no HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [.Jan. 



The relative standino; of the difTerent materials furnishing 

 nitrogen, calling the one giving the largest yield 100, is as 

 follows : — 



Per Cent. 



Dried blood, 100.00 



Sulfate of ammonia. 

 Barnyard manure, . 

 Nitrate of soda, 

 No nitro^^en, . 



87.10 

 80.68 

 69.22 

 83.80 



The nitrate of soda stands relatively much lower than in 

 previous experiments on this field. The past season was 

 exceptionally rainj^ and there may have been some loss of 

 the niti^ate, all of which was applied just before planting. 

 Such loss would not, however, account for the fact that 

 the yield on the nitrate is below that on the no-nitrogen 

 plots ; and we are compelled to conclude that the fact that 

 normal development and ripening were interfered with by 

 the prevalence of blight and rot has prevented the several 

 fertilizers from exertino- a full normal effect. In estimating 

 the significance of the results, we must not, however, lose 

 sight of the fact that the crop of last year Avas a legume (the 

 so}^ bean) , and that the great abundance of nodules upon its 

 roots indicated that it developed under conditions making 

 possible a very large assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen. 



II. — Crops of the Clover Family (Legumes) as Nitro- 

 gen Gatherers. 

 This experiment is carried out in conhection with ex- 

 periments to determine the relative value of different 

 materials furnishing nitrogen on Field A. Both so}^ beans 

 and clover have been used previous to the present season, 

 the former during thi'ee years and the latter for one year. 

 The crop of both is harvested. Our object is to test, not 

 the effect of ploughing under these crops, but simply the 

 improvement following the introduction of each derived 

 from their roots and stubble. Previous to the present year 

 the results have indicated little or no improvement in the 

 condition of the soil following the culture of the soy bean, 

 and a very great improvement followed the turning under 



