New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 859 
Notes were made on the relative appearance at various stages 
of growth, from which it appears that as far as they go for this 
season, the special nitrogenous fertilizers gave a very dark green 
color to the foliage, caused the plants to grow stocky and 
lengthened the period of growth, or in other words delayed 
ripening. The stover for these plats was greener and undoubtedly 
better at harvest than on any of the others. The plats which 
received three fertilizing elements appeared to be behind others 
early in the season, but gained relatively in the latter part of the 
season. | 
The plats which received no extra fertilizer, as well as those to 
which phosphoric acid was applied and the effect not obscured 
by other elements, ripened earliest, as indicated by the whitening 
of the husks and drooping ears. This corn was also in rather 
better condition for crib, while the ratio of stalks to merchantable 
corn was less than on most other plats. The application of potash 
had no appreciable effect on the ripening of the crop, or on the 
yield, unless it may have been in the case of potassium chloride 
to delay ripening and diminish the crop. 
Corn on the plats to which muck and gypsum were applied was 
equal to that on any of the heavily-manured plats throughout the 
whole season, and these plats were among the most prolific at 
harvest. It is improbable that on an impoverished soil and 
under like conditions, gypsum or muck would have an equal 
effect with complete fertilization. The plat to which gypsum was 
applied, F 17, has yielded larger crops for three years than either 
of its duplicates, F 18 and 19. F 20, to which muck was applied, 
was heavily dressed in 1884, but gave no evidence in crop of 
additional fertility as a result, until this application of muck with 
manure may have had its effect in bringing dormant elements into 
an available condition. 
With an abundant supply of the fertilizing elements in the soil 
muck and gypsum are undoubtedly of assistance, chemically or 
mechanically, in bringing plait food into a soluble condition for 
absorption, and on the other hand so ameliorating the condition 
of the soil that the root surface can be greatly enlarged and 
hence absorb more of the available nourishment than would be 
possible in the more restricted feeding ground of a denser soil. 
