32 Irrigation and Drainage 



In 1895, and again in 1896, similar experiments were carried 

 on with potatoes, barley and clover, both upon very sandy soils 

 and upon good clay loam. The first experiments described were 

 with potatoes on very sandy soil taken from the pine barrens in 

 Douglas county, Wis., and which was auite coarse-grained and 

 deficient in organic matter. 



On June 3, 1895, the three cylinders in the right of the pho- 

 tograph, Fig. 2, were filled with the soil in question. Some 2,000 

 pounds of this soil had been procured from the surface down to a 

 depth of three feet. The first, second and third feet of the soil 

 were placed in them in their natural order in the field, the third 

 foot being at the bottom and the surface foot at the top, so as 

 to reproduce the natural conditions as closely as possible. 



In cylinder 1, on the right, the soil was left in its virgin con- 

 dition ; to No. 2 there was applied two pounds of well -rotted 

 farmyard manure, and to No. 3 there were given four pounds. 

 The remaining three cylinders, 4, 5 and 6, were used as checks, 

 and were filled to within 5 inches of the top with good surface 

 soil of a light clay loam character. In order that the tubers of 

 the potatoes might develop under as closely similar conditions as 

 possible, and that the surface evaporation from the soil might not 

 be very different, there was placed upon the surface of cylinder 

 4 five inches of the surface soil from the pine barrens, on cylin- 

 der 5 five inches of the second foot, and upon 6 five inches of the 

 third foot. 



In planting, one tuber of the Alexander Prolific potato was 

 cut in halves and the two pieces planted, so as to give two hills in 

 each cylinder. The cylinders were weighed and watered once 

 each week, water enough being given to maintain a constant 

 weight. 



In 1896, the cylinders were again planted in the same manner 

 with Rural New-Yorker potatoes. No fertilizers were used, but the 

 plants were watered twice each week, 5 pounds of water being 

 given to each cylinder every Monday morning and enough more 

 on every Thursday, when the cylinders were weighed, to bring 

 them to a constant weight. This change was made because it 

 appeared possible that the texture of the soil was too coarse to 



