1897. J PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 83. 21 



in yield this year may be due to the fact that considerable 

 available plant food which was locked up in the rye has not 

 yet l)y the decay of the veo^otable matter of this crop be- 

 come again available. If this be the true explanation, then 

 in the next year the lieneiicial effect of the oreen manuring 

 should become apparent. 



On the acre where ^'■special" corn fertilizer has been 

 under comparison with fertilizer richer in potash some crop 

 of the clover family has been sown in the standing corn each 

 year since 1893 ; but the crops themselves have been under 

 trial, and have not shown themselves fitted for the purpose 

 in view. Thus, in 1893 and 1894 crimson clover was tried, 

 but each following s})ring the crop was killed and the results 

 were unimportant. In fluly, 1895, sivpet clover [3Ielilotus 

 alha) Avas sown upon one quarter and common red clover 

 upon another. The sweet clover was badly thrown out by 

 the frost, and hardly a plant survived ; while the red clover 

 starts too late in spring to have made much growth before 

 it must l)e turned in. The results are unimportant in both 

 cases, though the crop this year is somewhat greater where 

 the red clover was sown, viz., at the rate of 55.25 bushels 

 per acre, against 52.75 ])ushels where no clover was sown. 



Vakiety Tests. 



1. Potatoes. 



In the spring of 1895 we procured as far as possible seed 

 of all prominent and new varieties of potatoes, necessarily 

 from widely scattered and very different sources. This seed 

 was planted for the purpose of raising under like conditions 

 a stock of the different sorts, which, having been produced 

 under identical conditions and in every respect handled 

 alike, it was thought Mould be suited for a comparative test 

 of varieties. Sixty varieties, the seed of which (in every 

 instance save one) was raised upon our own grounds last 

 season, have been made the subject of such a comparative 

 trial this year. The variety the seed of which was from 

 another source is Carman No. 1. Our seed of this sort 

 raised last year was accidentally destroyed, and, as the 

 variety is a ]irominent one, it was thought best to pro- 



