Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-01-05
SOME EXPERIMENTS
With PEAT BEDS
County Adviser. Of Wright County
Makes Some Tests and Gives
Results.

The peat and alkali soil expert
mental work carried on in Wright
county the past summer was very
satisfactory in results.
On the peat field of H. A. Crab
tree, Vernon township, five plots Of
one-third acre each were measured
off. Plot number one got no treatment
and yielded 1913 bushels Of very soft
immature corn. Plot number two
had treatment Of 119 pounds acid
phosphate and yielded 1852 bushels
of ninety per cent sound corn. Plot
number three had a treatment Of
119 pounds acid phosphate and 35
pounds muriate Of potash. This plot
yielded 53.4 bushels of very good
corn about like plot number two.
Plot number four had a treatment
of 81 pounds of potash and yielded
5G.S6 bushels of corn. Plot num-
Der five a treatment of 1873 pounds
of potash, but was drowned out and
no results could be taken.
A similar experiment was run on
T. Y. McCormick's field in Troy
township. The same sized plots
were used and the same treatment
given. Plot number one yielded
343 bushels of very soft immature
corn, not worth over fifteen cents
per bushel for feed. While plot
number two yielded As bushels of
good corn, running about 80 per
cent of solid. Plot number three
yielded 53.43 bushels of eighty per
cent sound corn. Plot number four
was partly drowned out, but yield
ed forty bushels of fairly good corn.
The Crabtree experiment was
conducted on deep peat that has
been drained and farmed. for four
years, while the Mccormick peat
bed was raw peat, having been
drained and plowed in the fall OF
1913.
From the yield and observations
made l am inclined to believe that
potash is what our peat soils in
Wright county need most. With a
treatment of two hundred pounds
per acre the treatment can be made
for about $3.50 per acre. The re-
suits Of one years treatment ought
to extend over at least two years
cropping and possibly three years.
A number of Al1ali tests were
made on the east side Of the county.
The big rain in June drowned out
the most of these and very indetin-
tie results were obtained, but in
Boone township on K. T. Engs farm
a four field experiment was run COM
pairing stable manure and potash.
Plot number one had 25 loads of
manure per acre and yielded 57.S3
bushels of good corn per acre. Plot
number two had twelve loads OF
manure and two hundred pounds of
potash yielded 60.34 bushels per
acre, while plot number three had
two hundred pounds of potash and
yielded 54.2 bushels of corn. Plot
number four had four hundred
pounds OF potash and yielded 81
bushels per acre.
A check plot was not run due to
the fact that last year this alkali
spot did not produce corn nor did
weeds grow on it. From this we find
that manure has great value in ov-
grooming alkali.
Where only small areas of alkali
are to be handled fresh stable man
ure is about equal to potash and
manure, and worth as much or more
than potash alone, but where large
tracks of alkali are to be handled
and manure scarce, or needed on
thin land, potash can be used prof"
itably.
The alkali and peat plots are go
ing to be watched for another year
or two to ascertain definitely how
long the applicants will influence
tho production of corn.
L. 0. Wise, County Adviser.