, 1893-07-26

b>fore. a1l shave been productive Of highly
important results. Ia addition to the expert
mental plats Of plsut and stubbIe a general
fertilizer control extending over the entire
field has been inaugurated. Ia this large
extension of the work some results of an
anomalous character have been encountered,
but there is a large mass Of closely con
cordant and reliable data, and in certain
dir ctions the lesson of the results is unmia
taxable.
1t would be difficult 70 emphasize too
strongly tbs purely local character of these
results; they can not be presumed TO apply under
any other circumstances whatsoever than those
which produced thsm. For instancR,a state
ment to the effect That nitrogen applied to plant
cane would reduce the available sugar smany
pounds per ton, without increasing the tonnage
in the least, would be misleading ifloonsidered
generally applicable, yet it is literally true of
the field in question. Similarly a general
statement that the tonnage of sandy land
plant oane might be increased, and the sugar
per acre largely Augmented, by the liberal
application, Of water-SoIubIe phosphoric acid,
might be refuted by reference to a very wide
range of experience; but it is beyond question
that such was its effect here. Both of these
facts, apparently at variance with the
accepted theory Of plant growth, find a
probable, or at least a possible, explanation
III C4C AOuLho noes bIltb AOI lIkIf Y8aTS
these LANDS have received mainly heterogeneous
fertilizers, Numerous crops of cow pense
have aided in replenishing and augmenting
the stores of nitrogen until a point has been
reached where further addition of this
element causes no notable reaction along the
line of increased growth. On the other hand
phosphorio acid in a readily assimilable form
is quickly responded to, but, as will be seen,
this is not a fact of the least general interest;
it results directly from the peculiar past his
tory and present condition Of this peculiar
field.
NITROGEN.
/. In 1891 nitrogen on sandy land plant
cane was charged with a loss of SlO.O5 per
acre. This year 5IOQ2 loss is found.
2. Nitrogen or stiff land plant lost 1923
in 1891 and 1882 in 1892.
3. Ne absolute figures upon stubbla were
givon last year, but a loss from the use of
nitrogen was surmisod, This season a loss
on sandy land stubbls Of 1857 per acre
occurred, and q gain Of So cents per acre on
on stiff land.
a. The succession plant cane vas uniform
ly fsrtilized with cotton seed meal at plant
ing consequently no data of gain or lsss are at
hand. On certain plats, however, the second
fertilization was omitted, aud a gain of sos
resulted from the omission.
PHOSPHORIC ACID
Last year no benefit was discovered from
the use Of Phosphoric acid o1 plant cane.
The mode of application was as follows: A
compound fertilizer containing nitrogen,
~phosphoric acid, lime, magnesia and potash in
excess. Of plant requirements, was termed the
normal fertilizer nd used az a STANDARD
of comparison since this completes fertilizer
produced no better. but rather poorer, results
than another mixture similar in all respects
except for the omission of phosphorc acid,
the conclusion was drawn that phosphoric
acid, under the circumstances, was not a pay.
ing fertilizer. This conclusion was tested
this year under similar conditions as is
evident from table II, the withdrawal Of
%phosphoric acid affected neither tonnage nor
sugar content.
The eutire inactivity Of phosphoric acid, in
this mixed fertilizer, both this year and last.
and the possibility OF its precipitation in an
insoluble form, under the peculiar conditions
OF the soil, by the magnssia present in the
fertilizer, Led to a series of experiments with
water-soluble phosphorio aoid applied alone
and a liberal measure The results obtained
were of a very different character from the
preceding:
/. Sandy land plant cane gave an increased
yield average of two plafs), equivalent to a
Det Uiald of a. "a 9E a oora