BULLETIN NO. 12.NESRI. NEW SERIES. OF THE Agricultural and Mechanical College, AUBURN, ABA. - FEBRUARY, 1890. CO-OPERATIVE SOIL TESTS. sent Free to any citizen. of The Bulletins of this Station will the State who desires them. THE BROWN PRINTING be CO., STATE PRINTERS, BINDERS & STATIONERS. 17 zrzz z BU 'L L ETI NN O . 12, fl1 STATION: Agricultu rat and Mechanical Cotltege, AUBURN, ALA. - - - - FEBRUARY, 1890. BOA. 3D OB VISITO):S. ON EXPERIMENT COINMITURE OF TRUSTIES liON. J. G. GILCILEIST,. R. Ho.N. F. LIGoN, .... I-ION. J. B. MITCHELL. W. L. BROUN ........ J. S. NN*W MAN ......... :........President ... _.Director and Agriculturist Vice-Director and Chemist .......... T. LTON.. Botanist and Meteorologist ............... P. H. MELL.......... ..... Biologist ............................ O. F. ATKINSON............. ........ N. .......... .... ............... A.. G ASSISTANTS: ISAAC IRoss .... 1st Assistant Agriculturist, charge of Live Stock &Dairy CLAYTON .......................... Second Assistant Agriculturist First Assistant Chemist ....... J. T. ANDERSON, PH. D............. Second Assistant Chemist L. W. WILKINSON, M. Sc................. JAS. P. L. HUTCHISON, B. Sc ., ... .......... Third Assistant Chemist Assistant A. M. LLOYD, B. Sc. ............................. Botanist 18 CO-OPERATIVE SOIL TESTS---1889 [BY THE DIRECTOR. For the purpose of studying the needs of the different soils of the State, nine intelligent farmers, who owned different typical soils, were selected to co-operate with the director of this station in studying, through experiment, the chemical deficiencies of their soils. The substances furnishing nitrogeon, phosphoric acid and potashwere weighed and mixed in the quantities and proportions in which they were to be used and delivered to the experimenters so labeled as to prevent mistakes in their use. Sulphate of ammonia and cotton seed meal were used as sources of ammonia. Dissolved bone black supplied the phosphoric acid and kainit the potash. The localities selected were in the following counties : Clarke, Conecuh, Colbert, Etowah, Madison, Pike, Talladega, Tallapoosa and Tuscaloosa. The following instructions were mailed to each experimenter as his guide in conducting the inquiry: Directions for Conducting Soil Tests. SELECTION OF GROUND. The area for conducting the experiments should be level or nearly so. The soil should, if practicable, be of the character which generally prevails in the section intended to be represented. Select, by preference, that which has received no fertilizer for several years, or better still, that which has not bean fertilized at all, but not freshly cleared. ARRANGEMENT OF PLOTS. If cotton is the plant 'experimented with measure plots seventy yards long and fourteen feet wide. This will make 19 one-fifteenth of an acre and will accommodate four rows three and one-half feet wide and seventy yards long. Number the plots 0, 1, 2, etc. To that marked 0, apply no manure; apply the contents of the bags to the plats to which their numbers correspond and apply no manure to the next and mark it 00. To the next apply early, in the drill, sixtyfour pounds of green cotton seed. To the next apply sixtyfour pounds of green cotton seed and thirteen and one-third pounds of acid phosphate. To the next apply 200 pounds of stable manure. On the next plant a variety of field peas which produces much vine ; gather the peas when ripe and let the vines rot on the land. If the experiment is made with corn make the same arrangement of plats, except that they shall be twenty feet wide, instead of fourteen, to accommodate four rows bf corn five feet wide. Distribute the fertilizers as evenly as possible in the four rows in each case, and when the crop matures weigh the product of the two middle rows of each plat as the test of the effects of the different fertilizers. Weigh separately the product of each outside row on each plot to ascertain to what extent they were affected by the manure applied to the adjacent plots. Note in a book, kept for the purpose, the date and manner of the preparation of the land; date of applyiag the fertilizers and preparing the seed-bed and date and manner of planting. Keep a record of rainfall and temperature, if practicable; if not, note the seasons in terms usually employed by farmers. Make a record of the character of the soil and subsoil, depth of soil, condition as to wetness or dryness every time it is plowed. Record the crops grown upon the land for three years past and quantity and kind of manure, if any, applied to each crop. Note the kind of implements used in preparing, planting and cultivating. Note date of securing a stand on each plot and the appearance of the plants, Note the time and manner