24 EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 351 



This would seem to indicate that with normal fertilizer supplies fertilizers 

 could often be substituted for tillage in maintaining hay yields. 



In treatment 6, plots which had been treated with manure in 1936 

 and half of which had received an annual application of superphosphate, 

 a change in treatment to a complete fertilizer raised the yield from an 

 average of 2998 pounds to 4571 pounds per acre. Of equal significance 

 is what happens to the stand. If top-dressmg will induce clovers to volun- 

 teer in the stand for the 2, 4, 5, and 6 treatments, where no clover existed 

 prior to the change in treatments, there is evidence that a big step has 

 been taken toward a grassland farming system. 



The department of Agricultural and Biological Chemistry continues 

 to cooperate in this new project. Greenhouse comparison of potassium 

 metaphosphate and nitrate of soda with an equivalent amount of potas- 

 sium chloride, 20 per cent superphosphate and nitrate of soda was con- 

 tinued with second, third, and fourth crops of corn grown without addi- 

 tional fertilizer treatment. The second crop showed that both treatments 

 gave significant increases over the check, but did not differ significantly 

 from each other. The third crop gave no significant difference, either be- 

 tween treatments or treatments and check. However, the potassium 

 metaphosphate plots showed less potassium deficiency. The fourth crop, 

 still growmg, showed about equal amounts of potassium deficiency on all 

 pots with the poorest growth on the check plots. 



Soil samples were taken by levels from some of the field plots in or- 

 der to determine the potash levels. Near virgin soil was taken from out- 

 side the plots and hybrid corn was grown in the greenhouse in gallon 

 pots. Equivalent amounts of postassium chloride, potassium sulphate, and 

 potassium metaphosphate were compared with an equivalent amount of 

 complete fertilizer. Potassium deficiency was apparent in all plants, but 

 both the sulphate and metaphosphate samples gave significant increases 

 in dry matter over the check plots. 



F. S. Prince, P. T. Blood, G. P. Percival 



Variety Trials with Small Grains in Northern New Hampshire 



Variety tests with oats were continued in 1942 on the Coffin field 

 which is under lease by the Experiment Station and is representative of 

 farmlands in northern New Hampshire. Based on data from the 1941 

 test, the better varieties were retained and the poorer, or those which 

 showed no promise, were discarded, and new varieties were introduced. 

 Notes were made on yields and growth characteristics of each variety par- 

 ticularly lodging, state of maturing, shattering, and condition of straw. 



A few varieties which rank particularly high in yield in 1941 also 

 yielded well in 1942. The difference between the lowest and highest 

 yielding varieties in 1942 is approximately equal to the difference in 1941. 

 The wide spread in yield noted both years indicates the importance in 

 choosing an oat variety. It is quite possible that the elevation (1700 feet) 

 has considerable influence on the behavior of the different varieties. 



Oat variety tests are being continued in 1943 with the view of having 

 co-operative farmers in this area multiply seed of the Upright and Erban 

 oat varieties. 



