IO STORRS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
the experiments themselves have had to do with the growth of 
these crops, their composition and their digestibility, and nutri- 
tive value. Especial attention has been given to the legumes. 
For a number of years the Station was at pains to introduce 
soil tests with fertilizers on farms in different parts of the State. 
The plan of these experiments consisted in dividing a field into 
parallel strips and applying different fertilizers to the strips of 
land, repeating the same materials on the same plots year after 
year, but rotating the crops. ‘The especial purpose has been to 
learn the needs of the soils and crops and the best ways of sup- 
plying them by fertilizers. Similar soil-test experiments have 
been carried on at the Station since its foundation. The coop- 
erative soil tests carried out by private individuals have proven 
very useful, but have, in the course of years, naturally given 
place to other inquiries. 
Experiments on the effects of nitrogenous fertilizers upon 
the yield and composition of various crops, including grasses, 
corn, and legumes, have been conducted at the Station for sev- 
eral years past. The results of these experiments have been 
published in the Annual Reports and Bulletins of the Station. 
Owing to excessive rains in July and August, 1897, which 
seriously reduced the yields and caused some irregularities in 
the experiments upon the effects of nitrogenous fertilizers upon 
corn and upon certain legumes, the results for the past year 
are not reported. It is hoped that the results of the experi- 
ments of several years on the influence of nitrogenous fertiliz- 
ers upon the nitrogen in different crops may be summarized in 
a report of the Station at no distant date. Meanwhile it may 
be said that these indicate more and more clearly the advantage 
of nitrogen in fertilizers for grasses and cereals, and the poor 
economy in their use for legumes. ‘They bring out, especially, 
one important factor which has hitherto been generally over- 
looked. It is that the effect of nitrogenous fertilizers upon 
grasses and cereals is not simply to increase the yield, but also 
to increase the percentage of protein, and hence to improve the 
feeding value. This two-fold advantage of nitrogenous fertil- 
izers is a matter which is well worthy of the consideration of 
farmers in Connecticut, especially in view of the advantage of 
nitrogenous materials as fodder for stock, which is shown by 
late experiments at this Station as well as elsewhere. 
