38 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



There would seem to be little doubt, therefore, that this ma- 

 terial must be regarded as one of the most satisfactory of the 

 nitrogen fertilizers, and since it can usually be purchased at 

 a lower average cost per unit of nitrogen than other fertilizers 

 containing that element, it would seem to be the part of wisdom 

 to use it as largely as soil and crop conditions will permit. 



11. The experiments on Field B, for determining the rela- 

 tive value for different crops of the muriate and high-grade sul- 

 fate of potash when used in equal amounts, have been con- 

 tinued. These experiments began in 1892. Five pairs of plots 

 are under comparison. Up to 1899 the potash salts were used 

 in quantities (varying in different years, but always in equal 

 amounts on the two members of pairs of plots) ranging from 

 350 to 400 pounds per acre. Since 1900 the quantity used has 

 been uniform on all the plots, and at the rate of 250 pounds per 

 acre annually. In connection with the potash we have used the 

 same amount of fine ground bone annually for each plot through- 

 out the entire period of the experiment. The rate of aj^plication 

 of the bone is 600 pounds per acre. The season of 1909 is the 

 eighteenth year of these experiments. The crops during that 

 year were corn on two pairs of plots, asparagus and rhubarb oc- 

 cupying each a portion of one pair of plots, raspberries and 

 blackberries each occupying a portion of one pair, carrots on one 

 pair of plots and cabbages on the other. The yield of berries 

 was very small, on account of serious winterkilling. This was 

 less on the sulfate of potash than on the muriate. On both pairs 

 of plots occupied by corn the sulfate gave a heavier yield of 

 grain, while the muriate gave a larger yield of stover. The dif- 

 ference in favor of the grain amounted to about 5 bushels. The 

 difference in stover in favor of the muriate was at the rate of 

 about 600 pounds per acre. The asparagus gave much the 

 heavier crop on the muriate, at the rate of 6,002 pounds per 

 acre on that salt against 3,257 pounds on the sulfate. The 

 rhubarb gave a crop at the rate of 22,786 pounds per acre of 

 stalks on the muriate and 28,349 pounds on the sulfate. The 

 carrots gave a better yield on the sulfate, at the rate of 822.4 

 bushels per acre against 799.1 bushels on the muriate. The 

 cabbages gave much the larger yield of hard heads on the sul- 

 fate, the figures being at the following rates per acre : — 



