16 HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



nitrate of soda are: stover, 407 pounds; grain, 9.1 bushels. 

 For phosphate (dissolved bone-black) there has been abso- 

 lutely no average increase ; the crops where this has been 

 applied have been in fact a very little less in every instance 

 except one where it has been used. 



On the farm of Mr. Dole in Shelburne the soil test work 

 was begun in 1889 and has continued seven years. The 

 crops in order of succession have been corn, corn, potatoes, 

 oats, grass and clover, grass and clover, and corn (1895). 

 Shelburne is the only place in the State where soil test work 

 with corn as the crop has been carried on which has not 

 indicated potash to be most largely required. The results 

 have been less decisive than in most places, but have indi- 

 cated phosphate (dissolved bone-black) to be most useful in 

 former 3'ears. The past season nitrate of soda appears to 

 have been most useful to the corn crop ; but there is strong 

 reason for believing that Mr. Dole, in placing the unhusked 

 corn in the barn, made mistakes in marking the several 

 bunches of material ; and I regret to say that the figures 

 are such that I believe deductions therefrom would be unre- 

 liable. 



Rye. 



The acre upon our home grounds which has been seven 

 years under soil test experiments has this year been in win- 

 ter rye which was sown in October, 1894. In rye we have 

 a crop with a long period of growth which is notable for its 

 ability to extract its food from a poor soil. It was to be 

 expected, therefore, that the differences produced by the fer- 

 tilizer treatment would be less than with crops such as corn, 

 potatoes and oats. This has been the case ; but still the 

 results speak in no uncertain tone. The succession of crops 

 upon this acre has been corn, corn, oats, grass and clover, 

 grass and clover, corn and rye. For the corn, the muriate 

 of potash has been most useful ; for the oats and grass, 

 nitrate of soda ; for the clover, muriate of potash. This 

 season the average yield of the nothing plats has been : 

 straw, 1,700 pounds; grain, 12.1 bushels. The muriate 

 of potash alone has increased the straw 400 pounds, and 

 the grain 4,1 bushels. On the average, the muriate of 



