Nkw York AoRicur/rnuAii Exi'krimknt Station. 5H9 



SOIL, PLANTING AND CULTIVATION. 



The field selocted for the experirnent with Mu^ar heet.H Ib a clay 

 loam bordering on what is usually termed heavy, having a ten- 

 dency to '* puddle " when overcharged with moisture, and to 

 cake or crust over when quickly dried by a hot sun and wind. 

 If not disturbed in times of drought it will soon seam or crack 

 open. 



These features are characteristic of a large portion of the farm 

 lands of this section, and render the growing of small seed crops 

 more difficult and expensive than on sandy or porous loams. 



From a farmer's point of view, this soil would be considered to 

 be in a good state of cultivation and fertility. The crops in the 

 rotation that have been grown on it during the i>ast ten years 

 have yielded fully up to, if not above, the average of the farm 

 lands in this section of the State. 



The two-acre plat which was selected had been used for fertil- 

 izer experiments with potatoes in 1896. 



On May 7 and 8 the land was ploughed and subsoiJed to the 

 depth of fourteen inches, and the surface was workwl down with 

 springtooth harrow, followed by a Thomas smoothing harrow, 

 and finished by rolling. 



On May 11, after working down with the springtootli harrow, 

 and before smoothing, 9o0 i>ounds per acre of the following mix- 

 ture of commercial fertilizers was sown broadcast: 



Sulphate of potash 2.yj poun^ls, T/) per cent K ^ O 



Acid rock .^/j pounds, 14 p<;r cent P2O r. 



Dried blood 2'/j pounds, 10 per cent N. 



Nitrate of soda 2(Xj pounds, 1.5 per cent N. 



Tot^l '.)-}{) pounds. 



After the fertilizer had been sown and thoro'ighly worked in, 

 the ground was smoothed and rolled. A marker to be drawn by 

 one horse was then constrncted from an old corn marker so that 

 five rows could be lined out at one time, at a distance of twenty 

 inches apart. 



