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Vol. LXIX No. 4028 
NEW YORK, JANUARY 8, 1910 
WEEKLY, $1.00 PER YEAR 
ASKING QUESTIONS OF THE SOIL. 
Early in March, 1909, an experienced fanner in the 
Poconos advised the writer to read Prof. Milton 
Whitney’s article called “Soil Fertility” published in 
Farmer’s Bulletin No. 257, of the U. S. Department 
of Agriculture. This article was so intensely inter¬ 
esting and practical that it seemed to suggest an 
immediate trial. It happened that two years had been 
spent in attempts at Alfalfa raising on a sandy soil 
in Sussex County, Delaware, with no practical results. 
So far as bulk alone went, cow peas and Crimson 
clover far surpassed the Alfalfa. But a new condition 
had arisen in the form of a fertile farm at Paoli, in 
the Chester Valley, Chester County, Pennsylvania. 
The maintenance of a dairy required the use of some 
clover crop, and Alfalfa seemed the most favorable,— 
especially on a limestone soil. An experiment ac¬ 
cording to Prof. Whitney’s bulletin was therefore 
undertaken. 
This experiment, in brief, is to test the actual soil 
of the farm under varying conditions of fertilization. 
SEED TESTED FOR GERMINATION.—Seed Sown March 28th, 1909; Pictures Taken June 1st and 2d, 1909; Test Completed and Nodules Counte 
June 16th, 1909. 
FERTILIZER, ETC. 
1 Paoli Soil. 
2 Five tons ground limesfonc. 
3 Five tons ground limestone, i mculated soil. 
4 Five tons ground limestone, nitro culture. 
5 Ten tons ground limestone. 
6 Ten tons ground limestone, inoculated soil. 
7 Ten tons ground limestone, nitro culture. 
8 Ten tons ground limestone, four hundred pounds bone and potash. 
9 Four hundred pouuds bone. 
10 Four hundred pounds bone, inoculated soil. 
11 Four hundred pounds bone, nitro culture. 
12 Four hundred pounds bone and potash. 
13 Four hund red pounds bone and potash, nitro culture. 
14 Four hundred pounds bone and potash, inoculated soil. 
15 Inoculated soil, Paoli soil. 
16 Five tons agricultural burnt lime, nitro culture. 
17 Five tons agricultural burnt lime, nitro culture. 
18 Five tons agricultural burnt lime, inoculated soil. 
HEIGHT, 
Inches. 
3/4 
1 % 
10 % 
6 
2 % 
9Ys 
4'A 
3'A 
lH 
8 % 
9 
2% 
2% 
12 
7% 
5 % 
4 
9 
CONDITION. 
NO. OF 
PLANTS. 
NO. OF NODULES, 
6-16-09. 
Yellow-thin 
3 
0 
Yellow-thin puny 
7 
0 
Green-strong 
7 
47 large 
Green-strong 
6 
9 
Yellow-thin 
6 
0 
Green-strong 
6 
30 large 
Yellow-strong 
10 
16 small 
Yellow-thin 
8 
4 very small 
Yellow-thin 
7 
3 
Green-strong 
7 
27 medium 
Green-strong 
5 
9 large 
Green-thin 
1 
0 
Green-strong 
2 
3 small 
Green-strong 
5 
22 very large 
Creen-strong 
3' 
9 
Green-strong 
7 
16 medium 
Yellow-thin 
9 
0 
Green-strong 
2 
16 medium 
