SOILS. 33 



rates of 3,082 tind 3,727 lbs., corn being the crop grown. The car- 

 bonate decreased the yield on both the poorer and the better soil; the 

 sulphate reduced the 3dcld on the better soil. These experiments were 

 repeated on the same pots with increased applications of the magnesium 

 salts. Similar but more decided results were obtained. Both salts 

 reduced the jaeld, but the action of the carbonate was more marked 

 than that of the sulphate. 



The use of water from the tile drains under hunms soil for watering 

 corn grown in pots was not attended with any injurious effect as com- 

 pared with rain water. 



Leaching the soil very materially decreased the yield. Magnesium 

 carbonate was very injurious on leached soils, while the sulphate 

 appeared to be beneficial. There was no indication that the reduced 

 yield was due to the loss of nitrogen by leaching, which was quite 

 large. The ploAving under of green oats increased the yield on the 

 poor soil but decreased it on the good soil. 



Other general conclusions from this work are thus summarized in 

 the bulletin: 



"(1) There are in Wisconsin alone in the neighborhood of 4,000 square miles of 

 hunuis soils, most of which may readily l)e drained and put iji condition for tillage. 



"(2) So far as the elements of plant food are concerned they contain a higher 

 percentage than most of the best upland soils. 



"(3) The soil when drained is easy to work and maintains an excellent tilth. 



"(4) But when reclaimed they are often found relatively unproductive, especially 

 after 2 or 3 years. 



"(5) Their productiveness frequently varies to a marked degree in different sea- 

 sons and without an evident cause for it. 



"(6) Coarse farmyard manure, in almost all cases, greatly improves even the best 

 of these lands, enabling them to give large yields. 



"(7) Liquid farmyard manure has not been found to have an apprecialjle influ- 

 ence on the yield. 



"(8) Potassium carbonate, sulphate and nitrate and wood ashes have been fuund 

 to greatly improve these soils for corn. Kainit improves the yield, but to a less 

 degree. [The beneficial effect of the potash salt is apparently exerted near the 

 surface of the soil.] 



"(9) Potassium chlorid in one-half the (piantity of other salts killed the c<jrn. 



"(10) Land plaster, lime, marl, phosphates, bone meal, and Thomas slag have 

 been tried with little benefit. 



"(11) Coarse litter, like straw, plowed in is often very helpful. 



"(12) A good dressing of manure may materially increase the yield for 4 con- 

 secutive years. 



"(13) Heavy crops of oat hay can often be grown upon the lands, but the i)lants 

 are liable to lodge and not fill well if left to mature. 



"(14) It is difficult to get a good stand of clover, and winterkilling is very 

 common. 



"(15) Timothy and red top appear to do best among the grasses, but it is often 

 very difficult to get a stand of these if the field has been cultivated several years. 



"(16) Almost any crop may be grown ui>ou these soils, if they are manured, and 

 very heavy crops of corn. 



"(17) As pastures these lands only give a moderate amount of feed, 



