274 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



etc.). Lettuce and Keir Zealand spinach were used for the 

 observation. 



The relative proportion of fertilizer applied was : of 

 potassium oxide, 3 parts ; of phosi)horic acid, 1 part ; and 

 of nitroo^en, 1 part. The percentage of the diflerent ingre- 

 dients added to the soil was as follows : — 



Per Cent. 



Potassium oxide, 00U26 



riiosphoric acid, 00009 



Nitrogen, 00009 



The lettuce seeded in the boxes containing muriate of 

 potash as the potash source proved a complete failure, as 

 the 3"oung plants attained a height of only one and one- 

 half inches, the color of the leaves changed into various 

 shades of red, and growth ceased. In the other boxes the 

 results were less striking, but the most satisfactory growth 

 was obtained in those boxes in which sulphate of potash 

 or sulphate of potash-magnesia furnished the source of 

 potash. 



Less marked was the difference in growth of the New 

 Zealand spinach, the plants growing in the boxes containing 

 muriate of potash being at first less vigorous ; the difference 

 in the yield at the close of the experiment was not so marked, 

 except in regard to the time required to reach perfection. 

 The most striking fiict noticed with regard to these prelimi- 

 nary experiments was the apparently injurious effect of 

 muriate of potash on lettuce. This result induced me to 

 repeat the experiment in the vegetation house during the 

 winter of 1893-94 (see annual report). 



The soil turned to account during that season was obtained 

 two feet below the surface of an abandoned pasture, which 

 had not received any addition of manurial matter from an 

 outside source for man}' years. The soil Avas screened, thus 

 being freed from coarse material of every description. It 

 consisted of a light loam. Twelve boxes (marked from 1 to 

 12), corresponding in size to those of the previous year (32 

 by 32 by 8 inches), were employed, each containing about 

 three hundred j^ounds of the soil, being filled to within one 



