- New YorK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 35 
PLAN OF THE EXPERIMENTS. 
All but one of the 33 experiments here reported were laid out 
in accord with the adjoining diagram. It will be noted that 
this plan provides for a test of the 
effect of inoculation and of lime 
separately and in combination and 




No lime, no Lime, no 
etenlation Atel icin reserves one-quarter of the area 
untreated as a check, or basis for 
measuring the effect produced. 
According to this plan the lime 
No lime, Dinie and was applied along the slope of the 
inoculation inoculation 
experimental acre some days be- 
fore the sowing of the seed and 
well worked into the soil. The 
results obtained from the applica- 
tion of lime alone and in combination with inoculation will be 
presented under their appropriate headings. 
The inoculating soil was furnished from a field at this Sta- 
tion and was sown broadcast at the rate of 200 to 300 Ibs. 
' per acre just before sowing the seed. Thus the harrowing 
which covered the seed mixed it at the same time with the in- 
oculating material. The half-acre which was inoculated lay 
across the slope of the hill in such a way that any washing 
which might occur would not carry the inoculation to the other 
half of the acre. Likewise in putting in the seed it was neces- 
sary to sow and harrow the uninoculated half of the field first 
to avoid spreading the inoculation by means of the machinery. 
Considerable care is required on the part of the one who lays 
out this experiment correctly but it is far cheaper than to lose 
a seeding because neither lime nor inoculation was used or to 
apply both to a large field when one or both were not needed. 
From an acre laid out in this way any farmer can see for him- 
self just how his soil responds to these lines of treatment, and 
_ this form of experiment is strongly recommended to all who 
are beginning to grow alfalfa. | 
Down-hill side of field 
