16 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



It is believed that all allowances in estimating the cost of corn 

 as grown in this field have been liberal. In many cases the fer- 

 tilizer has been purchased for considerably less than $18, and 

 can be so purchased for cash by the ordinary farmer. The labor 

 items are estimated at about what the farmer would be obliged 

 to pay for labor should he hire. The actual cost to the farmer 

 of team labor is undoubtedly less where he owns his own team. 

 Forty-five cents per bushel is much below the average price per 

 bushel at which corn is sold in our markets. It would seem, 

 therefore, to be perfectly clear that the farmer having land 

 suited to the croj) can in many cases much better afford to 

 raise corn than to purchase it. It is of course possible that in 

 some cases a man's land, capital and labor may be even more 

 profitably used in the production of other crops. 



Conclusions. — These experiments clearly indicate : — 



1. That corn can be produced at a profit in Massachusetts. 



2. That l)y the use of properly selected fertilizers and adop- 

 tion of a short rotation, making corn follow mixed grass and 

 clover, it appears to be unnecessary to use nitrogen fertilizers 

 in large amounts, at least on the better soils. 



3. That the soil used in these experiments is not declining 

 in fertility, but, on the other hand, appears to be gradually 

 improving. 



4. That both corn and hay can be profitably raised, at least 

 on soils of good physical characteristics, by the use of fertilizers 

 only. 



5. The writer would not have the reader conclude that the 

 particular selection of fertilizers used throughout the greater 

 portion of the time during which this experiment has continued 

 will necessarily be the best under all conditions. Indeed, in 

 the light of all his previous experience in the selection of fer- 

 tilizers he would now be inclined to recommend the following 

 selection of materials as well suited for average conditions: — 



to 



I'ounds per Acre. 

 Nitrate of soda, 150 



Dry ground fish, or hio'h-gi'adp tankage, 

 Acid i)hosphate, . . . . . 

 Basic slag meal, ..... 

 High-grade sulfate of potash, 



200 

 200 

 400 

 200 



