34 EXrEULAlEXT STATION. [Jan. 



REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURIST. 



WM. P. BROOKS. 



The work in tlic (Icpartiiieiit of agriculture during the past 

 year has been of abont the usual scope and extent. The i)r<)l> 

 lenis which are being investigated are for the most ])art related 

 to questions connected with the maintenance of fertility. Vari- 

 ous questions connected with the selection, adaptation and 

 methods of application of manures and fertilizers are being in- 

 vestigated. Most of our experiments have continued for a con- 

 siderable number of years. Some indication is afforded of the 

 amount of Avork in progress by the following statements. The 

 nundjer of field jdots on the station grounds used in ex})eriments 

 the past year was 356. Our vegetation experiments have in- 

 volved the use of 352 pots ; while as a check upon the work in 

 the open field, and as a method of throwing light upon a few 

 special problems, 167 closed plots have been used. 



]^o attempt will be made in this report to discuss the work in 

 detail. Attention is called, however, to a few of the more strik- 

 ing results. 



I. COAIPAKISONS OF DlFrEKP:KT IMaTEKIALS AS A SoUKCE OF 



NlTKOGEN. 



These experiments, which are carried on in Field A, were 

 begun in 181)0. The nuiterials under comparison as sources of 

 nitrogen are manure, one ]ilot ; nitrate of soda, two ])lots ; dried 

 blood, two plots; and sulfate of annuonia. three plots. Xitrate 

 of soda and dried blood are used on one plot Avith muriate of 

 potash; on the other with sulfate. The sulfate of ammonia is 

 used on two plots in connection with muriate and on one in con- 

 nection with sulfate of potash. 



