Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-02
!.
OATS MADE.
up OF ACID
PH0SPAATES
Fl0R|DAR0CK

Orono, Me-, Feb. 1.-The following
was made public today by Charles D.
Woods, director of the Maine Agricul-
tural Experiment station:
Shortly before planting time last
spring the Maine Agricultural 'Expe-
riment Station was asked to test the
efficiency Of raw phosphate on Aroos-
took Farm. The experiments for the
year had already been planned and
the land remaining was not very suit
able for experimental purposes. How
ever. it was decided to make a prelim-
mary test of acid phosphate and raw
ground Florida rock, using oats as the
test crop. e-..s.-
Four one-half acre plots We're laid
out in as even a piece of ground as
could be Obtained. The plots were
crossed by a small runway in which
there was some water shortly before
planting. Even at the time of planting
a strip about so feet wide in each plot
was quite wet. Over this area the
stand was quite poor and the yield was
undoubtedly greatly affected. However,
since the conditions We're practically
the same in each plot, the results are
comparable one with another. The alb
solute yield is lower than that OBJ
tanned on more favorable soil.
The land had been pIowed the pre-
ceding fall. In order to insure a supply
of nitrogen good coating of manure
was applied to the two acres in the
spring and the land plowed again.
All plots were seeded with Prosper
ity oats using three bushels to the acre
Owing to the pressure of other work it
was found impossible to thresh the
grain from each plot separately. IN
stead the total weight of the unthresh-
ed grain from each plot was recorded
From this a very good estimate of the
yield Of grain can be obtained
OF the four plots the first received
no commercial fertilizer at all. The
second plot received so pounds of a 16
per cent. acid phosphate. This is equiv
alent to about 4S pounds of available
phosphoric acid per acre. The third
plot received finely ground Florida rock
phosphate at the rate of 500 pounds per
acre. This raw rock analysed about
31.45 per cent of total phosphoric acid
making the application about $50
pounds per acre. The fourth plot re-
ceived a 5-S-7 commercial fertilizer at
the rate of 500 pounds per acre.
The first three plots yielded at ap-
proXimately the same rate. The total
weight of the straw and grain from
these plots was at the rate of about
$500 pounds per acre. This corresponds
with grain yield of about 40 bushels
per acre. The Variations between the
Yields of the differart plots were not
great enough to ht, Significant. ;Pha
fourth plot which received the compihfe
fertilizer gave 1890 pounds of grain and
straw per acre This corresponds to a
yield of about IS bushels Of grain. This
shows an increase of &c bushels or 40
per cent. over the plots receiving no
FERTILIZER or phosphoric acid alone
The results Of this experiment indi-
cate that phorphoric acid is not a con-
trolling factor in the yield of oats I'M
der Areostook Farm conditions. There
was no significant difference between
the yield of the control plot and the
plots containing either acid phosphate
or Florida rock. When a complete fer
tliIzer was used, however, very sig
nlhcant increase 40 per cent? in the
yleld, occurred. The experiment was
not planned in such a way as to indi
cate whether this latter increase was
due to the nitrogen or to the potash
CHAS. D. WOODS.
Dirantnr