232 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 194. 



The field is part of a sandy plain in the area drained by the Concord 

 River, a tributary of the Merrimac, and its soils would probably be classed 

 with the Merrimac Series described by the United States Bureau of Soils. ^ 

 It consists of a coarse, sandy loam about 2 feet in depth, underlaid by 

 several feet of sand and gravel, as shown by a railroad cut about 200 

 5'ards distant from the plots. 



The land was cleared of bushes, and in May, 1906, it was plowed, the 

 soil being turned over to a depth of 8 to 9 inches. The field was repeatedly 

 harrowed with a disc harrow to pulverize the turf and kill the weeds. 

 Late in June an application of fertilizers was made to each acre, con- 

 sisting of — 



Pounds. 

 Fine ground bone, . .......... 1,000 



Acid phosphate, .......... 600 



Muriate of potash, .......... 350 



JSIitrate of soda, . . . ' . . . . . . . . 150 



The fertilizers were thoroughly mixed with the soil by the harrow. 

 About two weeks later 2,000 pounds of agricultural lime per acre were 

 applied and harrowed in. 



Just after the middle of July buckwheat was sown. The crop made a 

 vigorous growth and reached a height of 36 to 42 inches when in full 

 bloom, about the third week in September, at which time it was plowed 

 under. After harrowing the field it was sown with winter rye and rolled, 

 which completed the work on the field for the year. 



In April, 1907, the rye was plowed under, the field was harrowed and 

 rolled, and then laid out in plots for the experiment. 



Forty plots of one-twentieth acre each were arranged in two parallel 

 groups of 20 plots. Each one measured 129 feet in length by 16 feet, 

 10.5 inches in width, and was separated from the adjacent plots by divi- 

 sion strips which measured 5 feet, 1.5 inches in width. Each plot con- 

 tained five rows of plants which were set 30 inches apart in the row, thus 

 permitting 250 plants per plot, or 5,000 per acre. Each division strip 

 also had a row of plants through the center, by which arrangement all 

 rows on the plots were under closely similar conditions of space and light 

 for their development. 



The plants were grown by Mr. Frank Wheeler of Concord from a strain 

 of Giant Argenteuil which had been selected by him for its vigorous growth 

 and resistance to rust. They were one year old and exceptionally large 

 and strong. The crowns were placed in the furrows at a depth of 6 inches 

 below the level surface of the field. After the plants were set the first 

 lot of fertilizers prescribed by the experiment for each plot was applied. 

 The description of these fertilizers will be given later when the results 

 of the experiment are considered. 



Practically all the plants lived and made a vigorous start. Their 

 growth throughout the season was strong, and numerous stalks attained 



» U. S. Dopt. Agr., Bur. of Soils, 8th Rept. (1906), pp. 57-63; Bui. No. 55 (1909), p. 158. 



