White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1930-08-29
Tests Show
That Fertilizers
Increase Yield
Nearly All Crops Are
Boosted When Proper
Combination Used

Three tours covering Richland, Ken,
newick, White Bluffs, Hanford, ana
Benton City Communities have Deen
held for the purpose OF Observation
of results of fertilizer demonstration
plots covering apples, strawberries les:
cherries, prunes and alfalfa. fertih-
ger plots have been run now 1or
+wo years on two different fields,
one at Finley and one at Hantord.
Verv definite results have been shown
on these two plots and the results
are alike on both plots. Because OF
the fact that crop like alfalfa shows
definite results more than it is pos
sible to secure from crop like APP
pies or strawberries, the results Sc
cured from alfalfa are being used.
as a check against the other crop
fertilization work as general basis
Of recommendation for other crops.
The two alfalfa plots are both To-
Gated on sandy soils, Jens Lande,
Finley and w. L. Enyeart at Han
ford. and the series Consists OF
nitrate, nitrate-phosphate, check
a nitrate-phosphate and potash. and
a acknowledgement plot. 800 ID. OF
nitrate of soda. 600 lbs. of super-phos..
phate and zoo lbs. of sulphate OF
potash per acre has been the rate
Of application. In addition on the
Lande farm this year an extra plot
was added, fortified with 11-46 am
monium phosphate, at the rate OF NV
lbs per acre and half Of this plot
being fortified with 400 lbs. applca-
ton of potassium sulphate. This heavy
application of potash was made at the
request of potash dealers to deter
mine whether there was not posi-.
bilitv that the lighter application OF
20o lbs was only meeting soil re-
quirements, leaving nothing tor the
plant. The anmophos was used on
the extra plot to determine whether
results secured from superphosphate
might be due to the gysum IN the
@superphosphate, instead OF the phos
phate.
The results secured this year for
three cuttings. has shown that the
nitrate-phosphate plot on the En-
yeart farm has yielded 4127 lbs. more
hay than mas the check plot when
received no fertilizer. The nitrate
plot has yielded very little increase
over the check plot, the large part
of the above increase being DUE to
the phosphate. On the Lande farm
on the first two cuttings, the 3rd
not yet being cut the increase on the
nitrate-phosphate plot has been 1917
lbs. The yield on the first CUTTING
however, were seriously upset due
to break in the flume and the flelo
becoming too dry as consequence.
The difference on the second cutting
between the check and the nitrate
phosphate was 1923 lbs. and the sra.
cutting promises fully as much it not
more. On the ammophes plot the dill
ference on the LIST two cuttings be-
tween the ammophes and the check
is 2O36 lbs with very appreciable
difference to be noted in the stand
for the third cutting. The 400 Id ap-
plication of potassium sulphate has
shown some increase in yield over
the amnaophes but not sufficient tol
paw for the heavy application made.
As far as alfalfa is concerned, it
would seem that the application OF
some form of phosphate fertilizer and
on present indications that the use OF
superphosphate alone should be a
good investment for alfalfa growers
who are not securing good yleids'
Both fields on which these two plots
were laid out, were taken out OF the
sage brush in 1908 and have been IN
alfalfa approximately 2-3 OF the time
since. and in cultivated crops such
as corn and potatoes the other third
These plots have been fortified IN
the spring for the last two seasons
but it is questionable whether phos-
phate would be needed oftener than
every other year and possibly only
one year in three if applied at the rate
of 600 lbs. per acre.
Using the results secured from the
alfalfa plots and checking against the
results noticeable on the other crops
fertilized it would seem that the fol-
lowing general conclusions might be
drawn. All other crops on which fer
tilizers have been applied have shown
very definite response to nitrate
fertilizer. From 10 to 80 lbs. of a
6-1O-1O combination has been applied
to apples and in one instance as much
as 10 lbs. ammonia sulphate last year,
and is lbs this year have been applied
per tree. From observations made re-
Gently one seems justified in draw
ing the conclusions that the 80 lbs. OF
6-1O-1O, is too heavy an application
of nitrates and certainly the heavier
application of ammonia sulphate was
too heavy. Care must be taken that
too much nitrate is not applied so
"s to prevent too heavy leaf and
twig growth and the consequent fail
ure of apples to not color.
Four tons of alfalfa hay remove
951z lbs of potash from the soil
which is SO per cent more than is
removed by ga tons OF potatoes.
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