158 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



more concentrated than others, but we have grown encumbers in 

 boxes in soil to which Y5 per cent, of horse manure had been 

 added without producing any abnormal symptoms. Excessive 

 use of horse manure, especially if it is too strong, may cause 

 symptoms of malnutrition, but no trouble shoidd be caused by 

 a careful use of this manure each vear. Constant waterinc; of 

 cucumber plants with liquid fertilizer or manure of any kind will 

 cause malnutrition, and the addition of pig or cow manure to the 

 horse manure, or the use of either alone, is very likely to produce 

 it. We have frequently observed trouble from the use of pig 

 manure mixed with horse manure, and Professor Whetzel of 

 Cornell University has called our attention to the injury caused 

 by this combination in jSTew York State. In one particular case 

 the plants, in addition to being treated with horse manure con- 

 taining considerable amounts of pig manure, were watered fre- 

 quently with a strong decoction of these maimres. 



Some of the most severe cases of malmitrition we have ob- 

 served resulted from the use of hen manure worked into soil 

 already provided with an abundance of plant food, such as 

 would be obtained from a constant use of horse manure. In 

 practically all the instances which have come to our notice 

 where hen manure had been applied rather freely, symptoms of 

 malnutrition have followed. 



A more recent tendency among cucumber growers is to make 

 use of dried, pulverized sheep mamire, either alone or in combi- 

 nation with cow manure. Two cases of malnutrition in cucum- 

 ber houses have recently been brought to our attention, one ex- 

 tremely severe and the other more or less so. These were caused 

 by the use of pulverized sheep manure and various fertilizers. 

 One grower, having some 2,800 feet in length of houses, applied 

 3 tons of pulverized sheep and cow manure, with the result that 

 the whole crop died. This house had been used for some years 

 without changing the soil, and had received every year probably 

 from 30 to 60 tons per acre of horse manure. The soil was 

 naturally in good condition, and had plenty of plant food with- 

 out the addition of the shoe]) manure. The malnutrition symp- 

 toms were so marked on this crop that even the young seedlings 

 were affected. In addition to this the hot-water treatment w^as 

 used, which only served to aggravate the trouble. 



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