Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-18
ExPERIMENTSAT
ARoOsIlQll I FARM
/. DURING YEAR 1914
Sulphate of Ammonia Compared
with Nitrate of Soda as a
Source of Nitrogen in Potato
Fertilizer. \,

I" 81
Orono, Me-. Feb. l7.-(SpeciaD "A
tfew years ago there was quite gen
seral failure of crop of potatoes in
Aroostook county where a certain
brand of fertilizer was used. This
fertilizer was analyzed by the Station
chemists and found to be high grade.
While it was not quite up to its guar
anty in some particulars il did carry
enough nitrogen. potash and phosphor-
ic acid to more than grow good crop
Of potatoes. This fertilizer carried
none Of its nitrogen in the form Of nj
trate Of soda, but it was AL in the form
of sulphate Of ammonia and high grade
organic materials. This led TO the
stronger reaHirming of the position
which the Maine Agricultural Expert
ment Station has taken relative TO the
use Of nitrate nitrogen on the potato
crop. In earlier publications it has been
pointed out THAI the potato makes its
demands for nitrogen early in the sea
son and that in the cold, late springs
so common in Aroostook county the
crop demanded that part of the nitro
gen should be Immediately available.
For this reason the Maine Agricultural
Experiment Station has strongly urged
that for potatoes about one-third Of
the nitrogen in fertilizer be as nitrate
nitrogen.
III In the process Of making gas and
coke from coal there is developed
large amount OF sulphate Of ammonia,
which III many coke and gas plants is
still going TO waste. In some plants
this now is being conserved and many
thousand tons OF sulphate of ammonia
are thus, obtained each year With the
increasing use of high grade organic
nitrogen for food of animals the price
Of tankage has been going higher and
higher year by year. 1t is, of course,
desirable, if il can be done, that as
much as possible Of this sUlphaIe OF
ammonia which is a comparatively
cheap source OF nitrogen be used in
Maine fertilizers. Because Of this ar
engagements were made to begin in 1914
series of experiments to run over a
period of several years. The base
which was used in these goods was
MADE by the wet process. whereby nit
rogen from rather low grade goods was
made as available as from high grade
goods. The available phosphoric acid
was furnished in the form of acid phos-
phate and the potash in the form OF
sulphate Of potassium. The fertilizer
was free from chlorides so as to pre-
clude the possibility of the formation
of poisonous ammonium chloride. The
base carried approximately one-third
of the nitrogen that went into the
formula The remainder of the nitro
gen -wassfurnished in the form of nit
, ! ,-oSya ~
as indicated in the following plan:
Plot / Basal mixture and 2-S of the
nitrogen in form Of nitrate of soda
Plot 2. Basal mixture and 2-3 of the
nitrogen in form Of sulphate Of am
monia
Plot 3. Basal mixture and 1-3 Of the
nitrogen in form Of nitrate Of soda and
l.1-3 in form of sulphate of ammonia
Plot 4. Basal mixture. and 1-3 of the
nitrogen in form Of high grade organic
, and 13 in form of nitrate Of soda.
, Plot s. Basal mixture and Ia of the
nitrogen in form of high grade organic
and 1-3 in form Of sulphate of am
monia
r There was about an acre in each plot
The Lowell Strain Green Mountain po-
! tato was used for seed. The fertilizer
: was applied at the rate of 1900 pounds
1 per acre, and supplied about 60 pounds
, of nitrogen, 120 pounds of available
phosphoric acid and 105 pounds OF wa
; ter soluble potash per acre. Other than
the fertilizer used the plots were plant
ed, cultivated, sprayed and cared for
in all particulars alike.
May and June were rather cool
! he nd hnrnn l.<a O., l.
5 to the nitrate of soda The mean tenn
=. perature for May was sag degrees,
: for June 500 degrees. July 635 degrees,
\ August COL degrees and September 55.s
degrees. There We're several cold nights
with frosts in June May the ther-
. mometer went TO rs degrees, May to
, 81 degrees. June to 80 degrees and
June rs to 81 degrees, and on this late
/. date thers was quite a heavy frost so
I that it injured potatoes, not in these
f experiments but on some other plots at
Aroostook farm. The lowest tempera-
ture in July was 40. The lowest tenn
perature in August was on the 2sth
when it was 85 degrees. II was. how
ever. colder than this at some OF the
l lever parts of Aroostook farm. where
there was a slight frost on this night
5 of August %.
: 1t is to be remembered that expert
:. ments Of this kind cannot be expected
to give results in single year that
viii be conclusive. The yields on the
plots when weighed were as follows.
Plot !, 127 barrels; plot 2. 12i barrels:
plot 3, 1913 barrels; plot 4. 126 barrels;
plot 8, lis barrels per acre. The plots
containing sulpha1e of ammonia aver
aged 119s barrels and the plots con-
, tanning nitrate of soda averaged 1876
barrels per acre, while. the plot which
contained both sulphate of ammonia
and nitrate Of soda was half way be-
tween, or 123 barrels per acre.
>! It is planned to repeat this expert
Il ment in 1915. '".-
Il -