of every operation performed in the cultivation of the crop, and every two weeks duriig its growth make notes of the comparative size and appearance of the p!ants upon the different plots. Note difference, if any, in effects of excessive rainfall or 20 drout upon the plants to which different thanures are applied. Before the crops mature, blanks on which to record results will be furnished, accompanied with detailed insti uctions for". accurately interpreting the answers given in the products. In all operations upon the plots the manner and time of treatment of all of the plots must be as nearly as possible the same, the only difference between them resting in the fertilizers applied. As was to be expected with inexperienced experimenters, mistakes and omissions were made by some, which rendered their work valueless. The results of experiments made in some sections, however, are valuable indications of the needs of those particular soils. Tallapoosa County-J. P. Oliver, experimenter.-Soil, sandy-loam, with clay subsoil. The land had been cleared and in cultivation seven years. Preparation-Theland was broken April 18th, with three inch scooter; rows opened three and one-half feet apart and fertilizers applied April 19th, and land bedded with Johnson combination plow. Seed planted April 20th. Cultivation-This was done with heel scrape and hoe, very shallow, so that the land was laid by nearly level. Seasons favorable, except slight' drouth in latter part of July. The following statement of results shows effects of fertilizers in hastening maturity and increasing the yield: 21 Report of Results oj Experiments with Fertilizers. TALLAPOOSA COUNTY. Two INSIDE WS---YIELD IN SEED COTTON PER PLOT. Pounds Sseed cotton per o ~ POUNDS FERTILIZERS PER ACRE. " acre. 0 Manure ....... .................. 1 Sulphate of amonia, 80......................12 of soda, 100........................ ..... 9 24' 23j 4I ainit, 100 .............................. 13 j 5 Cotton seed meal, 200....................... 16 6 jSnlphate of ammonia, 80 6Dissolved bone black, 200................26 7 Sulphate of ammonia, 80 ainit, 100............ jCotton seed meal, 200 Dissolved bone blaok, 200...... ... 224 9 Dissolved bone black, 200 24 Kii,100 ' (Sulphate of ammonia, 80 104Dissolved bone black, 200 .... ........ ,241 (Kainit, 100 00 No manure...... ...... ....... .......... 11 (Dissolved bone black, 200................24' cotton seed, 960......... ..... 14% 12 Green cotton seed, 960 ...................... 18 2Nitrate bone black, 200.................... 3 Dissolved 11 11 13 13 600 690 1125 1095 13 12 795 840 14 12,00 121 15 10 1170 1035 JGreen 1 13 112 12 900 127 13.Stable manure, 3,000..................141020 Mr. Oliver had pursued a judicious rotation of crops upon this land which secured a liberal supply of vegetable matter, which preserved a favorable mechanical condition of find in- the soil and, decomposing during the growth of the crop, furnished the needed supply of nitrogen. crease In consequence of these conditions, we but little from the application of substances furnishing nitrogen except in the case of nitrate of soda, the yield from which so far exceeds those from sulphate, of ammonia and cotton seed meal, as suggest that some undiscovered cause affected the yield upon plot No. 2. The effect of phosphoric acid, supplied in the Dissolved Bone Black (acid phosphate furnishes the same) is marked and uniform, showing very plainly that this particular soil to not only -needed phosphoric acid, but that it needs little else. Its effect is made especially conspicuous in compari22 son with an application of 30.bushels of green cotton seed per acre on plot No. 12, and 3,000 lbs. of stable manure per acre on plot No. 13. Mr. Oliver's lands lie northwest of Dadeville, one and a half miles from the town, in what is geologically known as the metamorphic region. These lands are so rolling that neither a supply of vegatable matter nor the suiface-soil can be retained without terracing. The contrast between the condition of his lands which were terraced soon after they were cleared and those near by, which were not, is most striking. ETOWAH COUNTY, J. J. NORRIS, EXPERIMENTER. Mr. Norris describes the land selected, as follows: "Land selected was an old sedge field with a growth of small pines on it. Had not been in cultivation for eight or ten years. Soil sandy-land slopes gently to the south. Soil three to four inches deep-subsoil varies from white sandy to yellow (sandy) clay." The preparation was very thorough. After breaking with turn plow it was harrowed four times before applying the fertilizer. On account of failure to secure a stand of plants from the first planting, a second was made on the 9th of May, which