18 



N. H. Agr. Experiment Station 



[Bulletin 306 



10-20-20 fertilizer, which apparently carries more phosphoric acid and 

 potash than grass hay needs. 



The same may be said of the O'Kane farm work where one of the 

 principal objects of the study was to determine whether grass hay re- 

 sponded more to phospliorie acid or to potash. Hence an excess of each 

 of these elements was applied. 



Table XIX. Cost and efficiency comparisons of fertilizers used on 



O'Kane farm. 



In the test in which Ammo Phos and nitrate of potash were compared 

 with a mixture of the two substances and with nitrogen alone, the only 

 treatment in which the returns were commensurate with the expense 

 was that for the Ammo Phos-nitrate of potash combination, in which 

 case each dollar invested returned $1.06 and the hay increase cost $11.38 

 for fertilizer alone. This was doubtless due to the balance of phosphoric 

 acid and potash in the mixture as well as to the balance between tlie two 

 nitrogen carriers. 



Both nitrate of soda and cyanamid in the fall and spring applica- 

 tions were used at a profit based on these calculations, the nitrate of soda 

 returning $1.80 for each dollar spent, tlie cyanamid $1.10. The heavy 

 application of complete fertilizer, although it produced a nice increase 

 in liay, failed to return a dollar for each one spent for fertilizer. 



It thus becomes apparent that in top-dressing work the margin of 

 profit is likely to be quite narrow when considered from the standpoint 

 oi yichls alone; and in orch'i- to profit by the operation, a farmer needs 

 to liave as much prior information as he can get relative to the needs of 

 his soil as revealed l)y a soil test, as well as information regarding the 

 crop itself, and the past history of the soil in question. 



Cutting Grass Hay at Different Dates 



A preliminary report on yields and protein analyses of hay cut at ten- 

 day intervals from June 10 to Julv 30 was published in ]\Iav 1933 under 

 the title of "Studies of Feed Value of Early Cut Hay" (N."H. Sta. Circ. 

 41). Tliis publication conlaincd (hita covering lliree years" wock on 

 the plots that will now be discussed. 



The summary presented in Circular 41 is supported in genei-al by 

 this snbscquent work. Ri-icfly. this sinninai'v states. "Karly cnt grass 

 hay f'jirrit's a greater percentage of iirotein and more protein j)er acre 

 than later cuttings. 



"Second crop yields are larger when the first crop is cut early. 



