6 



N. H. AGR. EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Bulletin 12 



The first readings began April 13, 1916, and were more or less 

 intermittent until the middle of May from which time they were 

 taken daily except as noted above. From April 13 until June 

 7, Plot 1 (the sod plot) runs lowest in temperature while Plots 4 

 and 5 are highest. It might be stated that the cover crop on 

 Plot 5 was very poor in 1916, due to a very rainy fall previous and 

 the crop practically died out, the other plots were not so affected 

 because the land is slightly more ridged and hence has better sur- 

 face drainage, also Plots 7 and 9 had a much heavier cover crop 

 due to the fertilizer treatments. The average of the readings of 

 the various plots for the season are shown below : 



TABLE No. 1. 

 Average Soil Temperatures Woodman Orchard. 



1916. 

 At 8 inches. 



Thus for the month of April the sod plot is the coldest and those 

 having a heavy mat of cover crops (Plots 7 and 9) are next lowest, 

 while the clean tilled plot and Plot 5 are highest. - 



In May the sod plot still remains coldest, averaging 52.30 

 and Plot 9 next 54.7 while Plot 7 is warmest 57.8. But in June 

 the coldest plot shifts to Plot 9 which had the heaviest cover of 

 any of the plots, being fertilized with a higher per cent of nitro- 

 gen, and it remains the lowest throughout the season even when 

 cultivated. (The reason for the latter does not seem evident.) 





