NITRATE TEST Food for 



At Kentucky Experiment Station. 



BULLETIN 99. 



The oats in this experiment were sown in April and 

 harvested in July. Plot No. i was one acre in area; the 

 others were one-half acre each. 



No fertilizer, yield, 27.5 bushels. 



1 60 Ibs. Nitrate of Soda, yield, 37.1 bushels. 



An authenticated experiment made by Mr. P. Dickson, 

 of Barnhill, Laurencekirk, N. B., gave a return from the 

 use of 1 12 pounds of Nitrate of Soda of 64 bushels per acre, 

 while the soil without Nitrate gave a crop of only 36 bushels. 

 Top-dressings for oats should average 100 pounds to the 

 acre. 



It should always be applied some ten days after the 

 young plants have broken ground. 



Rye. 



This is another illustration of the necessity of care in 

 the use of fertilizer Nitrogen. Rye does best on lighter soils 

 so long as they are not too sandy, but if the soil is rich ii vege- 

 table matter, or if a fertilizer is used containing much organic 

 ammoniate, the grain yield will be disappointing; the crop 

 fails to mature in season because the Nitration of organic 

 Nitrogen or humus is greatest during the warm days of mid- 

 summer, and a constant supply of available Nitrate is being 

 furnished at a time when the crop should commence to ma- 

 ture. The crop needs Nitrate, but it should have been sup- 

 plied during the earlier stages of growth. Use at first a gen- 

 eral fertilizer, 500 pounds per acre. Top Dress as soon as 

 the crop shows growth in the spring with 100 pounds of 

 Nitrate of Soda to the acre, broadcast. 



Buckwheat. 



This crop does well on almost all kinds of soil, but 

 should follow a grain or hoed crop that is, a clean cultiva- 

 tion crop. On thin soils use about 400 pounds of general fer- 

 tilizer to the acre, applied just before seeding, or even with 

 the seed. Heavy soils do not require fertilizing for this crop, 



