132 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



fcreiit lots — not all different varieties, but different lots or 

 strains — only two seemed of any value to those in charge of 

 the station. One of those was the Giant Argenteuil, and the 

 other was the Reading Giant, which has been grown lately to 

 a large extent. We are working now on the breeding of a 

 rust-resisting variety, and the results have been quite 

 marked. The Reading Giant has given more pounds per acre 

 and given better satisfaction there and is more rust-resistant 

 than any other kind that we have grown. 



Mr. Prescott. Is not the use of potash in the ISTew Eng- 

 land States more profitable than the use of phosphoric acid 

 in larger quantities^ 



Dr. Wheelek. Soluble phosphoric acid is especially 

 needed in connection with the cabbage, turnip and other 

 closely related crops, and they will practically fail for lack 

 of it where millet and certain other plants will grow fairly 

 well. 



Mr. RussEEE. In what form can lime be best used ? 



Dr. Wheeler. The answer to that question must be dif- 

 ferent for different soils and different crops. I believe for 

 all the light, sandy and gravelly soils, especially if subject to 

 drought, and particularly for the crops that are not greatly 

 in need of lime, that the carbonate of lime is the best and 

 safest form, because no immediate injury will result from its 

 use. Considering all of the forms of carbonate of lime T 

 should prefer the marl, because I believe it is more immedi- 

 ately effective than those which have a crystalline form, such 

 as the ground limestone and ground marble, yet these are 

 highly effective if finely ground. But on heavy types of soil, 

 such as clay and some of the heavy silt loams, particularly 

 if they contain large amounts of acid vegetable matter, I 

 believe that slaked lime may often be used to advantage. It 

 can be either air-slaked or water-slaked. The slaking may 

 he done by sprinkling two and a quarter pails of water slowly 

 over each cask. In a few hours the lime will be in the shape 

 of a dry powder which you can use in the same way as when 

 air-slaked. In the experiments which I have conducted with 

 alfalfa in every township in Rhode Island, it was found that 

 on those soils which were exceedingly acid, better results 



