54 



South Half-Acre. 



Average of nothing plots : liard corn, 54.7 bushels ; soft corn, .7 

 bushel ; stover, 5620 pounds. 



This experiment, voluntarily undertaken by Mr. Cooley, is located 

 on soil of alluvial formation— good, warm, corn land. The north and 

 south halves of the field had been differently treated ; the former was 

 last manured five years ago ; the latter, three years ago. Both had 

 been in grass since last manured. It was found early in the experi- 

 ment that the fertilizers were producing markedly different effects on 

 the two halves of the field ; and so it was decided to divide the acre 

 equally by a line running across the plots, and to harvest and weigh 

 separately. Such a difference between two pieces of laud lying so 

 near together is remarkable ; but is accounted for in part by the 

 difference in treatment above described, but largely also by the fact 

 that the physical characteristics of the soil in the two sections are 

 widely different. 



Mr. Cooley took no measurements nor weather observations. 



