1905.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 139 



plot, it should be understood, has not received an applica- 

 tion of anything furnishing nitrogen during the fifteen years 

 that the experiment has continued ; and yet on the limed por- 

 tion of this plot we this year have a yield of hay at the rate 

 of 3,(500 pounds and a yield of row en at the rate of 2,5(50 

 l)ounds per acre, — a total of rather over 3 tons, at a fer- 

 tilizer cost at the rate of |(>.50 per acre. Allowing for an 

 application of lime at the rate of a ton once in eight years, 

 the annual cost of the materials applied to this plot amounts 

 to about $7.50 per acre. The yields obtained at this very 

 low cost indicate in a most striking manner the possibilities 

 in the production of clover hay on soils naturally suited to 

 clovers, without the use of the expensive nitrogen manures 

 or fertilizers. 



It is of especial interest to compare the yields of Plot 10 

 with those on Plot 9. Plot 10 has annually received nitrate 

 of soda, in addition to the same amounts of dissolved bone- 

 black and muriate of potash as are used on Plot 9. The 

 result is a fair hay crop, even on the part of the plot where 

 lime has not been used. Here, however, as on Plot 9, the 

 yield is greatly increased by the application of lime, and we 

 have a total in the two crops of the year at the rate of 7,240 

 pounds per acre. This exceeds the yield of the two crops 

 on Plot 9 at the rate of a little more than a thousand pounds 

 per acre. This increase is produced as the result of an appli- 

 cation at the rate of 160 pounds of nitrate of soda. Such 

 an application would cost about $4, and the increase is there- 

 fore produced at a moderate profit. . 



As in previous years, the relative proportion of the difier- 

 ent species (red-top, timothy and clovers) on the several 

 plots has been carefully studied. The most important points 

 noted are as follows : first, the use of nitrate of soda increases 

 the proportion of red-top ; second, potash increases the pro- 

 portion of clover in a marked degree, and this influence is 

 enormously increased on the limed portion of the plots. 



It will be seen, by reference to the table showing how the 

 fertilizers are applied, that Plot (>, which receives an appli- 

 cation of nitrate of soda and dissolved bonc-l^lat'k annuall}', 

 lies between two plots (5 and 7) each of which annually 

 receives an application of })otash. During the past season, 



