181)6.] PITBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 83. 17 



potash has produced the following increases, viz. : straw, 

 800 pounds ; grain, 4.5 bushels. Neither the nitrate of 

 soda nor the phosphate has been as beneficial. The muriate 

 of potash is most beneficial when used with both nitrate and 

 phosphate. The plat where all three were used produced an 

 increase of: straw, 2,480 pounds; grain, 15.4 bushels, as 

 compared with the nothings. Where manure at the rate of 

 five cords per acre has been applied every year for seven 

 years similar increases are: straw, 3,200 pounds; grain, 

 21.1 bushels. The grain raised on the fertilizer is better 

 than that raised on manure, and in general the size and 

 plumpness of berry were favorably afiected by potash. 



What WJiite Mustard teacJies. 



Soon after the rye was harvested the land was ploughed 

 and sown to white mustard, 40 pounds of seed being put in 

 on July 31 without additional fertilizer. The result was a 

 striking object lesson. Germination of the seed was quick 

 and even, but, except on the plats where manure or phos- 

 phate (dissolved bone-black), lime and plaster have been 

 applied, there was almost absolutely no growth. On the 

 manure and " complete" fertilizer plats growth was charac- 

 terized as good ; on the plats receiving respectively nitrate 

 of soda and dissolved bone-black, dissolved bone-black and 

 muriate of potash, and dissolved bone-black alone, it was 

 fair. On all others it was poor, though the plats which had 

 received lime and plaster made a little better showing than 

 the others. It will be noticed that where for seven years 

 we have been applying phosphate — even with nothing 

 else — the growth of the mustard was fair to good, while 

 elsewhere there was very little growth ; the plants simply 

 vegetated, and then stood still. This result is especially 

 significant upon this land, for, as shown in my description 

 of the soil test with rye, dissolved bone-black has not very 

 materially benefited either corn, oats, grass, clover or rye. 

 On the same land, then, we find corn, clover and rye re- 

 sponding most freely to potash application ; oats and grass, 

 to nitrate of soda ; and mustard, — a plant of an altogether 

 difierent order (the turnip and cabbage family), — to phos- 



