248 REPORT OF THE FARM SUPERINTENDENT OF THE 
In the six years previous to 1888, or since plowed up from old 
turf, the B plats, refertilized this. season, received the following 
amounts of fertilizers: 
Pounds 
per acre. 
BB ee Soe Oe eS Sa ice a ree eee 2,000 
BG Siig 1 key See wh oe a ee 2,800 
BAe as een a ee Oe ee 1,200 
Bi Soo oo a a 1,600 
1D ee SS SAP ON rat nat 1,600 
The crops have been quite various, but on examining the record _ 
of fertilizing, it is found that the differences in the above table 
were all made the first year, 1882,and by the omission of fertilizer 
on plat 11 in 1884. No fertilizer was applied in either 1883 or 
1887, and all received 400 pounds per acre, in each of the years 
1884, 1885, 1886, with above single exception. 
The F plats included in this experiment were plowed for the 
first time in some years in 1884. In that year, Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 
received at the rate of 400 pounds per acre of commercial fer- 
tilizer, and the others, except No. 11, which received nothing, a 
dressing barn-yard manure. In 1885 barn-yard manure was 
applied to Nos. 3 and 4, and nothing to the other plats. All 
received at the rate of 400 pounds of acid phosphate per acre in 
1886, and no fertilizer was applied in 1887. Fertilizers were 
applied in 1888 in like amounts of the same formulas as given 
below, except that the potash was only half the strength of what 
was used in 1889, and consequently double the given amounts 
were used. 
Influence of the season. — The past season must be regarded as 
favorable to the growth of the potato plant and the development 
of the tubers. But the large amount of moisture present so much 
of the time was very favorable to the growth of fungi, one 
species of which, commonly known as “ the potato rot” (Phytoph- 
thora infestans, DeB.), has been very harmful to the crop. This 
had more influence on the A than on the F plats, which were 
much nearer maturity before the disease appeared. 
Some of the F plats have produced a crop of potatoes for three 
years previous to this season. In making a critical examination 
of the crop from these plats last year, it was remarked that “an 
effect of season which is enough to reduce the yield as much as is 
wn 
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