1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 45 



begins 1<> feel the effect of the high fertility of its neighbor, 

 although separated from it by a strip three and one-half feet 

 wide. 



The single-element plots, one receiving nitrate of soda 

 only yearly, another phosphoric acid and the third potash, 

 give this year practically equal crops of grain, respectively 

 at the rate of 20. G, 18.5 and 19. 8 bushels per acre. The 

 nitrate of soda and dissolved bone-black give a crop at the 

 rate of 32 bushels per acre, while nitrate of soda and potash 

 give at the rate of but 10.9 bushels. The dissolved bone- 

 black and muriate of potash do much better, yielding at the 

 rate of 41.2 bushels. The fertilizer supplying nitrogen, 

 phosphoric acid and potash gives a crop of 55.9 bushels, 

 while manure gives 67.7 bushels. 



It may be remembered that in each of the three previous 

 years in which this field has produced corn the muriate of 

 potash has, whether singly or in any combination, proved 

 much more useful than either of the other fertilizers used. 

 There is much evidence in the behavior of the crops this 

 year, during the growing season and in the results, that this 

 salt is proving injurious in its chemical effect upon the soil. 

 I believe this effect to be a loss of lime in the form of 

 chloride by leaching, but cannot regard this as yet proven. 

 I will present the facts apparently bearing upon the case, 

 and leave full discussion to a later report. 



1. During the early part of the growing season the corn 

 upon all the plots which had received muriate of potash was 

 distinctly behind that upon other plots. 



2. As the season advanced, the corn upon these plots 

 gradually lost its sickly appearance, gained upon that in the 

 other plots, eventually excelling, in the case of the plot re- 

 ceiving nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, that in all 

 other plots except the manure plot. 



3. This unhealthy appearance of the corn early in the 

 season, followed by great improvement later, is analogous 

 to effects noticed in other experiments,* where chlorides 

 have been used, and where liming the land has remedied the 

 faulty condition. 



• For example, Plot 6, Field A. Sec report State Experiment Station for 1896. 



