Gardes^
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, MARCH 13,1886. NO  11
VOL. XXI.
FIELD   EXPERIMENTS BY   PURDUE
UNIVERSITY.
A Co-operative Test of Ammoniated Phosphate on the Corn Crop of 1885.
BV PROP. W. C. LATTA.
No. 6.
Daring tbe past season the Agricultural
College conducted a co-operative experiment in fertilizing oorn. Tbe chief object
of the experiment was to test a single fertilizer on a single crop, in various parts of
the State. A second and subsidiary object was to ahow the variable effect of the
fertilizer in different localities. The fertilizer experimented with was ammoniated
phosphate, a brand regularly manufactured and for sale by the Indianapolis Fer-
RE8ULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT.
The accompanying tabular statement
gives the more important details of the
experiment and also the yields from plats
fertilized and not fertilized.
The reader will get a succinct account of
every experiment by reading down the
columns, headed by the names of the experimenters.
The largest increase from using the fertilizer (8)4 bu ) was obtained by Mr. Riley
on a sandy loam. Mr. Splvey gets nearly
as great an increase (7.04 bu.) on a "light
colored" (probably a light loam) soil. J.
T. Latta follows with an increase of six bu.
on a light sandy loam. The fertilizer waa
apparently without effects on the sandy
soil of Johnson county. This result which
is only apparent is explained by Mr. Mutz
under  "remarks."   Mr. Mutz writes that
the 400th anniversary of Columbus's discovery. Preliminary measures have been
taken to materialize this project by leading citizens of Washington. The grand
enterprise has been mapped out in detail
and encouragement comes from every
side. The question now is how to enlist
Congress.
It is proposed that the buildings for the
permanent Exposition be grouped around
the Washington Mounment. Space could
tbere be assigned each of the 15 republics
of Spanish America aud the Portugese
empire of Brazil to erect a permanent
building for the display of their resources
and attractions. It would, in effect, be a
permanent Congress of the three Americas,
and something ill harmony with public
sentiment, as is evidenced by the numerous bills recently introduced in the Senate
the matter special attention, doing the
most of my own work, I therefore claim
that the man that drives the horse should
know more about the requirements of his
horse than any stranger or smith does. If
his horse interferes he should know just
where and how he does it; if he overreaches ho w to obviate it. When I go to the
shop to have a horse shod I tell the smith
just how I want it done. If he says it
will not do I simply tell him It Is none of
his business, if I want the shoes put on
hind part in front, as long as he gets his
pay for his labor, and if he will not or
cannot do as I want I must get some one
that will, and he generally comes lo terms.
Now as to shoes; when I want new ones
I form the foot in the best shape possible,
place it on a paper and mark the form and
length, and then state just hew 1 want it
TABULAR VIEW OF THE EXPERIMENT AND THE RESULTS OBTAINED.
Experimenter,
Connty.
Kind of soil	
Condition of soil..
Previous crop	
Ain't of fertilizer per A
When applied....
How applied.	
When planted-..
Huw planted	
Wheu gathered.,
yield per A fertilized
Yield per A not    do
Increase per A from
fertilizer	
James  Riley.
Boone,
Sandy loam,clay and
gravel subsoil.
Reduced by cropping
*h»at
200 pounds
i 1-10 at planting
i 9-10 last June
I lst time on hills
i 2d broadcast
May lst
In hills
Not stated
78.50 bushels
70.ui bushels
8.SO bushels.
The corn grew better,
ide
J.T Splvey.
Favette.
Light colored
Rather poor
Clover
200 pounds
f 'i May 15
IH June IS
Along    the    i
corn
May 9th
In drills
December 2d
6i.''4 bushels
63.Ou bushels
7.04 bushels
J. T. Latta.
Light sandy loam.
Sandy.
Quite poor
Wheat
200 pounds
i ' i abont May a)
IH July lid
Around hills
day
li hi
tils
FI st half of Nov.
