VOL XIX.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, DEO. 27,1884.
NO. 52
EXPERIMENTS AT
TIIE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
An Experiment with Commercial Fertilizers on Potatoes.
Results of a Four Years Test at Purdue
University.
. In 1881 tbe Agricultural Department of
Purdue University began a series of experiments with various mineral and nitrogenous commercial fertilizers on potatoes.
These experiments have now been carried
on four years, a length of time sufficient to
give pretty definite conclusions.
OBJECT OF THE EXPERIMENT.
The aim of the experiment was to determine the relative merits of different fertilizers, and especially to ascertain the
form and quantity of nitrogen that would
give the best results.
PLAN OF EXPERIMENTS.
The experiment plats occupied an apparently very uniform piece of ground and
were placed side by side, except the unfertilized two plats which were placed just opposite the two fertilized plats, 11 and 12, as
by the accompanying diagram. The plats
were of uniform size, one rod by five rods,
with the long way north and south.
DIAGRAM OF PLATS.
1
2
3
4
5
6
d
7
8
9
10
d
11
12
13
14
d
16
16
17
IS
d
North.
A broad but very
crosses this series
north and south,
from plat 8 to plat
point at plat 14,
feet  below  the
19
20
shallow depression
of plats running
and extending
18, with lowest
one and one half
general level.
CHARACTER OF THE SOIL.
The soil where-the experiment was conducted, is a dark, heavy loam, quite
"sticky" when wet, but naturally well
d rained. The surface soil has considerable
clay and organic matter, and bnt little
sand. In general appearance and texture
it closely resembles the prairie soil of the
adjoining counties, though not so fertile
as the latter.
Each fertilizer had its own plat which is
occupied throughout the experiment. The
fertilizers were applied, soon after planting, along the lines of the rows in which
the potatoes had been drilled. The planting, cultivation and harvesting of the
plats were the same in every respect. The
table gives the kinds of fertilizers used,
quantity applied per acre, average yield
per acre, and the increase in yield per acre
which is the difference between the average yield of each fertilized plat and the
average of the two unmanured plats.
TABLE -IVINQ FERTILIZERS AND AVERAGE
YIELD OF PLATS.
Kinds of Fertilizers.
"So.
3 9
1 Nitrate ot soda	
'-; Superphosphate „	
■JjMurlateof potash „ „..
4,Nitrateof soda 150 lbs, superphoa-
phate axilbs .._	
^.Nitrateof soda 150 lbs, muriate ol
I   potash Ibatm	
".Superphosphate 300 lbs, muriate of
I potash 150 lbs    .   .
7 Superphosphate 300 Ibs.muriase of
potash 150. nitrate of soda^S ration 150 lbs      . ._.
Superphosphate 300 Ibs.murlate of
potash 150 lbs, nitrateof soda, *s
ration 300 Ss 	
Superphosphate 300 Ibs.murlate of
potash 150 lbs, nitrateof  soda,
full ration 450 lbs	
Superphosphate 300 Ibs.murlate of
jnush 150 lbs, nitrate of soda,
ull ration	
Superphosphate 300 Ibs.muriate of
potash laO lbs, sulphate of am-
monla.H ration i_sj lbs	
Superphosphate 300 Ibs.murlate of
potash 150 lbs, sulphate of ammonia, % ration _ti	
Superphosphate 300 Ibs.murlate of
potash 150 lbs sulphate of ammonia,full ration w_ lbs	
Superphosphate 300 lbs, muriate of
potash 150 lbs	
Superphosphate 300 Ibs.murlate of
potash 150 lbs, dried bloody
tion 225 	
Superphosphate 3001M,muriate of
potash 150 lbs, dried blood h ration 450 lbs	
Superphosphate 300 Ibs.murlate of
potash 150 lbs, dried blood, full
ration 675 lbs _
Superphosphate 300 tbs,muriate of
potash ISO lbs	
19j No manure 	
2WNo manure ;	
OSS   .
