The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-05

THE CREAM OF THE BULLETINS.
Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment
Station, Kingston, r. /. Bulletin No. Il.
Experiment in Top Dressing Grass Land.
By H. j. Wheeler and J. A. Tillinghast,
The work mentioned in this bulletin
is a continuation of experiments hereto
fore reported. The three plats used
were in legumnous crops for a rumber
of years, and in the spring of 1898 the
plats were sown to barley and the fol-
lowing mixture of grass and clover seed
per acre: pounds common red clover;
Is pounds of timothy rs pounds of red
top. Each plat has received annually
since 1879, the equivalent of 10000 pounds
of acid phosphate, containing IL to Ii per
cent. of available phosphate acid, per
acre. The first plat mentioned has re-
ccived no heterogeneous manures certainly
for ten years, and it is supposed for
fifteen to twenty years. The second plat
has received annually from 1898 to 1900
inclusive. $50 pounds of nitrate of soda
and the third plat has had, during the
same time, an annual dressing of $50
pounds of nitrate of soda per acre. Dur
ing the same period the plats have all
been dressed with muriate of potash an
nually to the amount of $50 pounds per
acre, and in the spring of 1897 one ton
per acre of airslacked lime was applied
to each plat. 1t was shown in 1899 that
the relative amount of the clover was
decreased by the use of nitrate of soda,
though the timothy and red top were
wonderfully increased BY its use. The
plat having no heterogeneous manureS
made 1000 pounds of hay per acre. The
one with the $50 pounds of nitrate of
soda made $500 pounds per acre, and
the plat having the 450 pounds of nitrate
of soda made $500 pounds per acre. The
cost of the application on the first plat
was SIPS; on the second the cost was
SEAS, and on the third plat $22.08. The
result showed that on the first plat, hav
ing no nitrate of soda the difference be-
tween the cost of the fertilizer and the
value of the hay was but $1342 per acre.
BY the employment, in connection with
acid phosphate and muriate of potash,
of 80 pounds of nitrate of soda per acre
which cost $3.50 additional, there was
a gain of 1924 in the value of the pro-
duct On the third plat, where $50
pounds of nitrate of soda per acre were
employed at an increased cost of $3.50,
there was a gain of $16.9S in the value
of the crop, Had the crop been increased
in the same rate by the 45O pounds of
nitrate of soda as it was by the first $50
pounds, the gain in the value of the crop
from the use of $50 pounds of nitrate of
soda would have been $2O.S2 instead of
S169S Assuming that the second $50
IF nj fp at
ire Same rate as the first $50 pounds. it
would leave the gain in crop from the
last $50 pounds of the nitrate but $40,
at cost of $3.50 for the nitrate. 1t
seems probable, then, that a smaller
amount than $50 pounds of the nitrate of
soda would have proved more profitable
than the amount which was employed,
and it is also probable that the limit
of profit, considering the added cost of
harvesting the heavier hay crop, lay in
an application of nitrate of solad rang
ing between $50 and 400 pounds per acre.
1t was noted that where the largest
amount of nitrate of soda was applied a
far greater proportion of the crop con-
sisted of timothy than where less or none
was applied. The season was very dry
one and unfavorable to grass, and yet
over four tons of hay were made per
acre Had the season been sufficiently
rainy to have insured maximum first
crop and a second crop, it is possible
that the full application of 450 pounds
| of nitrate of soda might have proved
more profitable than a smaller amount.
| In seasons where early droughts occur
a very marked advantage is gained by
! applying the top dressing early, so as
to push the growth as rapidly as pos
sble while the water supply is still
good.