ge ee a oe ee ee eo i es 
New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. Fo 
From this experiment and the one cited from our report for 
1887, we are justified in believing that in soil like that of the 
Station, the depth of corn roots is influenced to some extent by 
the depth of tillage. The indications are that the distribution of. 
roots depends rather more upon the presence of a proper supply 
of oxygen in the soil than upon a given degree of warmth. The 
deep tillage doubtless produced and favored the maintenance of a 
thorough aération of the soil to the depth worked. 
EXPERIMENTS IN THE CULTIVATION OF CORN. 
The effects of root mutilation considered alone. 
Cultivation with respect to root-mutilation. 
The amount of root injury accomplished by ordinary cultivation. 
Conclusions. 
THE Errects oF Roor MutTILaTION CoNSIDERED ALONE. 
Object of the experiment: To ascertain the effects of cutting the 
roots of young corn plants, as independent from the effects of: 
stirring the soil— an experiment of 1887 repeated. 
Main plats D 8 and G14 were planted with Waushakum corn 
on May 22. Three kernels were placed in each hill—the 
hills two feet apart, in rows four feet apart. The soil was 
rather poor. It had been well prepared, but no fertilizer was 
applied. On June 9, the first, and each alternate row, of each . 
plat were root-pruned by inserting a lawn-edger to the depth 
of 8 inches on the four sides of the hill, keeping 4 to 8 
inches distant from the plants. The tool was used in such a way 
as to disturb the soil as little as possible, the aim being to cut the 
roots to the extent that is accomplished by thorough cultivation, 
and todo nothing else. The tallest plants at this time were 
about 5 inches in height. The soil was rather dry, but nearly 
half an inch of rain fell during the succeeding week. 
On June 25 the root-pruning was repeated in the same 
manner as before. The plants were at this time about 10 inches 
tall, without raising up the leaves. The ground was not dry, as 
it was during a showery period, and very copious rains fell within 
the next three days. The conditions were extremely favorable, 
therefore, for the plants to recover from the effects of the root- 
