es of nitrogen for potatoes in 1902, the yields obtained ranked 

 the different fertilizers in the order mentioned. The average results since 1890 with 

 different crops i:»lace them as follows: Nitrate of soda, barnyard manure, sulphate of 

 ammonia, and dried blood. Potatoes this year followed soy beans and the plats 

 receiving no nitrogen produced a yield almost as large as the plats to which nitrogen 

 had been applied }-early. 



Sulphate of potash was superior to muriate of potash as a fertilizer for cabbage, 

 mixed timothy and clover, and potatoes. A summary of the results for the series of 

 years shows that the best yields of potatoes, clover, cabbage, and soy beans have 

 been obtained with the sulphate, while the yields of corn, grasses, oats, barley, vetch, 

 and sugar beets were about equal for the 2 salts. The sulphate produced potatoes 

 and sugar beets distinctly better in quality than the muriate. 



Nitrate of soda, dried blood, and sulphate of ammonia, used in connection with 

 manure, ranked in the order mentioned as sources of nitrogen for garden cTops. A 

 comparison of sulphate and muriate of potash for this class of crops indicated that 

 the suljihate was better for onions, tomatoes, and celery, while the muriate gave 

 slightly better results with strawberries and squashes. 



Among different potash salts used as fertilizers for clover, silicate, high-grade sul- 

 phate and nitrate of potash were most effective. The salts containing chlorin, espe- 

 ciallv kainit, proved injurious to the young clover. 



The results with phosphates in quantities furnishing equal amounts of phosphoric 

 acid as fertilizer for onions were in favor of dissolved bone meal, tine ground raw 

 bone, phosphatic slag, and steamed bone meal, in the order given. Tennessee phos- 

 phate and Florida soft phosphate gave results very much inferior to all others. 



Soil tests were continued this year with corn and potatoes. The results indicate 

 that potash was the most pi-ominent plant-food element controlling the yield of corn. 

 The plat which had received 160 lbs. of muriate of potash per acre annually for 14 

 years yielded 47.7 bu. of shelled corn per acre, and the plat receiving 320 lbs. of dis- 

 solved boneblack per acre in addition to the muriate gave a crop of 55.9 bu. In the 

 entire series of tests the plat receiving annually 5 cords of manure produced the 

 highest yield of corn and stover. Four plats which had not been fertilized for 14 

 years showed a high degree of exhaustion. The crop of potatoes on 'lime soil was 

 increased more by muriate of potash than by fertilizers furnishing either of the other 

 plant-food elements. Nitrogen and phosphoric acid were more effective in increasing 

 the yield of potatoes than the yield of corn. 



IManure alone gave a larger yield of mixed grass and clover than manure applied 

 with ])otash, but the increase was not sufficient to make it iirofitable. The preced- 

 ing year corn was grown on these same plats with- like results. A mixture of grass 

 and clover was also grown with a special corn fertilizer as compared with an ai)i)lica- 

 tion richer in potash. The fertilizer mixture containing the greater cpiantity of jiot- 

 ash produced 1,520 lbs. of hay more per acre than the special corn fertilizer which 

 cost about $4 i)er acre more. The larger quantity of potash gave a greater relative 

 abundance of <!lover. 



