216 AGRICULTUEAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



one, especially in the case of those crops which reach in a 

 short period the desired state of maturit3\ 



The various mixtures of fertilizers used hy us in the 

 experiments under discussion provide by actual supply for 

 one-half of the available nitrogen actually called for to meet 

 the demand as above pointed out. A liberal cultivation of 

 peas and beans cannot fail to benefit the nitrogen resources 

 of the soil. 



i.S'^^.—The field vras ploughed April 22, and the fertil- 

 izer mixtures previously given were applied broadcast the 

 23d and thoroughly harrowed in. Potatoes, beans, tomatoes, 

 spinach, lettuce and onions were the crops selected for trial 

 in each plat, being arranged as follows, beginning at the 

 west side of each plat : — 



Five rows of potatoes (Beauty of Hebron). 



Six rows of beaus. 



Two rows of tomatoes (Essex Hybrid). 



Two rows of spinach (New Zealand). 



One row of lettuce (Hanson) . 



Four rows of onions (Yellow Globe Dauvers) . 



Lettuce and tomato plants were raised in the hot-bed and 

 subsequently transferred to the plats. The work of seed 

 sowing and transplanting was done for each particular kind 

 on the same day. April 25 the potatoes were planted, one 

 bushel of seed being used per plat ; the spinach and onion 

 seed were put in April 2G ; the beans on May 7 ; May 18 

 the lettuce plants were set out from the hot-bed, and the 

 tomato plants on May 19. The onion plants began to 

 appear May 7 ; the spinach plants May 9 ; the potatoes 

 appeared on the 11th, l^eing touched by the frost of the 15th ; 

 the beans began to appear May 17, but owing to poor ger- 

 mination on plats 2, 3, 5 and 6 additional seed was put in 

 about the last of May. All crops were kept free from weeds 

 and treated similarly throughout the season. The various 

 crops were harvested whenever fit for the market. A severe 

 drought during the months of July and August affected seri- 

 ously the yield of crops and the time of harvesting. The 

 subsequent statements give data regarding date of maturity 

 and yield of the different crops. 



