The Monticellonian., 1899-02-10

the experimental plot seemed hon. ogeneous throughout 1t Is evident that there may have been consider able difference in the various DOT tions thereof-sinee of the two un- fertilized (outside) rows, while No. produced more of cotton and sweet potatoes than No. IS did. the latter produced more of pea nuts than No. I did.
 A study of the above tables will make perceptible several anomolies, though perhaps some that seem to be such may be found applicable by those of a more penetrating dis cernment than possess.
 That the average increase of yield from the use of fertilizers should have been only 34 per cent of sweet potatoes while it was 40 per cent for peanuts was remarka- ble enough but that it should, at the same time have been I6I per cent for cotton is very remarkable as seems to me.
 As ashes applied at the rate of 700 pounds per acre on row ? in- creased the yield I23 per cent there would have been nothing strange in row 6, to which ashes were ap- piled at the rate of HOO pounds to the acre, giving an increased yield of 25 per cent but that 1t should have, as it did give an increase of 40 per cent is strange and is rend- cred stranger still by the fact that row IA to which was applied 21oo pounds (to the acre) of ashes, on- ly gave Il per cent increase and by the further fact that on cotton every 700 pounds of ashes gave about 338 per cent of increase Crows ?, 6 and 14). Nor did the effect of ashes alone on sweet po- tatoes help much, if any, towards a solution of the puzzle; for it doesn't correspond with their eff feet either on peanuts or on cotton, since while 700 pounds of ashes gave an increase of 24 per cent, HOO pounds gave an increase of but 2I per cent and 2Ioo of only 4 per cent on potatoes.
 That 700 pounds of ashes alone should have given an increase of "A per cent on row ? yet when combined with 700 pounds of Acid Phosphate should not have caused that row to yield any more than row 3 did which had nothing but 700 pounds of Acid Phosphate is very curious, though no more so than that while 700 pounds each of of ashes, Acid Phosphate and cot ton-seed meal should have increas- ed the yield of sweet potatoes res pectively 24, 45 and 30 per cent when applied separately Crows ?, 5 and 4 that when they were all combined in row 9 they only caus- ed an increase of 30 per cent or precisely the same that 700 ponnds of cotton-seed meal alone caused Crow 4) and IS per cent Jess than 700 pounds of Acid Phosphate alone caused (row }. And yet row I2 which was fertilized pre- cisely as row 9 was except that it had 1aoo instead of only 700 pounds of cotton-seed meal gave an increase of 6 per cent.
 But despite the anomalies the re- suit of the experiment makes it very evident that on land such as that experimented upon and of such a season as 1898, very great increase in the yield of seed cotton is obtainable from the use of either of the three fertilizers tested, and a greater yield from combinations of any two of them and still great CT increase of yield from combina- tions of all three of said fertilizers and that for cotton HOO pounds of Acid Phosphate. and cotton-seed meal and 2Ioo pounds of hard wood ashes per acre are none too much. That on peanuts HOO pounds of ashes per acre is none too much but that 2Ioo pounds is too much causing much smaller yield than 700 pounds did, that Acid Phosphate and cotton-seed