A standard brand of commercial fertilizers was selected ^^^^^J""' 

 and a mixture equal in fertilizing value to 250 pounds was ^"^^ 

 prepared. This required 32 pounds of Nitrate of Soda, 25 *^ 

 pounds muriate of potash, and 137 pounds of dissolved 

 phosphate rock. The six plots of the experiment received 

 applications as follows : 

 Plot I. — Nothing. 



Plot 2. — 147 pounds mixture plus 24 pounds Nitrate Soda. 

 Plot 3. — 147 pounds mixture plus 103 pounds dissolved 



phosphate rock. 

 Plot 4. — 147 pounds mixture plus 20 pounds muriate of 



potash. 

 Plot 5. — 195 pounds mixture. 

 Plot 6. — 250 pounds commercial fertilizer. 



It will be seen by the above that Plots 2, 3 and 4 re- 

 ceived but three-fourths of the mixture as applied to Plot 

 5 ; the other fourth being supplied by doubling the amount 

 of Nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash respectively. 



The yields of beets, percentage of sugar, and pounds of 

 sugar per acre are given in the following table : 



. . Per cent. Sugar 



Plot. FERTILIZERS. 'f e . *"Sar per Acre. 



per Acre. ^^ Beets. "^ 



Pounds. Pounds. 



1 Nothing 16,793 15-98 2,709 



2 Excessive Nitrate Nitrogen 2,5,098 16.23 4,083 



3 Excessive Phosphoric Acid 32,,843 'S^^S S.^^i 



4 Excessive Potash 21,817 15-64 3,412. 



5 Normal Home Mixture 18,900 17.04 3,2.20 



6 Commercial Fertilizer I7,740 1566 ^,77^ 



These figures show decidedly in favor of increasing the 

 Nitrogen content of the sugar beet fertilizers. Not only is 

 the yield of beets greater, but the percentage of sugar is 

 higher where an excessive amount of Nitrate of Soda is applied. 

 The marked difference in yield of sugar from the home 

 mixed fertilizer over the commercial fertilizer suggests the 

 possibility of Nitrate Nitrogen being superior to the form 

 of Nitrogen found in the commercial fertilizer. 



While no experiment comparing in equal quantities 

 organic Nitrate and ammonia Nitrogen, the general results 

 so far favor the Nitrate. 



In the fertilizer experiment on page 37,'-" the Nitrogen 

 in the commercial fertilizer analyzing 2.24 per cent, am- 

 monia was undoubtedly of organic origin. The results from 



♦Michigan Bulletin 197, issued P'ebruary, igoi. 



