The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-02-09

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is equal to 48O pounds per acre. The ma
terials spread upon each plot was as fol-
lows:
Plot No. 1, 80 lbs. agricultural lime.
Plot No. 2, 30 lbs. Liverpool salt.
Plot No. 3, 80 lbs. hardwood ashes.
Plot No. 4, 10 lbs. each of lime, salt and
ashes.
Plot No. 5, 30 lbs nitrate of soda.
Plot No. 6, 80 lbs. muriate of potash.
Plot No. 7, 80 lbs. raw, bone meal
Plot No. 8, 1-2 lbs. nitrate of soda, Z
IL muriate Of potash, Is bone meal
Plot No. 9, 10 lbs. lime, 10 ashes, 10
bone meal.
Plot No. 10, 10 lbs. salt, 10 ashes, 10
bone meal.
Plot No. II, 5 lbs. nitrate of soda, Is
ashes, 10 bone meal.
Plot No. IL, 5 lbs. nitrate of soda, 5
muriate of potash, Is bone meal, salt.
Plot No. 13, IL nitrate of soda, 7 IL
muriate of potash, Is acid phosphate.
Plot No. IA, Is lbs. nitrate of soda, is
acid phosphate.
Is acid phosphate.
Plot No. 16, Is lbs. nitrate of soda, Is
muriate of potash.
Plot No. II, 80 lbs. acid phosphate.
Plot No. IS, 10 lbs. sulphate of potash,
20 lbs. tankage.
The experimental strip ran north and
south, so that on the east and west side
of each plot was the open field that had
no dressing upon it, making any improve
ment in the dressed plots noticeable at
glance. I went over the ground each
week until it was moved and made esti-
mates and notes on all apparent improve
ments, but an old bull moose and COW and
calf moose descended on plot No. the
second week and ate it down badly twice
before haying, so it's real yield could only
be guessed at. They discovered the salt
in No. and literally cut out grass, roots
and all, in spots, Their tracks were across
the other plots but they fed none of them
down badly. This is back field, entirely
surrounded by woods, and has been crop
ped about twenty-five years, and the
original humus is exhausted 1t is a
ridge called ''pine land" fine sandy
loan. The field had been in grass two
years, preceded by crop of oats and
two crops of potatoes, and in 1909 the
ten, acres yielded about eight tons of hay.
1t will be seen that nitrate of soda was
used on seven plots and upon these seven
plots there was an improvement in the
grass in exact proportion to the amount
of nitrate of soda used.
On plot No. 5 there was about four
times as much grass as grew on the east
and west side of it. The grass was a
dark rich green.
On plots No. Ia and 16 the grass was
doubled.
No. s and 10 about one-half more grass
than on the undressed field
No. II and IL was less grass than on
and ID.
Except these seven plots where nitrate
of soda was used, it was impossible to
detect the least improvement in the
grass, but / and some of my neighbors
thought that No. 4 showed shade dark
er green than the general field. left
all the corner stakes, with their numbers,
standing to see if any improvement in
the grass would appear the next year,
and not the least sign of improvement
was visible in 1910 on any of the plots.
1t was the opinion Of several who watch
ed the results with me that the nitrate
of soda spent all its force inside of six
weeks. 1t may be difficult to believe
that none of the ingredients used, except
the nitrate Of soda, is Of the least value
as top-dressing, but upon my land they
certainly have shown nothing.
made some experiments on the fer
tilizer for potatoes, which I will publish
later. They gave me some surprises.
C. S. GRIFFIN.
Kingman, Me.