8o 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
and it would seem hardly fair to under¬ 
take to draw many conclusions from such 
a diminished crop. Certainly the fact 
that in several instances, at least, the plot 
receiving the least fertilizer gave the lar¬ 
gest yield of fruit would indicate that it 
was not want of plant food that caused 
the short crops. Possibly the shortness 
of the crop for 1904 may be attributed 
partly, at lease, to the heavy yield of the 
previous year, the plants being somewhat 
exhausted temporarily; the shortness of 
the crop of 1905 is explained by the freeze 
of that year. However, there is in the re¬ 
sults from this year, further evidence 
tending to show that with 3750 lbs. per 
acre of a fertilizer analyzing as stated, 
we have reached the limit of profitable 
fertilizing. We shall await with much 
interest the results from the crop of 1906. 
For a full discussion of the results of 
the experiment up to and including the 
crop for 1905 those interested are refer¬ 
red to bulletin No. 83, Florida Experi¬ 
ment Station. 
DISCUSSION. 
Prof. Stockbridge.—I have forgotten 
from your statement, whether or not in 
your different fertilizer applications 
nitrate of potash was used. 
Prof. Blair.—It was not used. 
Prof. Stockbridge.—Mr. President, 
the thought was suggested to me that 
capillary action might be increased by 
changing the character of soil. If we could 
add clay to pineapple soil the capillary 
action would be increased; the point I 
wish to bring out is to know whether 
chemical salts are put on in addition to 
the other properties with a view of in¬ 
creasing the capillary action. Some of 
the salts used in fertilizers such as kainit 
is known to increase the capillary action, 
but it could not be used in pineapple, but 
there is one, the nitrate of potash, com¬ 
monly known as salt peter. Experiments 
have shown that the nitrate of potash will 
increase the capillary action to 25 per cent, 
or to a very great extent. I believe the 
best experiments shows an increase of 
22 per cent., therefore it seems to me 
that it is quite feasable, at least there is a 
field for experiment with nitrate of pot¬ 
ash in growing pineapples and this might 
increase 20 per cent, the amount of water 
consumed. I think this suggestion worth 
consideration. What is the contents of 
Nitrogen in nitrate of potash? 
Mr. Wilson.—Sixteen per cent, nitro¬ 
gen, 44 per cent, potash, 96 per cent, of 
pure salt peter. 
Prof. Blair.—I think that reasoning 
very good, but it seems to me that nitrate 
of potash is so very expensive that the 
loss by solution and going down deep into 
the soil, outweighs the capillary action he 
speaks of. 
Mr. Blackman.—Mr. President, have 
you or others ever made any experiments 
in Dade county with surface soil in 
regard to loss of fertilizers? 
Mr. Blair.—Our experience so far has 
only been carried on in Jensen, which is 
not the type of soil you refer to, it is the 
sandy soil. 
Mr. Blackman.—I wish there could 
be experiments made in the rocky lands 
of Dade county along this line. I ^ 
am of the opinion that there is little 
or no loss of fertilizers in our rocky 
soils. The rock is very porous and 
we believe that a great amount of fertil¬ 
izing properties which in sandy soils 
would be lost, are retained in the rocks 
and held there. The rock being so porous 
that the -roots penetrate it gathering up 
