20 HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



In 1893 the crop was oats, and the yield of grain was 

 from one-seventh to one-eighth less on the plots receiving 

 no nitrogen than the average of those receiving nitrogen. 

 Here the interposition of a leguminous crop (soya bean in 

 1892) appears to have lessened the proportional inferiority 

 of the plots which received no nitrogen. In 1894 the crop 

 was again the soya bean. The plots without nitrogen give 

 a yield about one-third less than the average of the others. 

 Thus far it will be seen that the soya bean has not shown 

 that degree of independence of soil nitrogen of which it is 

 supposed to be capable. To an even greater degree than 

 the grain crops it is benefited by nitrogen manuring. This 

 fact may perhaps be accounted for because of conditions un- 

 favorable to bacterial life in this soil ; but as to the nature 

 of such unfavorable conditions we are at present ignorant. 



In 1895 the crop was oats, and results showed no im- 

 provement in proportional yield on the plots receiving no 

 nitrogen which could be attributed to the preceding bean 

 crop. This may be in part due to the fact that the bean has 

 a rather limited root system, and leaves behind but little 

 stubble. 



In 1896 the crop was again the soya bean, which once 

 more showed marked inferiority on the no-nitrogen plots. 

 An attempt to seed the land to clover in the standing beans 

 proved a failure, on account of the dry season and the too 

 dense shade made by the crop of beans. 



The crop the past season has been oats. The yield per 

 })lot of straw and grain, the rate per acre and remarks upon 

 the quality of the grain are given below. In this table the 

 no-nitrogen plots arc italicised. 