2 s-
_ *
ES _
f ■ z
- ■ £ 5 * --
>n o! **tslr
< *\
150   86.54
SCWnx-tO
150  81.45
450107.73
300 77.68
450 94.06
600115.19
750120.78
900119.34
450131.34
5_.Hs
675
787'S
450
137.07
121.32
106.13
116.89
1125 92.78
4.vJ SS.S1
000 (V1.08
"001 61.31
25.SK
59.71
20.76
47.01
16.99
33.37
54.50
60.09
58.65
70.65
76.33
00.63
45.44
53.20
43.40
42.09
32.07
27.82
The superphosphate contained 15 per
cent soluble and 16 per cent total phosphoric acid; the nitrate of soda, sulphate
of ammonia, and dried blood contained 16
per cent, 21 per cent and 11 per cent re-'
spectively, of nitrogen; and there was
50 per cent of potash in the muriate of potash. The plats received good but not high
cultivation, the aim being to test the fertilizers under average farm conditions.
For convenience in studying the result-
obtained we will group the plats with reference to the number and kinds of fertilizers used.
AVERAGE YIELD BY GROUPS.
Yield
Bushels
Bushels
Increase.
I
Average of plats 1,2 and 3,
which received one fertil-
90.13
11
Average of plats 4, 5,6, 10,14
and 18 receiving two fertll-
102.70
in
Average o* plats 7, 8,9,11,12.
13, 15, 16 and 17 receiving
113.28
52.59
IV
Average of plats receiving
107.62
46.93
v.
Average of plats receiving
no nitrogen (except 19 and
105.44
44.75
VI
Average of plats 7, 8 and 9
receiving  nitrogen as nl-
118.41
57.75
VII
Averege of plats 11,12 and 13
receiving nitrogen as sul
phate of ammonia _.
121.51
60.82
VIII
Average of plats 15,16 and 17
receiving nitrogen as dried
99-8S
39.19
IX
Average ot plats 7,11 and 15
receiving ,i ration of nl-
118.7S
53.09
X
Average of plats 8,12 and 16
receiving H ration of nl-
114.96
54.27
XI
Avefage of plats 9,13 and 17
receiving full ration of nl-
106.08
45.39
XII
Average of plats 19 and 20
6o.es
00.00
Mil
Average of plats 6,10 14 and
18 duplicates marked d In
107.70
47.01
We see from these group averages that
there is a marked difference between the
fertilized and unfertilized groups, and a
comparatively slight difference between
the fertilized groups. The slight influence
of nitrogenous fertilizers on the yield of
potatoes is shown by comparing the nitrogen group IV with the non-nitrogen
group V, the  former exceeding the latter
only a trifle over two bnshels per acre. We
should bear in mind also that three-fourths
of the plats in the nitrogen group received
three fertilizers each, while not one of the
plots in the non-nitrogen group received
more than two fertilizers. The effect of
the nitrogen appears to be in inverse
ratio to the amount of nitrogen applied;
for the one-third ration plats yielded 118
bushels per acre; the two-thirds ration
plats 114 bus-els, and the full ration plats
only 106 bushels. The nitrogen in the
form of sulphate of ammonia gave the best
results, the yield being 121 bushels,against
118 bushels with nitrate of soda and 99
bushels with dried blood. The feeble
effect of the nitrogenous fertilizers is further shown by comparing groups III and
XIV. These two groups received the same
quantities of superphosphate and muriate
of potash, and differed from each other
only in respect to the nitrogenous fertilizers which were applied to group III. The
addition of combined nitrogen to this
group in quantities varying from 150 to
675 pounds per acre increased the average
yield less than six bushels above the yield
of group XIV. In other words the nitro
genous fertilizers applied to group III in
quantities varying from 150 to 675 pounds
per acre increased the yield only about six
bushels per acre, a result not at all commensurate with the cost of these fertilizers.
Although not within the scope of this
experiment it will nevertheless be Interesting to note the relative cost of these fertilizers and the profit or loss resulting
from their . use. In calculating the total
cost, we have added to the original cost of
the fertilizers fifteen cents per hundred
pounds for freight and hauling and twenty-five cents per acre for applying. The
figures In the following table give very
nearly the actual cost for ton quantities.
