34 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURIST. 



WM. P. BROOKS. 



The work in tlic de})artnient of agricnltiire during the past 

 year has been of about the usual scope and extent. The prob- 

 lems which are being investigated are for the most part related 

 to questions connected with the maintenance of fertility. Vari- 

 ous questions connected with the selection, adaptation and 

 methods of application of manures and fertilizers are being in- 

 vestigated. Most of our experiments have continued for a con- 

 siderable number of years. Some indication is afforded of the 

 amount of work in progress by the following statements. The 

 number of field plots on the station grounds used in experiments 

 the past year was 356. Our vegetation experiments have in- 

 volved the use of 352 pots; while as a check upon the work in 

 the open field, and as a method of throwing light upon a few 

 special pr()l)lems, 167 closed plots have been used.. 



No attempt will be made in this report to discuss the work in 

 detail. Attention is called, however, to a few of the more strik- 

 ing results. 



I. COMPAKISONS OF DlFFEKI<:XT MaTEEIALS AS A SoURCE OF 



NiTEOGEX. 



These experiments, which are carried on in Eield A, were 

 begun in 1890. The materials under comparison as sources of 

 nitrogen are manure, one plot; nitrate of soda, two plots; dried 

 blood, two plots; and sulfate of ammonia, three plots. Nitrate 

 of soda and dried blood are used on one plot with muriate of 

 potash; on the other with sulfate. The sulfate of ammonia is 

 used on two plots in connection with muriate and on one in con- 

 nection with sulfate of potash. 



