HOW TO EXPERIMENT. 3! 



The careful work that is done at experiment stations 

 and experiment farms is useful mainly for the study ana 

 definition of scientific principles, and is thus of great value 

 and importance, the practical application, however, in 

 individual cases should depend on home experiments. 

 Not only do the various agricultural crops differ widely in 

 their requirements of plant food elements, especially when 

 grown under different conditions, but also the various soils 

 of the farm show different needs, and the same kind of soil 

 may vary under different treatment, even from one season 

 to another. Hence every progressive farmer, who wishes 

 to economize his resources and to use fertilizers to his best 

 advantage and with the largest profit, must continuously 

 study the condition of his soils and crops, and must himself 

 become an experimenter. Decisive results are rarely 

 obtained in one season, and frequently the experiments are 

 spoiled by unfavorable weather, insects, plant diseases and 

 other causes, therefore, the experimenter is advised to 

 continue his trials with fertilizers from year to year. 

 Every farmer will be fully repaid for his time and trouble, 

 after he definitely learns what his soils and crops require, 

 and the knowledge gained will be worth many dollars to 

 him in buying and using fertilizers. 



The following simple plan for experimenting can be 

 carried out by any farmer without difficulty, and enables 

 him to find out if an increased yield can be produced by 

 the use of fertilizers. 



One acre of land can be divided into three plots of 



