Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-03-02
ROTHAMSTED EXPERIMENT STATION AND FERTILIZERS.

tlOn IS In England, ana IS noted Tor the great work is has done along all lines of agricultural work. It has gone into the laws of soil fertility, has been the first to discover many of these laws, and has in all it's history been especially interested in working out plan of farm management by which soil fertility could be maintain ed at minimum cost to the farmers. The Rothamsted experiments began in the year 1887, when Sir John Ben nett Lawes began experiments on his private estate He was a man who loved the soil and to experiment with it. Strange to say, he was fertil- izer manufacturer in certain sense, as he early discovered a process for transforming bone into superphos- phate by the use of sulphuric acid, took out patent for this in 1842, and built an extensive business, which he managed for about thirty years. In 1843 he associated with him J. H. Gilbert, and these two men for more than fifty years conducted extensive agricultural investigations in regard to soils and fertilizers, and feeds and feeding of domestic animals. In 1889 Sir John turned over his large estate, which had now grown so important, and had become so we'll known in all parts of the civilized world, to a board of directors, and endowed it with half million dollars.
 Among many other things that were done, experiments were conduct ed with fertilizers, mineral salts, and many forms of ammoniates, also with animal manures, to determine just what the soils needed to grow the most crops. For this work plots of ground were set aside. marked off and carefully measured, and then planted to the crop with which the investigator wished to work. Small plots would be used for the different kinds of mineral and animal manures, and in each series one plot would be left unfertilized throughout the entire experiments. while the others would have applied the different combina- tions of fertilizers. etc. Careful re- ports were taken from each end of these plots, and with interesting re- suits. The same experiments were continued for twenty years and more.
 Many experiments were conducted with hay, and some of these with the following results: The plots that had no manure of any kind averaged in twenty years, z,S83 pounds of hay; the plots which had mineral manure alone 3,59S pounds; the nlots with .:lineral manure and 400 pounds of ammonia salts, 5,711 pounds of hay; those with mineral manure and 500 pounds si ammonia salts, 6 726 pounds of hay; the plots which received the mineral manure and nitrate of soda, 6.407 pounds of hay. Considering the very low cost of the fertilizers in compar- ison to the increased yields brought about by their use, one could not fai. to see the value of the manure salts.
 The Rothamsted station was inter- ested in the permanent improvement of land and the part played in this by the use of fertilizing materials. From the many experiments carried out. there was never doubt of the wisdom of applying plant food to the soil. Larger yields were always ob- tained, other things being equal, and the fertilization of the soils through. out England and her possessions rec commended. It was decided to ascer- tain the effects of fertilizers on corn Seven plots were treated as follows:
 Plot l. Unmanured.
 Plot ?. Mixed mineral manure, 300 pounds sulphate of potash, 200 pounds sulphate soda, 100 pounds sulphate magnesia, $50 pounds superphosphate lime
 Plot 3. Ammonia salts, comprising 200 pounds sulphate ammonia and 200 pounds muriate of ammonia.
 Plot 4. Ammonia salts and mixed mineral manures. es Plot 2.
 Plot 5. Five hundred and forty pounds Peruvian guano.
 Plot 6. Two thousand pounds rape cake.
 Plot :. Fourteen tons farmyard ma. nure.
 The results of six years of experi- msnts follow: The greatest increase in yields was obtained with fertilizers richest in ammonia. The ammonia salts, the guano and the rape cake gave the largest increase. which was about four or five bushels increase of dressed corn. In Plot 2, where only the mineral manures were used the increase was least, while in Plots and it was greater, and in great est. It seems that the mineral ma nures needed the effect of the ann monia salts in order to help them be- come available. There was in every case substantial increase where fer tilizers were used over the plots that remained unManured.
 The great object in giving the above information is to bring to the attention of farmers and business men that the question of fertilizers for the average farm crops is subject as