Food for straw, thus showing a wide variation in the character of the 

 ^"^^ soils used and in seasons, making the average of the results 

 ^38 generally applicable. 



The gain in yield of grain ranged from 25.9 to 100 per 

 cent., while that of straw ranged from 54 to 100 per cent., 

 or an average of 60.8 per cent, increase in the case of the grain, 

 and 83.8 per cent, increase in the case of the straw. The value 

 of these increased yields, at average prices, shows a largfe 

 profit in all cases. Applying this to the average yield per 

 acre of wheat and straw, namely, thirteen bushels of wheat 

 and 1,600 pounds of straw for the Eastern and Southern 

 States included in our discussion, we find a gain of 7.9 

 bushels of wheat and 1,340 pounds of straw, and a valuation 

 of seventy-five cents per bushel for wheat and $6 per ton for 

 straw, which prices probably represent the average, though 

 not as high as are now prevailing, the total value of the 

 increase is 1^9.95, or a net gain of $6.20 per acre, using the 

 high price of $50 per ton for the Nitrate of Soda. The 

 profit here indicated is a good one and should make wheat 

 raising more encouraging, besides stimulating the farmer to 

 better practice in other directions. The calculated yields 

 from the use of Nitrate are not unreasonable to expect, since 

 on good wheat soils and with fairly good management, with- 

 out the additional Nitrate, the average yield is over twenty 

 bushels per acre. 



-,, . ^ In reference to the second question, as to 



The Amount , u at- u n u r j 1 



. . , how much INitrate shall be applied, the 



to Apply. . II -1 • 1 



experiments show that on soils in a good 



state of cultivation, those that will produce from, say, fifteen 

 bushels per acre, without top-dressing, 150 pounds per acre, 

 the average amount used in the experiments, would be the 

 most useful; though, on poorer soils, which would average 

 ten to twelve bushels per acre, 100 pounds would be better, 

 for the reasons already discussed in the case of hay. 



On better soils, where quantities larger- than 150 pounds 

 per acre seem desirable, it is strongly recommended that two 

 applications of equal weight be made; the first, when the 

 plants have well started, and the second, when the crop is 

 coming in head. Very often the season is such as to encour- 

 age a rapid change of the insoluble Nitrogen in the soil, in 

 which case too large an application in the spring would tend 

 toward an undue development of leaf and the ripening would 



