50 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



vnth a mixed crop, grass and clover, representing Gramineae 

 and Legiiminosse, the largest increase on any phosphate is 

 only about 17 per cent. In other words, when cabbages were 

 the crop, the increase w^s in some instances as great as 500 

 per cent., or nearly thirty times as great as this year. 



VII. — Soil Tests. 

 Two soil tests have been carried out during the past year, 

 both in continuation of previous tests upon the same fields. 

 In these tests fertilizers have been applied in accordance 

 with the co-operative plan for soil tests. Each plot annu- 

 ally receives an application of the same kind or kinds of 

 fertilizers, and usually in the same amounts for each of the 

 plots from year to year. Particular attention is called to 

 the fact that this system of fertilization is not expected to 

 secure the production of heavy crops. It does throw impor- 

 tant light upon the specific effects of the different leading 

 elements of plant food by themselves and in combination on 

 the crops which are grown in succeeding years. Every fer- 

 tilizer used, whether applied by itself or in connection with 

 one or both of the other fertilizer materials, is always applied 

 in the same quantities ; and both fertilizers and manure, 

 when the latter is introduced for purposes of comparison, are 

 always applied broadcast after plowing, and harrowed in 

 when a hoed crop is to be grown. When mixed hay is the 

 crop the materials are applied broadcast, and must of course 

 be left on the surface. The kinds of fertilizers and the rates 

 per acre are as follows : — 



Nitrate of soda, 160 pounds, furnishing nitrogen. 



Dissolved bone black, 320 pounds, furnishing phosphoric acid. 



Muriate of potash, 160 pounds, furnishmg potash. 



Land plaster, 400 pounds. 



Lime, 800 pounds. 



Manure, 5 cords. 



The germination of the soy beans on the north acre was 

 very irregular. The stand of plants as a consequence was 

 so uneven that the results do not indicate with any clearness 

 the effect of the different fertilizers. The figures will not, 

 therefore, be reported in detail. The results, however, clearly 



