11)02.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 53 



soil, though containing, of course, less humus. At the 

 depth of five to six feet begins a somewhat open-textured 

 gravel, — a quality of gravel which makes quick-bedding 

 road material, but which as it lies is not at all of the nature 

 of a hardpan. The water level of this field is well below the 

 surface. In 1899 the field produced a crop of potatoes ; for 

 the two previous years it was in mixed grass and clover. 

 It was manured in the spring of 1900, at the rate of 4 cords 

 to the acre ; the manure was ploughed in. The plot, which 

 was 40 feet in width and 152 feet long, was divided into 

 two strips, and to one of these lime was applied at the rate 

 of 11/2 tons (air-slaked) per acre. After ploughing, fer- 

 tilizers were applied at the following rates per acre : — 



Pounds. 



Sulfate of potash, high grade, 250 



Acid phosphate, 400 



Steamed bone, 200 



The seed was sown in rows ten inches apart on May 22. 

 The plot was hand-weeded and hoed several times through- 

 out the summer. The growth was very slow, and no crop 

 was harvested. This alfalfa passed through the winter in 

 good condition. The plot was lightly harrowed on April 

 16 ; on May 1, it was hoed. On May 6, fertilizers were 

 applied in the same amounts as in 1900. Early in the 

 summer it was noticed that the alfalfa was somewhat better 

 on the limed half of the plot. To the west end of both 

 limed and unlimed portionsji small application of soil from 

 an alfalfa field in Kansas was made in the spring of 1900. 

 This was for the purpose of testing whether deficiency of 

 bacteria of the right kind was the probable cause of the slow 

 growth of the crop. It was believed that the Kansas soil 

 would furnish these. No particular difference was noticed 

 during the first season ; but by the middle of June the past 

 season it could be plainly seen that the growth where the 

 Kansas soil had been spread was superior to that on the 

 other parts of the plot. The plot was cut three times during 

 the season, June 20, July 21 and September 6, each time 

 when in early bloom. The yields per plot were as follows : — 



