No. 4.] GERMAN EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 395 



pounds per acre, and the green crop ploughed under in the 

 kite autumn or early spring. Clover was also grown be- 

 tween the rows of grain, and ploughed under after the latter 

 was harvested. Both of these methods succeeded, and Dr. 

 Dehlinger, the owner of the farm, is growing grain, l)eets 

 and potatoes to-day, without applying any nitrogenous fer- 

 tilizer whatever. It was calculated in 1890, a year very 

 fovorable to the development of leguminous crops, that as 

 high as 250 pounds of nitrogen per acre was obtained from 

 the crop of vetch and peas. This, of course, could by no 

 means be expected every year. 



This experiment, in a measure, answers the second ques- 

 tion, namely, Is it advisable to apply any nitrogen whatever 

 to leguminous crops? Still opinions differ, and no exact 

 answer to cover all cases can as yet with certainty be given. 

 In fact, I am inclined to believe that circumstances, such as 

 climate, soils, etc., will control the case. Let me illustrate : 

 When a leguminous crop is planted upon land poor in nitro- 

 gen, it grows well during its earlier stages, till it has 

 exhausted all the availal)le nitrogen of the soil. It then be- 

 gins to turn yellow, and shows unmistakable signs of nitro- 

 gen hunger. Suddenly the leaves begin to turn green 

 again, and rapid growth takes place, because the root 

 nodules have begun to develop, and consequently the nitro- 

 gen to be assimilated. Now, the critical period is when the 

 soil-nitrogen becomes exhausted, and before the plant can 

 get hold of the air-nitrogen. European experience has quite 

 often recommended that in certain cases where, for example, 

 the crop appears especially backward, or if the weather is 

 bad, 30 or 40 pounds of nitrate of soda be applied, per acre, 

 to tide the crop over the critical stage. 



Experiments made by Professor Goessmann at the State 

 Experiment Station this year were quite instructive. On 

 plats of one-tenth of an acre each, that had received a lib- 

 eral dressing with nitrogen, as well as potash and phos- 

 phoric acid, 2,000 pounds of green soja beans were raised ; 

 while on an equal area, with land in the same condition, 

 where no nitrogen was used, the yield was but 1,400 pounds. 

 So far as the writer noticed by an examination of the roots 

 of the bean, the nodules were but comparatively few in num- 



