1881 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
97 
EFFECT OF NITROGENOUS FERTILIZERS UPON .CORN AND POTATOES. 
EXPERIMENTS FOE STUDYING THE CAPACITY OF THE PLANTS TO GET THEIR FOOD FROM NATURAL SOURCES, AND THE EFFECTS OF 
DIFFERENT FERTILIZERS UPON THEIR GROWTH, WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE NITROGEN SUPPLY. 
Potash and Phosphoric Acid (with Sulphuric Acid and Lime) supplied in proportions contained in a crop af about 55 or 60 bushels of corn. 
Nitrogen in one-third, two-thirds, and full amount contained in same crop. 
A. 1873. Prof. J. R. Farrington, Maine Agricultural College, Orono. Soil— Clay loam, clay subsoil, heavy, moist, underdrained—worn-out meadow. Weather— Cold, 
wet, snfavorable. 
B. 1878. W. I. Bartholemew, Putnam, Conn. Soil— Hill land, dark loam, compact subsoil—worn-out meadow. Weather— I* avorable. 
C. 1879 and 1880. As above, being an adjoining portion of the same field. The Experiment of 1880 was a repetition of that of 1879, with the same fertilizers and crops on 
the same plots. Weather— 1879, cold, unfavorable; 1880, favorable. 
D. 1878 and 1879. Chester Sage, Middletown, Conn. Exp't of 1879 on a field contiguous to that of 1878. Soil— Heavy loam, hard-pan subsoil—worn-out meadow. 
Weather— Favorable. 
F. 1879. Col. J. B. Mead, Randolph, Vt„ (under auspices of State Agricultural College). Soil—Clay loam, compact subsoil. Had oats in 1878. Weather— Cold, back- 
w&rd very uni&vo ruble. 
G. 1880. Prof. W. H. Jordan, Maine Agricultural College, Orono. Soil as “ A, 1878,” being another portion of the same field. IFeatJu’?’—Very dry and unfavorable. 
H. 1880. Edward Hicks Old Westbury, (L. I.), N. Y. Soil— Sandy loam, loam subsoil, dry—worn-out meadow, pastured in 1879. Weather— Very favorable. 
I. 1830. Charles Fairchild, Middletown, Conn. Soil— Upland, sandy loam, sandy subsoil, rather dry—worn-out meadow. Weathci —Favorable. 
K. 1880. Wh. C. Newton, Durham, Conn. Soil— Dark loam, loam subsoil, moist—had grass in 1879, after rye in 1878, and oats in 1877. Weather— Favorable. 
FERTILIZING MATERIALS PER ACRE. 
Cl issiftcation. 
Kinds and Amounts. 
1 
2 
8 
4 
5 •ggSa-g 
a 5 - 
8 o tc 
a, 1 ” o 
7 
8 
9 
~ § 
Oft • f- 
ou b a £ 1 
Group I. 
Valuable Ingredi¬ 
ents, one by one. 
Group II. 
Valuable Ingredi¬ 
ents, two by two. 
No manure......... 
f 1. Nitrogen mixture, 150 lbs..... 
? >. Superphos., 300 lbs., <Phos. acid, 48 lbs.). 
(3. Muriate Potash, 150 lbs., (Potash75lbs.). 
Nitrogen. 
YIELD PER ACRE IN BUSHELS. 
POTATOES. 
24 lbs. 
) juirugeu iJiiz.uujL c, iuv 
l Superphosphate, 303 lbs. 
_ 5 Nitrogen mixture, 150 lbs. 
i Muriate of potash, 150 lbs. 
j Superphosphate, 300 lbs.,) Mixed min’l. 
( Muriate of potash, 150 lbs j fertilizers. 
24 lbs. 
24 lbs! 
Group III. 
Nitrogen as ni¬ 
trate of soda in 
different propor¬ 
tions. 
5 Mixed miners! fertilizers, as No. 6. 
•} Nitrate of soda, 150 lbs.............. 
< Mixed mineral fertilizers..... 