48.10 bushels
42.00 bushels
i.OO bushels
Ccr-i weighed. Growth Corn measured No
more healthy on fer ilfferenee in growth
illzed   plat   and   the of plats.   The corn on
was sounder and bet-
Jer.i^Vfltllr^d* °S,L,lh,ei""
hilVi«,1i?iits- Tf1JIJ.kcornPn  this P'at was fertilized plat more un
he fertilizer would be sounder. iform    in    size,   with
splendid for stitl clay,
aa it makes the ground
lively and porous.
fewer small ears than
tbe other plats.
O. 17. Mutz."
Clay and loam.
Medium
Corn
2u) pounda
About May 20
Along rows of corn
May 5th
In drills
Early in Oct.
71.tm bushels
71.77 bushels
— .14 bushels
Corn   weighed.     Had
several hard rainssoon
after the fertilize:
applied.     Think
L. H. Davis.
Wayne.
Rather poor
Corn
2.0 pounds
July il
Around hills
May 18th
In bills
About Nov. 25th
53.50 bushels
18.'.0 bushels
5.00 bushels
The  corn   was m -as
ured.     Different
W. K. Willcuts.
f Black loam and yel
X    lowclay.
t lay loam.
Black soil, rich clay
I    medium.
Wheat
•Jon pounda
1-5 May 15
4.5 on laying corn by
Around hills
May llth
ln hills
Nov. 10th
'0.60 bushels
59.37 bushels
1.13 bushels
Arthur Gwa.
Purdue I'niver Ity.
Tippecanoe.
I Dark clay toajn
i     gravel subsoil.
Ti e  corn   was meas-
ured.    Observed   no
was'would   have   beenjdifference lu   appear'high
the|greater by  weight as ance of plat* or quali-|had
Poor
Corn
2<j0 pounds
July 7th
Around h'.lls
May 25th
In hills
Early In Dec.
.8.50 bushels
22.60 bush, ls
6.00 bushels
Fertilizer  a ppl.ed Oorn weighed. *Onau
when corn  was "knee other
Average fertility
Wheat and oats.
-'—It ponnds
June 29th
Broadcast
May Uth
In drills
Last week in Oct.
64.74 bushels
51.21 bushels
3.53 bushels
rains washed the fer that   fertilized  was
tillzer off to some ex-d'ierandsounder than
tent. Growth stronger the rest.
on fertilized plat. Soil
rather poorer on this
plat.
plat the same
Fertilized plat amount of fertilizer,
darker  grten.,«as applied,  ', bei-ig
ty of grain. The fol-JMo difference in qual-jscattered along the
lowing crop, wheat, isfily of grain observed, rows May 2mh. an.l ,
ranker  on the fertil-IThe  corn  was  meas- broadcast    July    9th
iz.d plat. Soil ia too
rich to use fertilizers
on at a profit yet.
tilizsr Company. The fertilizer was very
generously donated to the college, for trial,
by the above named company. The composition of the fertilizer is: insoluble phosphoric acid 6 27 per cent, reverted phosphoric acid 2 90 per cent, ammonia 2 89 per
cent and potash 2 89 per oent. One sack
(200 pounds) of the fertilizer was sent to
each person who joined in the trial.
INSTUCTIONS FOR CONDUCTING THK EXPERIMENT.
The poorest land, devoted to corn, waa
to be selected. The plat, to receive the
fertilizer, was to contain as nearly as possible one acre. It was to extend entirely
across the field and be flanked on both
sides by plats, not fertilized, for comparison. If the corn were drilled, two rows of
corn were to stand between the fertilized
plat and each of tbe plats not fertilized.
If planted in hills for cross cultivation,
there were to be four to six rows intervening, the object in each case, being to prevent the spreading of the fertilizer over
tbe adjacent comparison plats. The fertilizer was to be applied either, all atone
time late in .Tune, or about y, soon after
planting, and the remainder when the
season's cultivation was finished. The
plats were to be as uniform as possible in
every respect; and, with the exception st
the fertilizer, were to receive the same
treatment throughont.
The above instructions were not followed
strictly to tbe letter In every case. Everyone however took pains to secure a fair
and careful trial of the fertilizer; and I believe the results obtained are approximately correct.
