61 



ture from the usual practice was in deference in part to the wishes 

 of the experimenter who, being a good farmer, hated to see a small 

 crop on his land. Personally, I considered that it would be of 

 interest to note whether the use of increased amounts of fertilizers 

 would result in greater effects upon the crop, while the indications of 

 the results as to the special requirements of the soil would be the 

 same. In view of the increase over the nothing plots obtained by 

 the use- of the ordinary amounts of fertilizers in other experiments, 

 it may be doubted whether the extra fertilizer in this experiment was 

 of any great benefit. In our other experiments in 1891, the "complete" 

 fertilizer used in the usual amounts caused increases in crop as 

 follows: Marblehead, 56.4 bushels ; Shelburne, 54 bushels ; Hadley, 

 99 bushels ; and Amherst, 64.7 bushels. In Concord with double 

 amount the increase was 78.6 bushels. 



The variety of potato selected was Early Beauty of Hebron ; the 

 seed was cut to one or two good eyes and planted April 20th, in 

 drills 3| feet apart, the pieces 18 inches apart in the drills. The 

 experiment was well carried out in every respect ; the work of culti- 

 vation being performed almost entirely by horse power. The crop 

 was dug on September 5th, and was all sorted and weighed by the 

 same person. 



Summary of Weather Observations, Mat 1 to July 22, 1891. 



*83 days. 



These observations ended rather earlier than intended on account 

 of the breakage of one of the thermometers; but the growth of the 

 crop had been then nearly completed and the observations were not 

 resumed. Tliis tabic .shows an unusually light rainfall both in May 

 and July and this uiubt have somewhat lessened the crop. The vines 

 were also injured by frosts in May which entirely destroyed some 

 plants and injured all more or less. 



