76 FOOD FOR PLANTS 



On the bogs of J. J. White the series of plots was 

 laid out in three distinct types of soil; the Savannah, 

 a pure sand mixed with more or less organic matter, 

 deep mud, and deep mud underlaid with iron ore. 

 Wherever possible the plots were made one-twentieth 

 acre in size, one rod wide and eight rods long. 

 (Details of the plan of experiment may be found in 

 1913 Report, N. J. Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 pages 384-488.) 



On June 6, 1913, the first application of fertilizer 

 was made to the plots in these series and observa- 

 tions of the effect of added plant food have been 

 extremely interesting. One occurrence brings out 

 clearly how little an abundance of water affected the 

 lateral movement of soil moisture and leaching of 

 plant food from the soil stores. 



On the nights of June 9th and 10th danger of severe 

 frost caused the proprietors to flow the bogs for 

 protection. The series of plots located in the deep 

 mud and iron ore soils (so-called) were completely 

 flooded to a depth varying from a few inches to a 

 foot. The Savannah plots, even though located in 

 the same bogs, were on a higher level and the water 

 only covered one end of the plots, about one-half of 

 each. At first thought it would appear that the lat- 

 eral movement of the soil water would carry the 

 plant food, especially the soluble salts. Nitrate of 

 Soda, ammonium sulphate, and the potash salts, from 

 one plot to another, and that there would be con- 

 siderable leaching of plant food into the drainage 

 water, because the water is drawn through the soil 

 into the ditches on its way out ; but subsequent obser- 

 vations extending through the remainder of the year 



