434 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXIII, No. 6 
pounds per acre. In order to determine the effect of the rainfall and 
weather conditions on the action of the borax, the experiment was 
repeated at both places several times. The first application and plant¬ 
ing were made early in June, and again at intervals of about a week. 
Six of these tests were made at Arlington and six at Muscle Shoals. It 
was realized that cotton planted at as late a date as this would not fully 
mature in either locality, but it was considered desirable to have some 
information concerning the action of borax on this crop, although the 
season was already advanced. The injury by borax has been shown to 
be principally to the young plant and in the early period of its growth. 
The experiments were therefore undertaken, and the effects on germina¬ 
tion, on growth, and on boll formation were noted and recorded. 
RESULTS OBTAINED AT ARLINGTON, VA. 
The experiments conducted on the Arlington Experimental Farm were 
on a rich, silty loam soil, admirably suited for truck and general farm 
crops. The land is level and uniform and is tile drained. 
The plan of the experiments involved the application of the fertilizers 
in the seed drill and by broadcasting; also the planting of the seed im¬ 
mediately after applying the fertilizers as well as after an interval of a 
week. A single row 132 feet long was used for each treatment. To 
one-third of the row, 44 feet, the fertilizer was applied in the drill and 
the seed was planted one week later. This is shown in section 1 of 
Table I. In section 2, which is the second 44-foot length, the fertilizers 
were applied in the drill as in section 1, and the seed was planted im¬ 
mediately. On the third section of the row the fertilizers were sown 
broadcast and the seed was planted immediately. Where the fertilizer 
was put in the drill it was mixed with the soil by raking with a hoe and 
was covered with an inch or two of dirt before the seeds were planted. 
In the broadcasted section the area was raked to mix the fertilizers. 
Each treatment, or plot, covered an area of 1/270 acre. The cotton 
was thinned to 45 hills per plot and two plants in each hill. Fertilizer 
analyzing 4 per cent NH S , 8 per cent P 2 O s , and 4 per cent K 2 0 , was used 
and applied at the rate of 1,000 pounds per acre. In one row the fer¬ 
tilizer without borax was used as a control; in the second row the fer¬ 
tilizer containing borax in sufficient quantity to apply 5 pounds of 
anhydrous borax per acre was used; and in the third row the fertilizer 
contained sufficient borax to add 10 pounds per acre. In some of the 
tests 20 pounds of borax per acre were used. In order to determine the 
influence of weather conditions on the effect of borax on cotton, the 
experiments were repeated six times; the first series (A) was begun on 
June 2, the second (B) on June 9, the third (C) on June 18, the fourth 
(D) on July 7, the fifth (E) on July 15, and the sixth (F) on August 3. 
Notes were taken during the summer, and the plants in each plot were 
measured for height when several weeks old. This was done by meas¬ 
uring a large number of plants and taking the average. A record of the 
number of bolls and squares that formed was made. The plants were 
cut on October 1 and the green weights were taken and recorded. The 
complete data are given in Table I. 
