1904.] public; document — No. 33. 149 



yield than tlu- north hiiH". The yield of the wiiiter-nianui-ed 

 portion for each 3'ear bein<T^ considered 100 for the several 

 })lots, the yields of" the s])rin<j;-nianure(l portion of the same 

 plots has varied in th(^ different years as follows: in 1900, 

 from 103 to 125; in 1901, from 118 to 177 ; in 1902, from 

 practical equality in two cases to 150. This year, it Avill b(; 

 noted, there is but little difference in the yields under the 

 two systems of maiuiring, and the advantage is on the side 

 of the winter a})plication. The winter ai)plication considered 

 as 100 as in ])revious years, the yields for the spring a})pli- 

 cation of manures has varied as follows : for the beans, 82.4(i 

 to 10(j.87 ; for the straw, 81.39 to 118.71 ; and for the green 

 forage, 89.72 to 120.(i7. 



In attempting to understand the reasons for such differ- 

 ences as have been noted in the different years, we find, on 

 a study of the weather conditions, that those of the wint(!r 

 of 1902 and 1903 were for this locality quite exceptional. 

 A heavy snowfall came during the first week in December, 

 at which time the ground was not frozen. This snow, Avitli 

 occasional additions from time to time, though sometimes 

 wasting to some extent, lay upon the ground throughout the 

 winter in sufficient amount to ])revent the ground from freez- 

 ing. The winter was without those frequent sudden thaws, 

 accompanied by heavy rains, which with frozen ground lead 

 to excessive washing. So r(!markable was the winter that 

 the roots of one of our exceptionally hardy summer crops, 

 dwarf P^ssex rape, came out in the spring uninjured, and 

 with the approach of warm weather sprouted and made vig- 

 orous gi'owth. Under such conditions it is not stranger that 

 loss of the soluble plant food constituents of the manure 

 spread upon the surface took place to a very slight extent, 

 if at all. Could we depend upon such winters as the last, 

 the })ractice of s})reading manure and leaving it upon the 

 surface during the winter would undoubtedly be wise, as it 

 saves on the cost of handling; but, as every one familiar 

 with our climate understands, such winters cannot be de- 

 pended upon, and accordingly the weight of evidence in our 

 experiments is still in favor of hauling the manure into heaps, 

 to remain over winter and to be spread in the spring. 



