﻿EFFECT OF BOEAX ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF ( ROPS. 



13 



It would seem that weather conditions at the time of planting 

 exerted considerable influence on the effect of borax on the crops in 

 the Arlington work. As this was apparent early in the investigation, 

 experiments with corn and cotton were planned and inaugurated 

 early in June to determine especially the effect of rainfall and 

 weather conditions on the action of borax. Experiments with these 

 two crops were begun on June 2 and repeated at intervals of about 

 one week for a number of weeks. 



PERIODIC PLANTING OF CORN AND COTTON. 



The experiments planned especially to study the effect of borax 

 under different weather conditions were similar in design to the former 

 experiments described as far as the method of applying the fertilizer 

 is concerned. Only two quantities of borax were used, however, 

 namely 5 and 10 pounds per acre, and these are compared with a 

 fertilizer containing no borax. Each treatment comprised one 

 row 44 feet long, which is one two-hundred-and-seventieth of an acre. 

 The outline of the experiments with dates on which each was in- 

 augurated is given in Table 6, together with the data obtained. 



Table 6. — Influence of weather conditions on the action of borax on corn at Arlington, 



Va., in 1920. 





Yield per plat. 



Experiment, date 



started, and borax 



per acre. 



Sec. 1. — Fertilizer applied 

 in drill 7 days before 

 planting. 



Sec. 2.— Fertilizer applied 

 in drill at time of plant- 

 ing. 



Sec. 3.— Fertilizer applied 

 broadcast at time of 

 planting. 



Sto- 

 ver. 



In- 

 crease 

 or de- 

 crease. 



Ears. 



In- 

 crease 

 or de- 

 crease. 



Sto- 

 ver. 



In- 

 crease 

 or de- 

 crease. 



Ears. 



In- 

 crease 

 or de- 

 crease. 



Sto- 

 ver. 



In- 

 crease, 

 or de- 

 crease 



Ears. 



In- 

 crease 

 or de- 

 crease. 



Series A, June 2: 



Lbs. 

 30 

 45 

 33 



33 

 29 



28 



132 

 133 

 123 



93 

 89 

 64 



81 

 82 

 66 



P.ct. 



+50 

 +10 



-12.1 

 -15.1 



Lbs. 

 25 

 31 



28 



24 

 20 

 19 



P.ct. 



+24 

 + 12 



-16.7 

 -20.8 



Lbs. 



32 

 44 

 39 



67 



47 



P.ct. 



+37.5 

 +21.9 



Lbs. 

 24 

 33 

 34 



P.ct. 



+37.5 

 +41.7 



-28.2 

 -15.4 



Lbs. 



33 

 41 

 34 



53 

 46 

 58 



153 

 143 

 126 



124 

 117 

 127 



91 

 76 



71 



P.ct. 



+ 24.2 

 + 3 



-13.2 



+ 9.4 



Lbs. 

 31 

 36 

 32 



38 

 33 

 46 



P. ct. 





+ 16. 1 





+ 3.2 



Series B, June 9: 



i 39 



—29.8 I 28 







—13.1 



10 pounds 



Series C, July 7: 



50 



138 

 137 



-25.4 33 



+21 



5 pounds 



10 pounds 



Series D, July 15: 

 None 



+ .75 

 -6.8 







....... 







-6.5 

 -17.6 











97 -30 











122 

 109 











-4.3 

 -31. 2 







-10.6 







-5.6 



+ 2.4 













97 1—20.5 











Series E, August 3: 







91 

 73 















+ 1.23 







— 19.8 











-16.5 

 -22 









-18.5 







58 1—36.2 





























In the first experiments of the series, A, the fertilizers were applied 

 on June 2, and the seeds were planted on that date in sections 2 and 3 

 and on June 9 in section 1. There was an increased yield of both 

 stover and corn in the 5 and 10 pound borax plats in each section 

 over the no-borax plat. There was a marked stimulation apparently 

 due to borax, which was as much as 50 per cent in stover in one case 



