1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 65 



The crops started in the spring upon the " plain " inchide 

 field peas, alfalfa, alsike clover and common red clover. 

 The peas were harvested early in August. The yields of 

 the several plots were very small, and showed no favorable 

 influence from the nitragin. Of all the other crops, it can 

 be reported to-day that the general condition is poor ; that 

 the best condition is to be found in every case upon Plot 5 

 (supplied with availalJe fertilizer nitrogen), and that the 

 crop upon mineral fertilizers with nitragin (4) ap})ears 

 somewhat better than the corresponding plot (3) without 

 nitragin. Between plots 1 and 2 there appears to be no 

 appreciable difference. 



Upon our home grounds the field pea with nitragin ga\'e 

 a slightly l)etter cro}) on mineral fertilizers alone than on 

 mineral fertilizers without nitragin. Alfalfji upon mineral 

 fertilizers and nitragin now looks better than on the same 

 fertilizers without nitragin. It will be seen, then, that thus 

 far the experiments of this season afford indications that 

 some slight benefit has followed the use of this germ fer- 

 tilizer.* Of the crops sown in late summer it is as yet too 

 early to report. 



Fertilizers for Garden Crops. 

 This series of experiments, begun in 1891, was originally 

 intended to test the value for the different garden crops of 

 nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia and dried blood as 

 sources of nitrogen ; but in the second year it Avas made 

 to include also a comparison of muriate with sulphate of 

 potash, each used with each of the three nitrogen fertilizers, 

 for the same class of crops. Dissolved bone-black has l)een 

 applied equally to all the plots from the first. The number 

 of plots and the fertilizers annually applied to each up to 

 the present year are shown in the following table : — 



* It may be useful, th()u?h this fact lias already many times been pointed out, to 

 remark here that a third, and often very satisfactory, metliod of securing a stock 

 of nodular bacteria consists in taking eartli from soil where the crop under trial 

 flourishes, and incorporating a little, as one might fertilizer, with the soil where 

 the tew crop is to be grown. Thi8 method is now under trial here with alfalfa 

 with soil from Kansas. 