The fertilizer ihcreas-:
ed the yield of this'
plat only .02 bushels.
There was no percep
tible difference i a the
growth or quality ol:
corn on the fertilized
and not fertilized plats
the fertilized plat was on the higher
ground, which fact supports his statement
that the plat not fertilized had the greater
natural fertility. * * * * If
Mr. Mutz had laid off a comparison plat
on both sides of his fertilized plat—as did
all the others—we then could make a more
accurate estimate of the natural fertility
of the plat which received the fertilizer,
and thus better understand the effect of
the same.
Messrs. Davis and Goss each get an increase of live bu. on rather worn clay loam
soils. I believe that they would have obtained better results by applying the fertilizer early—say in the latter part of June.
Mr. Willcuts' soil, as well as that of the
college farm, is doubtless too rich for thc
fertilizer to show marked results. It gives
me pleasure to state that all who have
joined—voluntarily and withount one cent
of pay—in this experiment have evinced by
their work a desire, not to make a case,
but to get facts. I am very glad to state
further that six of those who aided the
college in this experiment are, or have
been, agricultural students at Purdue University. I will report on experiments with
oats in the next issue. *
l.tfayette, Ind., March 3d, '86.
zz——~—
Washington Letter.
Prom our regular correspondent:
It has been proposed to open a permanent Exposition of North, South and Central America, in 1889, the centennial anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution
ofthe Unitedstates. Then in 1892 the
World's Exposition is to open in honor of
and house to provide for a temporary convention of American nations.
The House of Representatives has spent
five days in discussing the Pension Appropriation bill to which not a single
member has any objection to make or any
amendment to propose. The Senate is
still wrestling with the Educational bill
which |has drifted into a bad position so
far as its chances of passage are concerned,
by reason of some objectionable amendment.
Senator Ingalishas just presented in the
Senate a petition as he said "of great length
and extraordinary inaccuracy," signed by
citizens of Kansas, evidently of foreign
birth, praying for abolition of the Presi
dency. He said he presented it with
pleasure, although it was based upon entire
misconception of the constitution, and
appalling ignorance of the history, to
which it refers. It asked for European
methods of government.
 ,  m   .	
Horse Shoeing.
Kditors Indiana Farmer:
I am a plain farmer and as yet a beginner, and take a deep interest in all
matter pertaining to farming, stock raising, etc. The article in the Farmer of
Feb. 20th, on Horse Shoeing should attract special attention. I have a very
valuable horse that was nearly ruined by
bad shoeing. All blacksmiths I have ever
seen know decidedly too much (in their
own conceit) to be good ones, and the
farmer knows or cares too little to see that
the work is properly done. Since my
horse was so  nearly ruined I   have given
made, send or take the paper to the shop
and have the shoe made to correspond
with the pattern, then it fits the foot. I
nail tbem on myself, as most horses will
stand better in the barn to be sbo.l than in
the shop, especially if very nervous. We
never have a horse that will not stand out
in the middle of the barn lloor, without
even tying, after the second or third time
he is shod. /,. 1<\ I).
Emmetsbnrg, Iowa.
Latter from Dakota.
Kditors Indiana Farmer:
I have been here in Dakota three years.
I think it splendid. Oneliving in the States
wpuld think Dakota was clear out of
America, but it is one of the nicest countries on the face of the earth. Tt is good'
for all kinds of crops. Wheat averages
from 18 to 20 bushels per acre; barley, 40;
oats, 35; corn, 50; flax, 15; Rye, 50; potatoes,
75 to 100 bushels per acre. It is good for
all kinds of roots and vines. We are having splendid weather all winter, no storms.
The last three weeks farmers have been
dragging some wheat sowed. While the
eastern people were having snow and blizzards we in Dakota have had sunshine.
The coldest It has been here was 40" below zero ou one morning. The air is so
dry that a person doesn't feel the cold
here. One great advantage we have is
that we do not have to tile our land to
raise a crop. The weather isa little cooler
to-night and snowing some.
The Prince of Wales has in contemplation a visit to Canada and the United
States.