112 BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc, 



increase in crop pays for a judicious mixture of fertilizers ; 

 it has not paid for manure at $5 per cord. 



Question. Professor, referring to your table of increases, 

 doesn't the wet or dry season aftect that rowen to some 

 extent ? 



Professor Brooks. Of course it will affect the total 

 amount of rowen ; but it is not a question of the effect of the 

 season, but the effect of these different materials. The fig- 

 ures on one horizontal line are all for one season. Potash 

 favors the growth of clover, and that is why when it is 

 applied there is usually a large increase in rowen. That 

 is a point worthy of notice, because clover is such a valu- 

 able crop. Many of you have seen this acre of land when 

 it was in mixed grass and clover ; and I can assure those 

 of you who have not, that, if I had given you the clue 

 before you started, and you had crossed the field when in 

 grass, you would have told me when you had finished your 

 trip which plots had received potash, because where potash 

 had been used there the clover was growing, and where no 

 potash was used there was no clover. 



Question. Do you find deterioration in the quality of 

 English hay in connection with nitrate of soda? 



Professor Brooks. The crop has not been analyzed, but 

 I have no reason to suppose there would be. The albumin- 

 oids are among the most important of the constituents of 

 hay, and science teaches that where nitrogenous fertilizers 

 are used the percentage of protein or albuminoids is in- 

 creased. Clover is especially rich in albuminoids or protein, 

 so that that would complicate the matter, and my first 

 remark would apply to the efiect upon the grass crop only. 



Question. I understand that the effect of the nitrate of 

 soda is in every case shown only in the first crop, and that it 

 does not affect the amount of rowen ? 



Professor Brooks. Yes, there is very little rowen. Its 

 effect is all spent on the first crop. 



Question. On the other hand, the rowen is increased by 

 potash ? 



Professor Brooks. Rowen is increased every time by 

 potash. You study the figures a little carefully, and you 



