48 



HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Jan. 



The average increase due to the application of 150 pounds 

 of nitrate of soda is therefore 571 pounds. At the current 

 price for nitrate of soda, this increase has cost a little more 

 than one-half a cent per pound. 



2. Nitrate was tried upon a timothy sod seeded in 1899. 

 Four equal plots were laid oft*, and to two of them nitrate 

 was applied at the rate of 150 pounds per acre. The first 

 crop was cut July 8 ; the nitrate was applied July 17 ; the 

 rowen crop was cut September 16. The table shows the 

 calculated results per acre : — 



Nitrate of Soda for Roiven. — Yields per Acre (Pounds). 



Plots. 



Nitrate applied. 



Yield of Rowen. 



Plot 1, 

 Plot 2, 

 Plot 3, 

 Plot 4, 



No nitrate, . 



150 pounds per acre, , 



No nitrate, . 



150 pounds per acre, , 



436 

 953 



463 

 463 



The average rates of yield per acre were 



No nitrate, 

 Nitrate, 



Pounds. 



449 

 709 



The average increase is therefore 259 pounds, which, at 

 the current price for nitrate of soda, costs about 1^ cents 

 a pound. The use of nitrate for rowen is therefore profit- 

 able in the case of the Kentucky blue grass sod, unprofitable 

 in the case of the timothy. Neither the blue grass nor the 

 timothy, however, are varieties characterized by a free or 

 abundant second growth. The results of the application of 

 nitrate of soda for rowen are likely to be better for other 

 varieties, such as orchard grass, the fescues and rye grasses. 



XIII. — Experiment in Application of Manure. 

 Observation of the results obtained for a number of 

 years from the application of manures spread in late fall or 

 winter and allowed to lie upon the surface until spring had 