■ ^Nitrate of soda, 300 lbs.. 
j Mixed mineral fertilizers. 
’ (Nitrate of soda, 450 lbs. 
24 lbs., = 
% Ration. 
48 lbs., = 
% Ration... 
72 lbs., = 
Full Ration. 
“Mixed mineral” fertilizers as No. 6. 
No manure. 
|.§ 
10 2 
11 I; 
12 
66 
13 
14 
r is 
16 
17 
000 
§ « 
6 2 
i 
Group IV. 
Nitrogen in mix¬ 
ture in different 
proportions. 
Group V. 
Nitrogen, % Ra¬ 
tion, in different 
combinations. 
[. n ( Mixed mineral fertilizers... 
( Nitrogen mixture, 150 lbs. 
,, < Mixed mineral fertilizers.. 
u * l Nitrogen mixture, 300 lbs. 
,o i Mixed mineral fertilizers, as No. 6. 
(Nitrogen mixture, 450 lbs. 
24 lbs., = 
H Ration. 
48 lbs., = 
% Ration. 
72 lbs,. = 
Full Ration. 
6b “ Mixed mineral ” fertilizers, as No. 6. 
(Mixed mineral fertilizers. 
\ Sulphate of ammonia, 225 lbs. 
I,, < Mixed mineral fertilizers. 
( Dried blood, 450 lbs. 
\ Peruvian guano, •• Standard,” 550 lbs 
t 13 ' ( Muriate of potash, 150 lbs. 
48 lbs.. 
I % Ration. 
’43 bs„ = 
■A Rati n. 
43 lbs., 
% Rati-n. 
16. Mixed mineral fertilizers, as No. 6. 
17. Farm manures. 
000. No manure. 
CORN. 
C’79 
C ’80 
Av’ge 
A ’78 G ’80 
B ’78 
C’79 
C’80 
D ’78 
E ’79 
F ’79 
H 80 I’80 
K ’80 
Tin. 
bu. 
bu. 
bu. bu. 
bu„ 
bu. 
bu. 
DU. 
bu. 
bu. 
bu. ! bu. 
bu. 
46 
78 
62.0 
20.3 
11.4 
17.7 
7.7 
22.2 
11.3 
39.5 
8.2 
46.8 31.5 
22.5 
42 
90 
66.0 
19.5 
9.8 
15 1 
7.4 
20.1 
12.7 
48.8 
6.8 
50.337.5 
42.5 
78 
112 
95.0 
29.1 
21.1 
89.9 
36 5 
43.2 
16.5 
45.4 
7.0 
60.4.45.3 
27,5 
46 
116 
81.0 
32.9 
14.1 
19.1 
7.7 
24.7 
62.3 
59.1 
41.2 
67.8 30.0 
25.0 
114 
112 
113.0 
87.0 
30.0 
41.9 
41.4 
45.1 
11.2 
41.1 
20.5 
60.3 50.0 
42.5 
52 
112 
82.0 
42.9 
13.0 21.1 
7.1 
24.0 
68.9 
58.2 
39.2 
72.0 26.5 
45.0 
115 
114 
114.5 
39.0 
20.0 
43.1 
42.0 
52.8 
70.3 
45.8* 
50.2 
71.0 46.0 
22.5 
130 
152 
141.0 
39.8 
51.7 
45.7 
50.0 
84.0 
60.9 
40.8 
70.0 57.3 
52.5 
148 
202 
175.0 
43.9 
47.3 
46.8 
54.0 
79.7 
61.4 
47.6 
70.3 62.3 
70.0 
130 
144 
137.0 
52.6 
. 
47.3 
42.2 
56.2 
78.4 
59.1 
47.5 
68.1 59.9 
81.3 
78.2 48.8 30.0 
56 
62 
59 0 
25.5 
8.5 
37.8 
7.6 
44.6 
14.1 
46.9 37.3 
166 
116 
141.0 
'48.4 
16.5 50.0 
44.0 
47.2 
72.1 
73.7 
45.5 
1 
77.5 58.5145.0 
142 
142 
142.0 
45.5 
19.3 50.7 
44.5 
48.8 83.9 
34. ot 
38.5 
75.0 66.4]67 5 
146 
138 
142.0 
41.1 
16.2 56.4 
39.1 
50.9 
84.6 
75.2 
42.5 
73.8 68.0 80.0 
| 
. 
