February. li)'39] agricultural experiments 1928 5 



neglected hay lands. The fourth, a study with potatoes in a dairy farm 

 rotation, is under way on the Jackson Farm in Colebrook, and the fifth, a 

 study of legumes on a terrace in the Connecticut Valley, was laid out this 

 fall on the Livingston Farm in Claremont. 



Grass on Neglected Hay Lands 



This has Ijeen the first year in which a harvest has been secured from all 

 ()3 plots of the grass experiment in (Ireenland, as difficulties were encoun- 

 tered in securing a stand in the reseeded. unmanured portion. It was a 

 season of heavy rainfall, and the hav vields were consistently heavier than 

 in 1926 or 1927. 



Nitrate of soda at the rate of 100 pounds annually per acre gave signifi- 

 cant increases on the old sod, both with and. without manure: The in- 

 creases ran (iM pounds on the original sod, 1,497 pounds with manure, and 

 1,709 pounds without manure, in each case contrasted with similar plots 

 without nitrate. 



Superphosphate, on the other hand, failed to give a significant increase, 

 either with or without manure, except when used with nitrate of soda, 

 v.-here the stimulation seems to have been due to the latter material. 



Lime has proved very beneficial to the growth of the grass in this field, 

 returning 1,054 pounds for the two-ton and 1 .39(; pounds for the four-ton 

 applications. 



Legumes on Neglected Hay Lands 



Fertilizier studies on 48 plots of alfalfa show to date that potash when 

 applied singly gave a significant increase for both cuttings, and is the only 

 chemical which has more than paid in increased hay yields for the cost of 

 the fertilizer. Applications were at the rate of 150 pounds of muriate of 

 potash per acre. All plots, including checks, had a basic application of 20 

 tons of manure and 2 tons of limestone per acre. 



Of the other treatn.ients. lime and phosjihorus ; manure and lime ; 

 manure, lime, nitrate and phosj^horus : manure and phosphorus ; and 

 manure, lime and phosphorus gave significant increases in the first cutting ; 

 and manure ; manure, lime, nitrate and phosphorus ; and manure, lime, 

 nitrate, phosphorus and potash gave significant increases in the second 

 cutting. 



Yields of the fir.st cutting all were over 5.000 pounds per acre, except 

 in the check plots and those receiving only lime without fertilizer 

 applications. 



Studies of sweet clover are being made on 32 plots at Greenland and also 

 on the University Farm. 



Dairy Farm Rotation on Worn-out Hay Lands 



The indication that lime has a distinct efifect upon the growth of oats was 

 the principal point of significance last year in the 120 plots at Boscawxn. 



In 1927 the entire field was in corn. It was originally planned to seed to 

 alfalfa, red clover and alsike clover separately with oats in 1928. Fall 

 floods in the Merrimack Valley prevented the thorough preparation of the 

 soil in 1927 so that in ]\Iay, 1928, the plots were all seeded to oats alone. 



No further fertilizer treatment was made directly for the oats, but the 

 plots where lime only was applied averaged over 1,000 pounds increase 



