The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-05-31
How Some Crops May he Doubled.

Fertilizer experiments are being con-
Quoted under the direction of the Pur-
due University experiment station OH
the ten-thousand-acre farm of the
American Farm Company, in Newton
County, Ind, which will eventually
lead to the reclamation of the thou
sands of acres of muck land in Indi-
ana and also will be instrumental in
reclaiming the muck lands in the Kan
kakee swamps of Illinois. Milton @.
Whitney. chief of the bureau of soils
of the Department Of Agriculture, has
returned to Washington. d. c., having
approved the experiments now being
conducted, and has promised assist
ancc from the Government.
The fertilizer used by the university
authorities consists of a solution of
potash aud its vaiue to muck soils has
been fclnd to he incalculabe. Where
the fertilizer is used. the productive
ness Of tho muck soil is increased from
twenty to twenty bushels per acre
and in many cases worthless land is
reclaimed. The experiments show
that it will require about 200 pounds
to the acre or less than So worth of
muriate of potash.
The experiments 60 far have been on
corn crops, and next year tests will be
made on truck crops along the same
line. The United States experimental
station staff will turn its attention
next year to the Clifford lands, near
Newland, in Jasper County, where
there are thousands of acres of muck
soil
There are hundreds of thousands OF
acres of muck land in Indiana and the
Importance Of the experiments can
readily be seen when it is shown that
the results are the saving of thousands
of dollars to the farmers of the State.
The method of improving the product
iveness of muck soils by the use Of
potash and straw was first developed
Mt the Purdue station by Prof. Fl. A.
Huston, who is now at St Louis. That
was ten years ago, and since that time
the work has spread to other stations
III tilt w htSL ulilIl llS Nulue IL
ly increasing
A striking illustration of the value
of this kind of work was furnished by
the experiments on corn and muck
soils in Newton and Tippecanoe Coun-
ties last season. In these experiments
the yield of corn was increased from
twenty TO twenty-five bushels per acre
the first season by the use of 200
pounds Of potash salts an acre. AS
the potash cost less than S5 an acre,
and as the increased crop was worth
$40 or S12 an acre, there is very de-
clded financial gain from the expert
ment. There are over 2000 acres Of
muck soil on the farm in Newton
County where the experiment was con-
Quoted. At a gain of SO or 81 an acre.
the profit on this one farm is some
$4,000 or $4,000 in a.single year, or
nearly as much as the entire work of
the station cost before the Legislature
came to it's aid at the last session.
The authorities at Purdue state that
the effect of fertilization will continue
for several years. Experiments We're
tried on a truck farm near Nappanee,
Ind. 1t was shown that 800 bushels
of onions were grown to the acre with
out the potash fertilizer. and with
potash alone, 400 bushels was the crop.
With the complete fertilzer-potash.
phosphoric acid and nitrogen-the yield
was T95 Other experiments have
been conducted in the onion district oe
Indiana and the results have been that
there is no end to the increase of value
of the land when proper fertilization
is used. The station is preparing a
bulletin which will be off the press in
Il few weeks outlining the work that
has been done and the results obtained.
indianapolis News.