88 



For this experiment an acre of land upon the station grounds was 

 selected. This land previous to 1889 bad been used as a pasture for 

 several years without manure; in 1889 it was planted with corn 

 without manure ; and in 1890, it was used in a soil test 

 with fertilizers for potatoes, a large portion of the land without 

 manure and most of the balance with the application of only small 

 quantities of fertilizers furnishing only one or two elements. The 

 soil was, therefore, in a low state of fertility ; it must have been 

 considerably poorer than the average corn lauds of the state ; and in 

 proportion to its unusual poverty, it was unfavorable to the manure 

 and potash. The organic matter ordinal ily present in the soil must 

 usually supply a considerable proportion of the nitrogen needed by 

 the corn crop when fertilizers are used, but in this soil, cultivated 

 two years without mtiuure. there could not have been a large amount 

 of organic matter. 



The acre was divided into four equal parts, the divisions of this 

 year running across those of last season, so that the fact that the 

 treatment of different plots last year was unlike, cannot have affected 

 the comparisons of this year. The different sections of the field 

 were numbered, and numbers 1 and 3 received manure at the rale of 

 six cords per acre, while sections 2 and 4 received manure at the 

 rate of three cords aud potash at the rate of 124 pounds per acre. 



The treatment of the different sections of the field and the crops 

 obtained are shown in the following table. 



MANURE ALONE VerSUS MANURE AND POTASH. 



Yield per acre, 



(average of 1 and 3) shelled corn, 61.3 bu'ls ; stover, 3820 lbs. 



( " '' 2 '' 4) '^ '' 56.3 '' " 3720 " 



Value of crop per acre, (1 and 3) $49.40 



u a ii (2 " 4) 45.90 



Cost of manure per acre, (1 and 3) 30.00 



" '' and potash per acre, (2 and 4) 17.64 



