1904.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. .S3. 137 



The moat important points to which it seems desirable to 

 call attention are the following : — 



1 . The no-i)hosphate plots give very low yields both of 

 hard heads and total, indicating the marked dependence of 

 the cabbage upon the sup})ly of phosphoric acid. 



2. Apatite and soft Florida })hosphate are the least effective 

 among the phosphates employed. 



3. South Carolina rock gives a surprisingly good return, 

 being exceeded in yield of hard heads by only one plot, — 

 the one receiving dissolved bone, — while in total yield it is 

 materially exceeded b}^ but few. 



4. The phosphatic slag ranks among the best of the phos- 

 phates used. It is exceeded in yield of hard heads by the 

 dissolved bone-black, the South Carolina rock and the raAv 

 bone, in the order named ; while in total weight of crop it 

 is exceeded by the dissolved bone, the raw bone and the dis- 

 solved bone-black. 



5. The most valuable crop in the field is that produced by 

 the dissolved bone, although it is slightly exceeded in total 

 yield by the crop on the raw bone. 



(i. Particular attention is called to the fact that this year, 

 as in preceding years, the raw bone meal gives a crop nmch 

 superior to that obtained by the use of steamed bone meal. 



The differences in the development of the cabbages on the 

 different plots in the field, as afiected by the phosphates ap- 

 plied, became manifest at a very early date. The plants 

 were scarcely a week old before marked ditterences could be 

 seen; and the relative deveh)pment throughout the season, 

 as recorded after several examinations, was in about the 

 order indicated by the final yields, although most observers 

 ranked the crop on the phosphatic slag while growing rela- 

 tively higher than indicated by the final result. 



In estimating the significance of the results upon this 

 field, it is important to keep in mind the facts as regards the 

 character of the soil. It is what Avould be called a strong 

 and moderately heav}^ loam, and has great capacity to retain 

 moisture. The relatively insoluble phosi)hates are known 

 to jrive better results on soils of this character than on those 

 which are lighter and drier. 



