480 REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT OF THE 
The food supply.—aA. consequence of the reduced water sup- 
ply in the sod plat is, of course, a reduced food supply; for it 
is only through the medium of the free water in the soil that 
plants can take plant-food. Food, then, because of the greater 
supply of water, is more available in the tilled plat than in the 
sod plat. Beyond this statement, data at hand do not permit 
us to go. Table XI shows analyses of composites of soil taken 
from different parts of the two plats early, mid-season and 
late in the season of 1908. The differences are slight and 
variable and mean, if any thing, that the differences in water 
soluble plant-food in the two plats are too small to be detected 
by chemical analyses. 
TABLE XI.— WATER-SOLUBLE PLANT-FOOD IN THE SOD AND TILLED PLATS OF 
THE AUCHTER ORCHARD. 


a : Phos- , 
pe : Soluble | Organic ; : Nitro- 
Season. Depth. Plat. matter “netter Potash. PhOnS gen. 
In. *P,p.m.| *P. p.m.| *P. pin. *P, pm.) =P. pum 
Karlyeee oe. 6 OCIS. eh carne 321°6 141.2 12.8 0 10.8 
TIDA SES pies 303 .2 143.6 7.6 2.8 Pi? 
Difference 18.4 —2.4 Le 8 —.4 
Mid-season.. . 6 SOC ove earns Oty se 81.2 8.8 238 Ke 
Tillares. ee 278.0 B26 ine: 2.4 oe 
Difference. —60.8 | —40.4 1.6 4 0.0 
Latéwe Sasbar 6 Sods. aren 237.6 102.8 12.8 3. Gin 3.6 
Pia 2e We. as 267 .6 116.0 4.8 2.4 1126 
Difference —30.0 | —13.2 8.0 p lis —8.0 
Harivecrrc ce. 12 Sod Pr tan... 240.0 119.2 7.6 Pra) 19.2 
Pillage, sles 158.0 100.0 4.0 1.8 1.6 
Difference 82.0 LOe2 3.6 ae va. © 
Mid-season... 1b SOs say eee 272.8 139.2 4.8 2.8 22.0 
Pillagemie.: 166.4 110.0 3.6 1.4 13.6 
Difference 106.4 29.2 hic2 1.4 8.4 
Date atienasvon ae I DOd, DEW east 121 ee 49.6 3.6 2.4 6.8 
AINE Heal 130.4 57.6 39] ilpsie! 4.8 
Difference. . —9.2 8.0 4 .6 2.0 
*Parts per millon. 
