1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 15 



KEPORT OF THE AGRICULTURISTS. 



WM. P. BROOKS; ASSISTANTS, F. K. CHURCH, S. B. HASKELL. 



The work of the agricultural dopartinent for the past year 

 has closely followed the lines of recent years. The leading 

 object of our work is, by long-continued comparative ex- 

 periments, to throw light upon some of the many problems 

 connected with the use of manures and fertilizers. The 

 results of a single year may be of value as a guide to prac- 

 tice, but it is important to know concerning any given sys- 

 tem, not alone the immediate eifect upon the crop, but the 

 ultimate effect upon the soil as well. This is made manifest 

 only by continued manuring along definite lines. Thus, by 

 long-continued comparison of different materials which may 

 be used respectively as sources of any given plant food 

 element, we may hope to determine their real and aver- 

 age relative value, and, by suitable rotation of crops, their 

 relative suitability also for diff'erent plants. By continued 

 experiment along definite lines in successive years we may 

 hope, moreover, to discover the relation of season to the 

 fertilizer efficiency of the different fertilizer materials under 

 comparison. With definite knowledge concerning immediate 

 effect upon the crop, ultimate effect upon the soil and differ- 

 ences in eff'ect due to variations in seasons, we shall be in a 

 position to give advice of value both to the farmer seeking 

 to produce crops at lowest cost and to the fertilizer manu- 

 facturer. The work carried on in the department during 

 the past season has involved the care of 244 field plots in 

 our various fertilizer and variety tests, 150 closed plots 

 and 245 pots in vegetation experiments. The work in the 

 closed plots and the vegetation experiments serve as valuable 

 checks upon the accuracy of field work, and enable us to 



