The Effect of Borax in Fertilizers. 



105 



concerns only the results previously obtained in the preliminary 

 experiments at this Station, or between October i, 1919, and 

 about January 15, 1920. 



WORK WITH POTATOES. 



Soil. The soil used for potatoes was a medium heavy 

 loam which had been under cultivation for many years, being 

 used each year for garden purposes. In recent times it has 

 had an application of barnyard manure on alternate years and 

 commercial fertilizer applied yearly. It was taken directly 

 from the garden and. placed in pots in the greenhouse. 



Kinds of fertilisers used and amounts applied. Six differ- 

 ent brands of fertilizers, made by five different concerns and 

 sold in Maine in 1919, were used. In every instance the ap- 

 plications of all fertilizers to pots containing potatoes were made 

 at planting time and as nearly as possible at the rate of 2,000 

 pounds per acre. The usual fertilizer analysis of each lot had 

 been made by the Station chemists, including a quantitative de- 

 termination for borax. These results and certain other data, 

 including the number of pounds of anhydrous borax used when 

 the several fertilizers are applied at the rate of 2,000 pounds 

 per acre, are shown in tabular form. 



Table Showing Composition of Fertilizers Used. 









Per cent of 



Pounds of 



anhy- 





Station 



No. 



Composition 



anhydrous 



drous 



borax per 



Number of 









borax 



! 



acre 





pots used 



5549 





4-8-6* 



0.88 





17.6 





20 



5389 





4-S^6 



0.35 





7.0 





4 



5518 





3-6-6 



0.93 





1S.6 





4 



5536 





3-6-6 



1.44 





28.8 





4 



5513 





4-8-6 



1.93 





38.6 





4 



5409 





4-8-6 



0.00 





00.0 





4 



Checks, no 



fer- 















tilizer 















4 



*The figures in this column represent approximately the per cents of ammonii 

 available phosphoric acid and potash respectively. 



Variation in methods of application of fertiliser. As will 

 be seen by the number of pots given in the right-hand column 

 of the table, the most extensive trials were made with 