71.4 48.3 27.5 
156 
140 
148.0 
35.9 
| 
19.4 58.1 
40.2 
1 
51.2 82.2 
88.0 
42.8 
69.3 57.3142.5 
158 
158 
158.0 
44. S 
23.2 55.0 
40.7 
52.0 69.6 
62.9 
57.8 
78.9 54.3 
60.0 
132 
154 
143.0 
48.1 
13.155.3 
38.5 
50.1 77.5 
1 
71.6 
54.6 
78.0 51.5 
56.7 
124 158 
141.0 
14.5 
36.5 
52.3 
45.9 
74.3 39.8 
33 3* 
84.85 
49.811 
43.3^ 
63.4 
46.5J 
7.9 
44.5 
10.5 
61.8 39.8 
25.0 
bu. 
21.7 
33.5 
34.9 
38.3 
38 9 
47.3 
55.3 
58.4 
59.3 
52.3 
27.7 
52.6 
52.2 
57.2 
49.1 
53.4 
54.4 
54.1 
42.4 
47.6 
27.1 
* These low results are doubtless due to irregularities in the soil. Being so palpably a > 
fluent computations for same reason. t Yard manure, 20 two-horse loads per acre. 5 
manure The “ nitrogen mixture ” consisted of nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, and 
■ rmal, they are omitted in computing averages. 
Stable manure well cured, 15,000 lbs. per acre, 
dried blood in equal parts. 
t Excluded from subse¬ 
ll Hog manure. If Hen 
ments, however, seem to me a fairer test of 
what the fertilizers may do, because, while 
made in all sorts of weather and on worn- 
out soils, they were nearly all on soils and in 
latitudes fit for com, as many of the general 
experiments were not. In these the mixture 
of 300 lbs. superphosphate and 150 lbs. of 
potash salt, which can be bought for $8.25, 
brought on the average 45 bushels of shelled 
Bom per acre. 
With Nitrogen. 
Sab'S 
£ F 
The 
rease of 
trogen 
'he crop 
was 
Amount 
Contained 
per 
Acre . 
in Crop of 
S 0 
( 
29 
24 lbs. 
18 bushels 
5.9 bush. 
7.9 lbs. 
1877-8] 
15 
48 “ 
36 ” 
7.6 “ 
9.1 “ 
6 
72 “ 
54 44 
9.3 “ 
12.4 “ 
l 
28 
24 lbs. 
18 bushels 
5.9 bush. 
7.9 lbs. 
1879] 
14 
48 “ 
36 “ 
1.9 “ 
2.5 •’ 
1 
6 
72 “ 
54 44 
0 3 “ 
0.4 “ 
1 
20 
24 lbs. 
18 bushels 
0.6 bush. 
0.8 lbs. 
1880] 
24 
48 “ 
36 “ 
9.0 “ 
12.0 “ 
1 
10 
72 “ 
72 “ 
14.3 “■ 
19.0 “ 
^OQO^ 
75 
53 
24 lbs. 
48 “ 
18 bushels 
36 “ 
4.1 bush. 
6.2 “ 
5.5 lbs. 
7.9 “ 
22 
72 “ 
54 44 
8.0 “ 
10.6 “ 
Or, giving the result in dollars, and cents : 
In Trials. 
Total 
Number. 
With 
Nitrogen 
Amounts. 
Costing. 
The Nit.ro- 
qenpaidfor 
itself in 
trials. 
The Nitro¬ 
gen failed to 
pay for itself 
in trials. 
The average 
loss in the 
several tri¬ 
als was. 
l 
29 
24 lbs. 
