22 a EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



whether artificial methods of increasing the effectiveness of this 

 parasite can be discovered. 



The fertilizer experiments have been continued, and this year 

 with distinctly favorable results following the application of 

 the fertilizers, especially that of the nitrate of soda. The in- 

 creases in yield appear to be due to an increase in the propor- 

 tion of blossoms which set rather than to an increase in size of 

 the berries. Storage tests indicate a slightly impaired keeping- 

 quality in the product from fertilized plots. Whether, however, 

 this is connected with a gi^eater percentage of decay or to a 

 greater proportion of loss of water from the more succulent 

 fruit has not been determined. 



INVESTIGATION. 

 The department reports which follow present a general de- 

 scription of the principal experimental work in each, and to 

 these reports reference should be made for detailed information. 



Agricultukal Department. 



The agricultural department has published one bulletin, 'No. 

 162, " Phosphates in Massachusetts Agriculture." This will be 

 found in Part II. of this report. The results presented in this 

 bulletin indicate clearly that dissolved rather than natural rock 

 phosphates should generally be employed in Massachusetts 

 agriculture. 



The experiments for comparison of different materials as 

 sources of nitrogen used with and without lime indicate a very 

 marked difference in relative effectiveness, especially of the sul- 

 fate of ammonia, which Avithout lime does not increase such 

 crops as clover, while with lime it compares favorably with any 

 of the other nitrogen materials. With nitrate of soda, on the 

 other hand, the growth of clover on the unlimed portion of the 

 plots appears to be substantially as good as on the portion of 

 the plots which has been heavily limed. These differences, as 

 will be readily understood, are due in the case of the sulfate of 

 ammonia to the residual acid left in the soil, and in the case of 

 the nitrate of soda to the residual alkali, which renders the use 

 of lime comparatively unnecessary. 



