THE EXPERIMENT STATION 81 



ceive nitrogen in any form. The crops grown were 

 corn, oats, rye, and soy beans. 



The results of four years' observation showed quite 

 clearly that the application of some form of nitrogen 

 was necessary in order to secure remunerative crops. 

 Even soy beans, a nitrogen gatherer, did not take suffi- 

 cient air nitrogen to produce a normal yield. The fal- 

 low plat, after several years' cultivation, was still be- 

 hind the other plats in crop yield. Beginning with 

 1893, and continuing through 1896, a legume (soy 

 beans) was alternated with a non-legume (oats), to 

 note if the frequent cultivation of a legume would 

 gradually increase the available nitrogen in the soil so 

 that it would not be necessary to apply fertilizer nitro- 

 gen. At the close of the experiment in 1896 it was 

 observed that the 'introduction of an annual legumi- 

 nous crop into our rotation had somewhat reduced the 

 difference in yield between the plats receiving no nitro- 

 gen and those receiving it, yet had not entirely oblit- 

 erated it.' The plats at that time which had not re- 

 ceived any nitrogen proved one-seventh to one-eighth 

 less productive than the others. After 1896 advancing 

 years made it necessary for Professor Goessmann to 

 discontinue his field experiments. This experiment 

 was continued by Brooks, and further information 

 will be found in the ninth and later reports of the 

 Hatch Experiment Station. 



IX. Experiments with potatoes (1884-1888). 

 This experiment was undertaken originally for the 

 purpose of studying the effect of muriate and double 



