tions have a tendency to disproportionately increase leaf Food for 

 growth and retard heading. The most remarkable effect of Plants 

 the Nitrate is shown in the influence it exerts upon the mar- 53 

 ketable quality of the crop. In the experiments conducted 

 the addition of Nitrate resulted in more than doubling the 

 value of those heads which were marketable that is, where 

 no Nitrate was applied, $i per hundred was received, and 

 where 400 pounds of Nitrate were used the price was $2.50 

 per hundred. These results suggest a reason for the lack 

 of success of many growers, who depend solely upon appli- 

 cations of mixed fertilizers. 



On soils well adapted for the crop 

 medium sandy loams the land should be Methods of 

 plowed early and well cultivated. If ma- Application, 

 nures are readily attainable, a dressing of ten tons per acre 

 may be applied and well worked into the soil; previous to 

 setting the plants a fertilizer rich in Nitrogen, one containing 

 6 to 7 ammonia, 6 to 8 phosphoric acid, and 6 to 8 potash, 

 should be applied, preferably broadcast, at the rate of 800 

 to 1,000 pounds per acre. At the time of setting, or very 

 shortly after, Nitrate of Soda, at the rate of 200 pounds per 

 acre, should be applied, preferably along the row, and culti- 

 vated in ; this followed two or three weeks later with a second 

 dressing of 200 pounds. The effect of these applications 

 that is, the presence of an abundance of available Nitrogen 

 will be to stimulate and strengthen the plant, so that it will 

 make use of all of the other food in the soil, and be able to 

 overcome, in a great degree, any unfavorable conditions that 

 may prevail later in the season. The natural tendency of 

 the plant to absorb food is gratified, and a maximum crop 

 is the result. 



This is a crop of very considerable im- 

 portance in market garden districts, and in early 1 able 

 certain sections is very profitable. The iurnips. 

 profit, other things being equal, is measured by the earliness 

 with which the crop may be gotten into the market. Owing 

 to the fact that the crop is planted very early, often before 

 the weather is settled, heavy dressings of soluble Nitrogen 

 at time of planting would be liable to considerable loss from 

 leaching. Hence fractional dressings have proved the most 

 satisfactory. The gains obtained in the experiments from 



