1912.1 PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 37 



REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURIST. 



WM. P. UltOOKS. 



As has been the case for many years, the problems which 

 have chiefly engaged the attention of the department of agri- 

 culture during the past year are such as are connected with the 

 selection, adaptations, and methods of application of manures 

 and fertilizers. In most cases a definite and uniform plan of 

 ex})erinient has been followed for a considerable nnnd)cr of 

 years. The work will not be reported in detail, but attention is 

 called to a few of the more striking results. 



I. Comparison of Diffekekt Materials as a Source of 

 I^iTROGEN (Field A). 



The diflferent materials under comparison are manure, one 

 plot ; nitrate of soda, two plots ; dried blood, two plots ; and sul- 

 fate of ammonia, three plots. In the case of both nitrate of 

 soda and dried blood one of the two plots ^ecei^'es muriate as a 

 source of potash; the other, high-grade sulfate.' The sulfate of 

 ammonia is used on two ])lots in connection with muriate, and 

 on one in connection with sulfate of potash. The field contains 

 three no-nitrogen plots, on two of which muriate is used as a 

 source of potash ; on the other, high-grade sulfate. All the 

 plots in the field receive an equal liberal application of dis- 

 solved bone black as a source of phos]ihoric acid, while all the 

 different materials furnishing either nitrogen or potash are 

 used on the different plots in such amounts as to furnish, re- 

 spectively, equal quantities per plot of nitrogen and of potash. 



The crops grown in this experiment in the order of their suc- 

 cession have been: oats, rye, soy beans, oats, soy beans, oats, 