$ 5.62* 
8 
21 
$ 0.90 
1877-8] 
15 
48 “ 
11.00 
1 
14 
4.45 
1 
6 
72 “ 
16.50 
none. 
6 
8.51 
l 
26 
24 lbs. 
$ 5.62* 
5 
21 
$ 0.90 
1879] 
14 
48 “ 
11.00 
1 
13 
8.48 
1 
6 
72 “ 
16.50 
none. 
6 
16.26 
( 
20 
24 lbs. 
$ 5.62* 
4 
16 
$ 2.34 
1880] 
24 
48 “ 
11.00 
9 
15 
6.04 
1 
10 
72 “ 
16.50 
2 
8 
10.10 
75 
24 lbs. 
$5.62* 
17 
58 
$ 1.38 
53 
48 “ 
11.00 
11 
42 
6.66 
22 
72 “ 
16.60 
2 
20 
11.62 
The experiments of these seasons bear 
unanimous testimony to two things: The 
corn was helped but little by nitrogen in the 
fertilizers; and it gathered a good deal from 
natural sources. The increase of crop and 
of nitrogen in the crop will appear more 
clearly if we look at it another way. 
The nitrogen increased the crop enough to 
pay its cost in thirty trials out of one hun¬ 
dred and fifty. The pecuniary loss rose and 
fell with the amount of nitrogen used. "With 
mineral fertilizers alone the crop gathered, 
by the above estimates, some 60 lbs. of nitro¬ 
gen per acre. 
As regards the effects of the several fertil¬ 
izing materials used in the experiments, phos¬ 
phoric acid took the leading place often, 
potash occasionally, and nitrogen very rarely. 
A Remarkable Exception 
to the rule that the corn is able to gather a 
fair supply of nitrogen for itself and is not 
much helped by nitrogenous fertilizers oc¬ 
curs in the experiment of Mr. Newton, “ K, 
1880.” Here, every plot without nitrogen 
was a failure, every one with it gave a large 
yield, and the produce rose and fell regularly 
with the amount of nitrogen applied. 
Why this was so, I surely cannot tell. The 
natural explanation—that the soil lacked ni¬ 
trogen, because it had been lately cropped 
with oats and rye, and had not the mass of 
grass roots to supply nitrogen that the old 
grass lands of many of the other experiments 
is not supported by the testimony at hand. 
In Col. Mead’s experiment, “F, 1879,” the com 
followed oats, and yet got no good from the 
nitrogen. In several cases in which the ex¬ 
periments have been repeated, com following 
corn, with the same fertilizers, upon the 
same plots, as in Mr. Bartholomew's, “C, 
1879” and “1880,” the nitrogen was as ineffec¬ 
tive the second year as the first. So, like¬ 
wise, in a similar experiment by Mr. J. W. 
Sanborn, Farm Superintendent of the New 
Hampshire Agricultural College, the yield of 
corn in 1878 was increased, in 1879 dimin¬ 
ished, and in 1880 not materially aided, by 
nitrogen. Mr. Sanborn’s corn, like that of 
the other experimenters who have been re¬ 
peating their trials, has been as persistent in 
doing well with mineral fertilizers alone, 
and getting its own nitrogen, as it has in re¬ 
fusing to respond to nitrogen in fertilizers. 
Where and How Does Corn Get Its Nitrogen ? 
This is a question I cannot answer. The 
prevailing opinion among agricultural chem¬ 
ists for some time, and orse which I have 
shared, has been that plants get nearly all 
their nitrogen from the soil and extremely 
little from the air. But there are many facts 
which are very hard to explain on this theo¬ 
ry, and I am, with many others, coming to 
suspect very strongly that plants do, some¬ 
how or other, get considerable nitrogen from 
the air. It may not be out of place to add 
that one of the public-spirited agriculturists 
of our State, Hon. J. W. Alsop, M.D., of 
Middletown, has undertaken to furnish ap¬ 
pliances and defray the expenses of some 
series of experiments in his greenhouse and 
our laboratory, with a view of obtaining 
some more light on this important question. 
