16 HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



extend the scope of our investigations. Besides the care 

 for all this work, ^\e have a grass garden including 48 

 species and 7 varieties, most of which occupy one square 

 rod each. Our work with poultry has followed the general 

 lines of investigation of earlier years, the principal subject 

 under investigation being the relations of dift'erent foods and 

 food combinations to egg production. A detailed report of 

 results obtained will be at this time presented for but a 

 small number of the experiments in progress. 



The principal subjects of inquiry discussed, and the more 

 important results, very briefly stated, are as follows : — 



I. — To determine the relative vahie of barnyard manure, 

 nitrate of soda, sulfate of annnonia and dried l)h)od, as 

 sources of nitrogen. The crop of this year was mixed oats 

 and })eas for hay ; and, on the basis of yield, the nitrogen- 

 furnishin": materials rank in the following order : nitrate of 

 soda, dried blood, sulfate of ammonia, and barnyard manure. 

 On the basis of increase, as compared with no-nitrogen 

 plots, taking into account all the crops grown since the ex- 

 periment began, the materials rank as follows : nitrate of 

 soda, 100 per cent. ; dried blood, 68.72 per cent. ; sulfate 

 of annnonia, (i0.78 i)er cent.; barnyard manure, 8(?.58 i)er 

 cent. 



II. — To determine the relative value of nuiriate as com- 

 pared with high-grade sulfate of potash for field cro})S. The 

 results of this year indicate the sulfate to be superior to the 

 muriate for clover, for rhubarb, and for blackberries. 



III. — To determine the relative value of different potash 

 salts for field crops. The salts under comparison are high- 

 grade sulfate, low-grade sulfate, kainite, muriate;, nitrate, 

 carbonate, and silicate. The crop of this year was soy 

 beans. The different })otash salts rank in th(> following 

 order : carbonate, high-grade sulfate, silicate, nitrate, muri- 

 ate, low-grade sulfate, and kainite. The crop where the 

 latter salt was used was by far the poorest in the fi(;ld, being 

 much lower than the crop of the plots to which no potash 

 has been applied for the past eight years. 



IV. — To determine the relative value in crop production 

 of a fertilizer mixture rich in potash, as compared with one 