Estimating the potatoes worth twenty-five
cents per bushel and multiplying this
prlco by the number of bushels that each
fertilized plat exceeded the average yield of
the two unmanured plats, we get the
value of the increased yield, which is the
gross profit from using the fertilizers; and
the difference between the gross profit and
the cost of using the fertilizers is the net
profit or loss as the case may be. The results are calculated to the acre in every
case as in the previous tables.
PROFITS   OR  LOSSE-J   RESULTING   FROM  USE
OF FERTILIZERS.
Cost of
Value of l
No. of
Increased Net gain on
Net loss on
Plat.
Fertilizer
yield
| 6 46
Fertilizer
Fertilizer
1
$ 4 2)
fi
»....
2
4 98
14 i)3
ll 95
3
3 70
5 19
1 49
4
8 95
11 76
2 81
5
7 68
4 25
3 43
6
8 43
8 34
009
7
12 40
13 62
1 22
8
If. 38
15 02
1 36
T9
20 37
14 66
......
5 71
10
8 43
17 66
9 23
11
12 25
19 09
684
12
16 07
15 16
0 91
13
19 92
11 3D
856
14
8 43
14 05
5 62 '
15
12 92
10 85
207
16
15 40
10 2)
....
4 88
17
18 87
8 02
10 85
18
843
6 95
1 48
of the nine plats that received three fertilizers show a loss, and that the loss is in
direct proportion to the amount of nitrogenous fertilizers used. Great caution^
should be observed however in drawing
conclusions from this table of profits and
losses as slight fluctuations In market
values would materially affect the results. .
To illustrate: if potatoes should be worth
thirty cents per bushel instead of twenty-
five cents as assumed in the table, twelve
of the plats, instead of eight, would show
a profit. A slight fall in the price of fertilizers would have a similar effect; and a
worn soil would doubtless show a greater
difference in favor of the nitrogenous fertilizers.
Four lessons of general application may
be drawn from this experiment:
First—A partial fertilizer costing ©nly a
moderate sum will often produce as good
results as a costly complete fertilizer.
Second—On comparatively fertile soils
like the college farm, the use of large
quantities of nitrogenous fertilizers on tho-
potato crop will not be found profitable.
Third—The kind or combination of fertilizers that will give the best results will
depend largely on the characterof the soil,
and can be •ccurately determined only by
carefully conducted field experiments.
Fourth—Farmers and horticulturists
should look sharply to the question of
profit in using commercial fertilizers in
order to have the balance on the right side
of the account.
Assuming that the estimates on which
the table is based are correct, we find that
the fertilizers were used on eight plats
with a profit, varying from ?1 22 to ?9 23
per acre; and on ten of the plats with a
loss varying from nine cents to §10 85 per
acre. We note also that with two exceptions—plats 7 and 11—the' net profits are
from the prats receiving only one, or two
fertilizers.   We observe further that seven
Tho Weather Up North.
A correspondent at Minneapolis, Minn.,
writes, under date of Dec. 17th.
Weather here ranging since Sunday from
12° to over 20° below zero. Fires are quite
the rage. Almost everybody indulges in
them. Pumps have a way of freezing up,
not altogether pleasant and frost work
curtains at windows makes other drapery
supertluous. West winds here have a
very decided nip with no hint of .the
Japan warm current in them, as is often
the case in North Dakota. Here it says
very plainly, "I've come to bite you," and
it does just what it says. One may as well
submit to tho inevitable, and cheat Boreas
by providing abundance of warm clothing
and fuel and then pray for the poor, and
conclude it isn't so terribly cold after all.
Buffalo and other fur coats, fur caps and
felt boots help to make the weather endurable; and when completely clad in these
warm garments one may laugh at zero and
several degress below. One feels disposed
to laugh at a good many things that might
be considered grievances in other places,
the blood bounds with such activity and
life is so buoyant. The air is cold but it.
doesn't penetrate to the marrow of the
bones as cold does farther south. It invigorates and gives courage and strength to
withstand and even to enjoy it. Everything goes on runners and the music of
sleigh bells is heard all day.        P. C. H.
Fanners in many parts of Nebraska are
burning corn for fuel. Soft coal is worth
in that State about '22 cents a bushel, and
corn does not find a ready sale for more
than 12 cents, and experiments have
shown that two bushels of corn will produce more warmth than one bushel of
coal.