220 



EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Jan. 



water soon becomes iron phosphate, which is well known as a 

 highly gelatinous precipitate when formed in dilute solutions. 

 Summarizing the composition of the bog water from the 

 analyses of September and October, 1911, we have the following 

 figures as the average composition of the water standing in 

 contact with the peat in a saturated condition. 



Table XL — Average Composition of Bog Water. 



[Parts in 100,000. 



Unfiltered. 



Filtered. 



Organic matter, 

 Inorganic matter, 

 Total nitrogen. 

 Free ammonia, 

 Nitrogen in nitrates. 

 Phosphoric acid. 

 Potash, 



79.2400 

 55.6500 

 3.2960 

 1.4500' 

 0.0417' 

 1.7720 

 5.1500 



31.8600 

 35.3600 

 2.0580 

 1.4500 

 0.0417 

 Traces. 

 5 . 1500 



This preliminary study does not throw much light on the 

 problem of fertilizing cranberry bogs. It points, however, to 

 certain conditions worthy of consideration in the use of ferti- 

 lizers. The cranberry crop does not draw heavily on the soil. 

 Its period of growth is, however, comparatively short, especially 

 if the flood water is retained late, and its soil volume is rela- 

 tively small when the water level is maintained near the surface. 

 Bog conditions do not favor nitrification and oxidation on ac- 

 count of the saturated soil and low temperature, hence the 

 bog water is low in active fertilizing constituents, especially 

 in nitrates. Therefore it is probable that small amounts of 

 soluble chemicals applied in the late spring would be effective 

 in stimulating growth. 



' Ammonia and nitrates averaged somewhat higher during this period than for the season as a 

 v.hole. 



