ANNUAL REPORT, 1935 9 



condition. The purpose of this project is to improve the performance of pumps 

 such as are now in use on cranberry bogs. Two pumps have been built and 

 tested, but the work has not progressed far enough to warrant a report at this 

 time. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY 



Walter S. Eisenmenger in Charge 



Pasture Experiments. (W. S. Eisenmenger.) Pasture plots in Hampshire 

 and Worcester counties were given different fertilizer treatments. Some re- 

 ceived a "complete fertilizer"; others were given applications of a single 

 material supplying nitrogen, phosphorus, or potasn. Pasture grasses re- 

 sponded best to the more complete fertilizer. During the early part of last 

 season when abundant rainfall occurred, potash seemed to induce a good 

 stand of white clover. During several seasons nitrogen increased growth more 

 frequently than any other single fertilizer material. The soils were all of the 

 Gloucester type, and therefore a fertilizer treatment was not fully effective 

 unless it included lime. 



Tobacco Projects. (W. S. Eisenmenger and M. E. Snell.) 

 Cropping Systems. The tobacco experiments reported in 1934 have been 

 continued during the past year with some modifications. The pH of the soil 

 was approximately 5. In order to eliminate as far as possible the effects of 

 black root-rot (Thielavia basicola), strains resistant to this disease were chosen 

 instead of the ordinary strain of Havana which had been used previously. 

 The following are the yields resulting from different treatments under the 

 same conditions of fertilization: 



Check plots without lime 2249 



Check plots with lime 2053 



Red top cover crop 2243 



Italian rye grass cover crop 2140 



Orchard grass cover crop 2175 



Tall meadow oat grass cover crop 2084 



Spinach cover crop 2079 



Manure, no cover crop 2275 



Manure and red top cover crop 2079 



Manure and red top hay 2384 



After red top hay 1945 



After red top and clover hay 2497 



After timothy hay 2143 



After timothy and clover hay 1898 



After potatoes 2303 



Corn stover applied 2312 



Third year tobacco plots 2330 



Methods of Applying Fertilizer. This is a continuation of the experiment start- 

 ed in 1932 to compare the relative effectiveness of fertilizers for tobacco when 

 broadcast and when placed in the row. The following yields were obtained: 



