﻿EFFECT OF BORAX ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF CROPS. 



11 



Table 4. — Effect of various quantities of borax on earn infield plata on ailty clay loam 



at Arlington, Va., in 1920. 



Borax per 

 acre. 



None 



1 pound 



2 pounds... 



3 pounds.. - 

 None 



4 pounds.. - 



5 pounds... 

 10 pounds. . 



None 



20 pounds . . 

 30 pounds.. 

 50 pounds. - 



None 



100 pounds. 

 200 pounds . 

 400 pounds. 

 None 



Sec. 1.— Fertilizer applied in 

 drill 7 days before planting. 



Plants up 

 June 8. 



Num- 

 ber. 



Height, 

 inches. 



207 

 177 

 167 

 194 

 170 

 162 

 145 

 153 

 170 

 127 

 74 

 51 

 177 

 26 

 6 

 

 189 



Yield per plat. 

 pounds. 



Stover. 



153 

 147 

 136 

 147 

 156 

 120 

 131 

 114 

 146 

 129 

 90 

 75 

 157 

 50 

 16 

 

 135 



Ears. 



106 

 81 

 96 

 93 

 94 

 87 



94 

 87 

 66 

 44 

 105 

 33 

 13 

 

 96 



Sec. 2. — Fertilizer applied in 

 drill at time of planting. 



Plants up 

 May 28. 



Yield per plat, 

 pounds. 



Num- 

 ber. 



Height, 

 inches. 



214 



221 



191 



209 



210 



179 



168 



111 



225 



76 



70 



24 



211 



9 



7 



6.5 

 5.2 

 4.5 

 3.7 

 5.5 

 4.2 

 4.1 

 3.2 

 5.5 

 3.1 

 3.4 



Stover, 



136 

 118 

 113 

 135 

 132 

 128 

 125 

 116 

 140 

 107 

 90 

 82 

 156 

 17 

 18 

 

 137 



Ears. 



87 

 72 

 75 

 72 

 97 

 71 

 60 

 59 

 109 



9 

 10 







Sec. 3.— Fertilizi r a] 

 broadcast at time of plan i [ng. 



Plants up 

 May 28. 



Num- 

 ber. 



237 

 244 

 206 

 208 

 202 

 156 

 184 

 ISO 

 229 

 175 

 187 



44 

 182 



77 

 

 1 



82 



Height, 

 inches. 



Stover 



6.0 

 5.5 

 4.8 

 4.2 

 5.6 

 4.5 

 4.6 

 4.3 

 5.4 

 4.0 

 3.9 



Yield per plat, 

 pounds. 



120 

 113 

 123 



92 

 122 

 131 

 131 

 131 

 148 

 142 

 140 



72 

 133 



74 











115 



Ears. 



96 

 91 

 81 

 84 

 90 

 84 

 97 

 92 

 96 

 85 

 54 

 56 

 100 

 64 

 

 



In section 1, as far as concerns the 200 and 400 pound plats, nothing 

 grew. Where borax was sown broadcast over the entire area and 

 mixed with the soil the growth of either grass or weeds was pre- 

 vented throughout the entire summer. In section 2 these same 

 plats allowed only a few plants to mature, and these were outside the 

 drill rows. 



From the data presented in the foregoing pages it is apparent 

 that borax is injurious to plant growth. The degree of harmfulness 

 seems to vary considerably with the crop grown and the method of 

 applying the fertilizer. It is apparent from the data presented in 

 this bulletin and from the work of others previously cited that borax is 

 much less harmful when sown broadcast than when concentrated in 

 the drill. Weather conditions following the time of applying the 

 fertilizer and during the early life of the crop are an important factor 

 which influences the action of the borax, as was pointed out in con- 

 sidering the work already reported. 



INFLUENCE OF RAINFALL ON THE EFFECT OF BORAX. 



A daily record of the rainfall at Arlington was kept, which affords 

 an opportunity to study its influence on the effect of borax on the 

 various crops. The daily rainfall for May, June, July, August, and 

 September is given in Table 5. 



Considering first the weather conditions connected with the plant- 

 ing of beans on May 26, it is seen from a study of the rainfall record 

 that there was no precipitation for 10 days preceding the application 

 of the fertilizer and none for 10 days following the inauguration of 

 the experiment. The first rainfall occurred on June 5, amounting to 

 1.19 inches. The rainfall for the remainder of the month was well 

 distributed and was sufficient to keep the soil in good moist condition. 

 At the time of planting the beans and for 10 days following the soil 



