18 UNIV. OF N. H. AGE. EXPERIMENT STATION [Bulletin 232 



unplowed plots, 774 pounds on the manured plots and 867 pounds on the 

 unmanured plots in 1927. The nitrate was applied on the unmanured 

 plots in August, 1926, just after seeding. None was applied on these 

 plots in 1927. 



Two hundred and fifty pounds acid phosphate gave a loss of 47 pounds 

 on the manured plots and a gain of 1,314 pounds on the unmanured plots 

 in 1927. There has been consistent evidence that acid phosphate has 

 been effective in helping secure a stand where no manure was used, but so 

 far it has returned nothing where used with manure alone. 



The combination of acid phosphate and nitrate of soda gave an increase 

 for the two years of 866 pounds on the manured plots and 1254 pounds on 

 the unmanured plots in 1927. 



The lime plots have shown a consistent increase in hay yields both for 

 the two- and four-ton applications. 



Experiments with Legumes — ^Alfalfa 



In the studies on alfalfa 48 plots of one twentieth of an acre in size are 

 used, with a basic treatment before seeding of 20 loads of manure and two 

 tons of ground limestone per acre. 



The land for the alfalfa was plowed up from the original sod in October, 



1925. The lime, manure, acid phosphate and potash were applied in May 

 and June, 1926, and worked into the soil. The alfalfa was seeded June 

 23, 1926, and the nitrate of soda was applied just after the young plants 

 came up on those plots which received that material. Although the 

 alfalfa attained a height of about 30 inches in August, no harvest was 

 made in 1926 for fear of weakening the stand. The first crop was cut in 

 June, 1927, and the second in August. No fertilizers were applied in 1927 

 on the alfalfa plots. 



The yields for the first and second cuttings and the gain over the check 

 plots have been correlated and show a striking uniformity of yields with 

 the different treatments. 



Of the chemicals, potash is the only one which, when applied singly, 

 gave a significant increase. This is true for both cuttings. 



Of the other treatments, manure, manure and phosphorus, and manure, 

 lime and phosphorus, gave significant increase in the first cutting, while 

 in the second cutting those mentioned together with manure and lime, 

 manure, lime, nitrogen and phosphorus and manure, lime, nitrogen 

 phosphorus and potash are significant. 



Sweet Clover 



Thirty-two plots in the experiment were seeded to sweet clover June 3, 



1926, and managed essentially the same as the adjoining alfalfa experi- 

 ment. 



While it would have been desirable to pasture the various plots in this 

 experiment, it was not possible to do so on account of their distance and 

 comparatively small size. 



No harvest was made in 1926, although the crop made an excellent 

 growth, especially on those plots which received manure. The plots were 

 harvested in June, 1927, and cured as hay. 



Manure appears to have had the most effect on sweet clover, although 

 significant increases were obtained from all treatments, except lime and 



