96 Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. 1920. 



A 4-8-6 fertilizer was applied in the same manner in each case, 

 but different lots obtained from different manufacturers were 

 used.* Equally striking differences were observed from the use 

 of these two fertilizers on the same field, using the same seed 

 planted the same day. All injury disappeared at the exact point 

 where one fertilizer ran out and the other was placed in the 

 planter. 



On severely injured fields, like that mentioned above, a close 

 inspection revealed the fact that there were few normal plants. 

 At the time when the plants on uninjured, near-by or adjoining 

 fields were for the most part strong and vigorous and nearly 

 covered the ground, those where the injury occurred presented 

 a very striking contrast. An occasional plant might be found 

 which approached normal appearance, but for the most part 

 those that came were weak and sickly looking, many being only 

 two or three inches high. An intertesting fact was noted that 

 many of these stunted plants blossomed at the same time as 

 healthy plants of the same age. 



The foliage of the injured plants, where borax was present 

 in the fertilizer, had a characteristic appearance. There was 

 considerable yellowing of the leaves, more particularly of the 

 margins. This was most prominent on the more dwarfed and 

 more severely injured plants. The yellowing was of a bright 

 golden color, and not the pale, sickly yellowing usually present 

 in plants that are normally or prematurely ripening. In the 

 milder cases the abnormal color was restricted to the extreme 

 edges of the leaves. In fact, as field observations progressed, 

 the appearance of this very narrow band of yellow at the mar- 



*Unfortunately samples of these two lots of fertilizer could not be 

 obtained for analysis. The only evidence that the differences shown on 

 the adjoining portions of this field was due to the presence of boron in 

 one of the fertilizers used is that wherever it was possible to obtain 

 samples of the same brand of fertilizer where it had been used on fields 

 that showed similar injury, these samples contained borax in more than 

 appreciable amounts. On the other hand no samples of the other brand 

 were found which contained any borax. Only one complaint was re- 

 ceived where any of the goods manufactured by this concern were used 

 Here no sample could be obtained. The writer examined the field in 

 question and, while it was seen too late in the season to form an accurate 

 opinion, was not convinced that the owner's contention that he had a 

 case of borax injury was correct. 



