19 



mixture characterized as normal fertilizer, and consisting of arid 

 phosphate, rotton-sivd mral, nitrate of soda, and inuriatr of potash, 

 affords the best financial returns. 



In regard to the quantities to he used, the results of the experiments 

 show conclusively that from son to 1,200 pounds per acre Will yield the 

 best financial results. \Yhile a larger crop is secured on the poorer 

 soils by the use of L'.iMin pounds n f this mixture to the acre, the 

 increase does not justify the additional cost of the fertilizing materials. 



Perhaps the most striking result based upon the data obtained from 

 the plats of the two fields is shown in the fact that the large quantity 

 of nitrogen made available by plowing under the crop of velvet beans 

 on Field B can not be fully assimilated by the growing crop unless 

 the Other essential plant foods are supplied. As has been mentioned 

 before, in the unfertilized plat of Field B the yield of cane was a little 

 less than 3 tons greater than on the unfertilized plat, of Field A. If, 

 however, the other essential elements of pl.int food are supplied the 

 increased yield due to the presence of the decaying velvet beans is at 

 once apparent. On plat No. 12 of Field B we find that 720 pounds of 

 acid phosphate were used and a yield of 19.70 tons were secured. 

 which is 7.7<f tons above the yield of the unfertilized plat No. iM. 

 In plat No. 13, where 720 pounds of acid phosphate and 12<> pounds 

 of miniate of potash per acre were employed, the yield is 2-4.4 tons, 

 being 12.4 tons in excess of the yield of plat No. 24. On plat No. 14, 

 where 120 pounds of muriate of potash were used, and no acid phos- 

 phate, the yield was 1S.S tons, being 6.8 tons above the yield of plat- 

 No. 24. On plats Nos. 12 and 14 a considerable quantity of nitrogen 

 was used in the fertilizer, while in plat No. l:-> no additional nitrogen 

 was used. The data from these three plats show very conclusively 

 that the velvet beans supplied practically all the nitrogen necessary 

 to produce a large crop. Nevertheless, on comparing plats Nos. IL' 

 to 14, inclusive, with plats Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, it is seen that where 

 all the essential plant foods are present the addition of an increased 

 amount of nitrogen shows a considerable increase in the yield. 



In plats Nos. 18 and 19 a comparison is made of the utility of 

 nitrogen in the form of cotton-seed meal and in the form of nitrate of 

 soda; the quantity of phosphoric acid and potash applied to these two 

 plats were as nearly the same as possible that is, the phosphoric 

 acid and the potash in the cotton-seed meal added to that given as acid 

 phosphate and muriate of potash would make the quantities of these 

 two fertilizing elements in plat No. 18 the same as those added to the 

 fertilizer applied to plat No. 19. The results of the experiments show 

 that there is practically no difference in the availability of tha nitrogen 

 applied as cotton-seed meal and as nitrate of soda, the tonnage in the 

 plats compared being almost identical in Field B. In plats Nos. 2o and 

 21 a comparison is made between the nitrogen in cotton-seed meal and 



