198 



damage. Some farmers seemed to think that a fertilizer attachment 

 with a spreader was better than an attachment that placed the fertilizer 

 directly on the seed. Differences in amount of injury were undoubtedly 

 caused by the different weather conditions, such as rain either just 

 before or after planting. 



All farmers who had used fertilizer which caused damage to the 

 corn and who made complaint have been compensated by the fertilizer 

 company selling the goods. The amount of damage was mutually 

 agreed upon by the farmer and a representative of the fertilizer com- 

 pany with O. S. Roberts, Chief Inspector of the State Chemist's De- 

 partment of the Experiment Station, acting as a disinterested referee. 



Experimental Work. 



To find the cause of the damage, the writer secured a sample of 

 the 5-5 fertilizer which produced damage in one of the fields. Upon 

 analysis this sample was found to contain 2.35 per cent boric acid 

 (HiBO:. ) equivalent to 1.92 per cent borax (Na.BiO:) soluble in water. 

 Borax is an ingredient not usually found in fertilizer. It has been 

 found by other investigators to be harmful when used in vei-y large 

 amounts.' 



With the assumption that borax might be the harmful ingredient, 

 quantities of soil were obtained fiom the field near Fiancesville dam- 

 aged by the particular sample of 5-5 fertilizer analyzed; also soil from 

 the Experiment Station farm. The Francesville soil is a black sandy 

 loam neutral in reaction. The Purdue soil is brown silt loam, acid in 

 reaction. Ten earthenware pots were filled with each type of «oil .md 

 fertilizer applied as follows: 

 Pot. No. 



1. No treatment. 



2. 50 lbs. per acre in row of 5-5 fertilizer sold. 



3. 100 lbs. per acre in row of 5-5 fertilizer sold. 



4. 200 lbs. per acre in row of 5-5 fertilizer sold. 



5. 200 lbs per acre broadcast of 5-5 fertilizer sold. 



6. 100 lbs. per acre in row 5-5 fertilizer made in laboratory. No 



borax. 



^ Cook, T. C. and Wilson, .1. B. in Jour. Aki-. Ros., Vol. X, No. 12. 1917 : also Naka- 

 mura in Bui. Col. Apr.. Tokyo, 1!)0.3 ; also Voelckor in Joui-. Roy. Atrr. Soc. Vol. 76. lOl.'i. 



