57 



the fall or winter, with from ten to twelve tons per Food for 

 acre, and apply previous to planting or setting the - 

 plants (in many cases the plants are Methodg of 

 started in the plant-house), a fertilizer p rac ti ce . 

 rich in phosphoric acid and potash, 

 also containing organic forms of Nitrogen. At time of 

 planting use a compost in the hill, and use the Nitrate 

 as a side dressing after the corn is well rooted. The 

 advantage of the compost and organic forms of Nitro- 

 gen is that they supply the soil with an abundance of 

 readily fermentable material, which, to some extent, 

 warms the soil, besides containing substances useful in 

 later stages of growth. Nitrate may be applied in 

 three dressings, at the rate of 100 pounds per acre in 

 each dressing, and the dressings should be so distributed 

 as to cover the season of growth — that is, as soon as 

 plants begin to form ears the last application of Nitro- 

 gen may be made, which encourages a quick growth of 

 the ears and also makes them much larger. The in- 

 creased gains per acre when the Nitrate has been used 

 in this way have ranged from $18 to $40— a very 

 profitable use of Nitrogen, as the gain is really in 

 excess of that which would be obtained by average 

 methods of manuring. 



Soils suitable for the growth of Muskmolons 

 muskmelons are prelerabiy light, sandy 

 loams, not naturally well supplied with any of the con- 

 stituents of plant growth. The crop does not require 

 large quantities of plant-food, but must have the 

 needed amount in available form early in the season. 

 Experiments that have been conducted through several 

 seasons show that the best form of Nitrogen for this 

 crop is the Nitrate, and that preferably two applica- 

 tions should be made. The increase in yield from the 

 addition of Nitrate of Soda has averaged, practically, 

 100 per cent., with an average increased value of crop 

 of $100 per acre. The increased value is obtained be- 

 cause of a large crop of finer quality, as a very marked 

 influence of the added nitrogenous substance is noticed 

 in marketable quality of the total crop, reducing very 

 materially the percentage of culls. The experiments 

 showed that, while the percentage of culls, where no 



