1886.-] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 



45 



condition, as far as the farther cultivation of corn was con- 

 cerned (see Second Ann. Rep. of Experiment Station, p. 

 84) , it seemed advisable to begin the inquiry into the chem- 

 ical and physical condition of the soil, as far as its relation to 

 the production of the corn crop is concerned, as well as into 

 its particular power to retain, in a higher or lower degree, 

 various articles of plant food, i. e., its qualification to pre- 

 vent their passage into the drainage water. 



With these ends in view, the following course was decided 

 upon, and has been carried out during the past season 

 (1885) : 



The entire field (A) here under discussion was prepared 

 May 12th in a similar manner for the planting of corn, as in 

 preceding years. 



Plat No. 0, 

 Plat No. 1, 

 Plat No. 2, 

 Plat No. 3, 

 Plat No. 4, 

 Plat No. 5, 

 Plat No. 6, 

 Plat No. 7, 

 'Plat No. 8, 

 Plat No. 9, 



Plat No. 10, 



{ 



Received no manurial substance. 



Twenty-five pounds of sodium nitrate 

 ( :=: to 4 lbs. of nitrogen). 



Nothing. 



Thirty pounds of dried blood ( rr to 

 nitrogen, 4 lbs.). 



Nothing. 



Twenty-five pounds of ammonium sul- 

 phate ( = to 4 lbs. of nitrogen) . 



Nothing. 



Fifty pounds of dissolved bone-black ( =: 

 8.5 lbs. available (phosphoric acid). 



Nothing. 



Twenty-five lbs. of muriate of potash (1= 

 to from 12 to 13 lbs. potassium chloi'ide). 



48J pounds potassa-magnesia sulphate 

 ( = to 12-13 lbs. potassium oxide). 



The corn was planted May 16th, in furrows three feet and 

 three inches apart, over the entire area, with the exception 

 of Plat No. 6, which was left unseeded, to study the influence 

 of the atmospheric agencies on the soil under cultivation 

 without the assistance of growing plants. From six to eight 

 kernels of one and the same lot (Clark variety) were 

 dropped in one place, and at a distance of from twelve to 

 fourteen inches from each other along each furrow. The 

 young plants were thinned out subsequently, wherever ad- 

 visable, and the entire field kept clean from weeds by a 



