200 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



on the yield and composition of corn, oats and mixed 

 grasses. These experiments were continued through a 

 period of several }^ears. A few years later, experiments 

 of a similar nature, but on smaller plots, Were started with 

 pure species of grasses. In these experiments the plots 

 were so small that no attempt was made to study the effect 

 of the fertilizer on the yields, but the crop was carefully 

 sampled, and the effect of the fertilizer on the percentage 

 of nitrogen and protein was determined. 



The field experiments with mixed grasses were what are 

 commonly known as " special nitrogen experiments." The 

 general plan was to lay out a series of plots, all of which, 

 except two or three plots without any fertilizer, were sup- 

 plied with uniform quantities of mineral fertilizers. In 

 addition to this, the fertilized plots had varying quantities 

 of nitrogen. The quantity of nitrogen varied on different 

 plots from nothing to 25, 50 and 75 pounds of actual nitro- 

 gen per acre, in the form of nitrate of soda, and the same 

 amounts in the form of sulphate of ammonia. These experi- 

 ments with mixed grasses were continued through two years, 

 and the results, as shown in the yields, are of considerable 

 interest, as indicating the striking way in which grasses re- 

 spond to nitrogenous fertilizers. All of the fertilized plots 

 were supplied with liberal quantities of mineral fertilizers 

 (phosphoric acid and potash). The yields, where mineral 

 fertilizers only were used, were but very little better than 

 where no fertilizer was applied. The increase where the 

 nitrogen was applied nearly always corresponded with the 

 amount of nitrogen used, whether the nitrogen was from 

 nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia. The increase, 

 however, was not as great where the larger quantities of 

 nitrogen were applied. The best financial returns, an 

 average gain of $3.60 per acre, were obtained from the use 

 of 320 pounds of nitrate of soda per acre, in addition to 

 the mineral fertilizers. 



In the following table the hay is valued at $10 per ton to 

 correspond with present prices, and the cost of the fertilizer 

 is estimated from the prices for the various ingredients used 

 in the valuation of fertilizers by the New England stations 

 for 1898. Where mineral fertilizers were used, without the 



