The Montgomery tribune., 1908-06-05
With Wheat on
Northeast Missouri Prairie

experiments WITH WUodt OF
Northeast Missouri Prairie
The experiments which the State
Experiment station is conducting
on the Northeast Missouri level
prairie have shown some very
striking results with wheat.
Wheat is generally not looked up
on with much favor by farmers in
this region as the rather level
and wet nature of large part of
the prairie cause the wheat to
freeze out badly. However these
experiments show that with proper
soil treatment wheat may be made
to yield good profit on this land.
The experiments at Monroe
City and Unionville have both
shown the value of soil treatment,
although those at Monroe City are
very striking. They are as
follows:
The untreated soil gave yield
per acre of 2,6 bu. in 1906, 12,t bu.
in 1907; Cowpeas turned under
gave a yield of 9.3 bu. in 1906, 1872
bu. in 1907; Cowpeas turned un-
der and lime added gave a yield
of 1917 bu. in 1906, 1871 bu. in 1907;
Cowpeas, lime and bone gave
vie Id cf 17.5 bu. in 1906, 22.2 bu. in
1907; Cowpeas, lime, bone and
p otash gave yield of 1879 bu. in
1906, 1871 bu. in 1907.
1t will be seen from these figures
that cowpeas have increased the
yield appreciably especially in
1 907, the cowpeas and lime have
given a little larger return but
that the use of cowpeas, lime and
phos phores have been by far the
most efficient in increasing the
yield. Potash added to the last
Gu ltiv alton gave but small in
crea Sc. By comparing the plots
so as to indicate the value of
various elements singly it will be
seen that the things that are most
i'm portant in increasing the yield
ar first bone, and second oowpeas
and that this combination is by
far the most effective.
The Office of the cowpeas is to
su pply nitrogen from the air ac-
cor ding to the well known prop
erty of leguminous plants and
that of the bone is to give soluble
pho sphates, both of which are
sho wn by analysis of this soil to
be strikingly lacking. The value
OF the lime is too correct acidity
W hich in this particular field
8 GEMS to be strong enough to show
a benefit from lime. The field is
q ute level and not we'll drained
W hich is doubtless responsible
for the acidity since it is such
lands that show sourness. The
8 ourness is so small, however,
o nd the response to lime SO slight
t hat lime is to be recommended
only in an experimental way.
1t is of interest to know that the
tr eatments that brought the heav-
lest net returns are cowpeas, lime
b one treatment for both seasons.
In 1906 this . treatment gave a
ne return over the cost of appli-
ca ton of S527 and in 1907 net
return of S3.17. The next highest
net return was from the cowpeas
lime, bone, potash, although
the cost of the potash was sc
great in comparison to the crop
T eturn secured and the net return
W as reduced to S3.41 in 1905 and
to S2.97 in 1907.
The things to be recommended
for wheat on this soil from the re-
ults of these experiments are as
follows:
First, the application of i25 tc
$50 lbs. of bone meal, applied with
a fertilizer drill when the wheat il
sown. The finely ground steamed
DO ne meal is somewhat preferable
to the raw bone or the unsteamed
beef bone as it is cheaper in price
b ecause of the smaller percent oi
nitrogen it contains. However az
this land needs n itrogen also the
ra W bone may sometimes bring
l arger yields, especially on more
wo rn areas of this soil, although
the net return due to its greater