resulted in a good stand on the 23rd. A frost occurred June 1st but did not seriously injure the cotton. The cultivation was shallow and very thorough, the season too wet for cotton. It proved too wet for plots ten to fourteen, inclusive, injuring the stand and dwarfing tke plants which survived. Plot'No. 6 was also affected by poor stand. The stand in the remaining plots was reasonably uniform and the comparison of the effects of the different fertilizers reliable. Mr. Norris reports that as early as July 1st the appearance of the plants on the plots to which the Dissolved Bone Black was applied gave promise of better results than those to which none were applied. He says : "July 1st; a difference has begun to show very decidedly in favor of plots 23 Nos. 2, 5, 7, 8 and 9, the plants on which are a good deal stronger and healthier looking than the rest. The weights of the first picking show that the phosphoric acid of the Dissolved Bone Black both hastened maturity and increased the yield. .The results of the two inside rows of each plot are given. Those of the two outside rows were gathered andreported separately, but the difference is too slight to render necessary the publication of both. Phosphoric acid seems to have been the principal element of plant food needed by Mr. Norris' soil, after a rest of ten years. The effects of nitrogen would have been, perhaps, more marked upon soil under continued cultivation. The season and subsoil were unfavorable for results from nitrogenous manures. The frequent heavy rains probably carried much of the nitrogen through the porous subsoi],'while the phosphoric acid remained in reach of the roots of the plants. Mr. Norris reports the following results: 24 Riepotof Results of Exrperiments with Pert i ETOWAH COUNTY. INSIDE ROWS-YIELD OF SEED COTTON PER PLOT. e. 1st L p3 LBS. FERTIILIZ~RS PER. ACR~E.J 2nd 3rd-4th picking. picking. picking. picking. o Date, Date, Date, Date, 5. Dec. 5 I - -e e( ONo Manure.......................1 1Sulphate Ammonia....... 80 2IDis. Bone Black..........200 3 Kainit.................100...... 4 Cotton Seed Meal........20u 5 Sulphate Ammonia. SO. 8 Sept 25. Oct. 18. Nov. 2 512 5 2 1 42 2 2 1 7 2 32 212165 1 75 2 585 12 180 134225 J 12 7'2 Dissolved Bone Black...200 6%2 2 212 1 1 j2450 615 285 615 6 jSulphate Ammonia,.... 80 ~Kainit............. ...,..100..........3j 7 CottonuSeed Meal. ..... 200 SDissolved Bone Black...200 '2 Dissolved Bone Black... 200 Kainit................10 5334 (Sulphate Ammonia. ... 80 9 . Dissolved Bone Black.. .200 10% (Kainit...............100 10 Dissolved Bone Black.....200 5 11 900 lbs. Green Coton Seed...... .... 12 960 lbs. Green Cotton Seed. 1150 lbs. Am. Sup. Raw Bone 13 3,000 lbs. Stable Manure... . . 14 200 lbs. Am. Raw Bone Sup...5 2 5 3k4 5 8 , 5 5% 2 6% . 3' 2 1 1 705 360 150 2'2 5 . 2 4 2 232 4 2% 360 3 270 2% 345 TUSCALOOSA COUNTY, A. V. ALBRIGHT, EXPERIMENTER. Soil-Brown loam with red clay subsoil ; the latter resting upon pebble. Land prepared and cotton. planted in the usual way-cultivated shallow with hoe and wide sweeps. and frequently 'accompanied by severe wind. -Last frost 31st May. As in the experiments of Messrs, Oliver and Norris the difference between the yield of the two inside rows, and that of the two outside rows, of the plots of four rows, is very slight, indicating that the plants- in the outside rows were not benefitted by the manures applied to the adjacent plots. The soil,' as in Etowah and Tallapoosa,, seems to have been deficient After the May drouth. of four weeks, rains were excessive in phosphoric acid. 251 An examination of the 10 weights in the pickings shows that phosphoric acid hastened tbe maturity of the -fruit, an important consideration in localities subject to ravages by the caterpillar. Report of Results of Experiment with Fertilizers. TUSCALOOSA 1st. first COUNTY. 2nd INSIDE ROWS-YIELD IN SEED COTTON PER PLOT. 3rd 4th o picking. picking. picking.pikn. k LBS. FERTILIZERS PER ACRE. pcig Date. Date. Date, Date, d 780 840 1080 780 750 960 Aug. 29 ONo Manure................. I Sulphate Ammonia,....... 80 2 Dis. Bone Black ......... 200 3Kainit ................. 100 4 Cotton Seed 10 10 13. 10 10 12 11 14 14 15 7 15 Sept. 14. Sept. 25. Oct. 8. Meal.. lDs. Bone Black...'... Sul. of Ammonia........SO 6 Kainit..................100 cCotton Seed Meal.......200 7 Dia. Bone Black.... ... 200 jBone Black..........200 S Kainit...............100 (Sul. of Ammonia...... 80 9 . Dis. Bone Black .... 200 Kainit........... C ..... 100 No Manure ................ 10 Sul. Ammonia....... 10.....100 12 80 15 13 13 18 13 1 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 1 1 2 _200 3 16 13 15 14 10 16 1 1 2 4 1 1 3 2 1 3 2 2 930 900 960 1080 600 1020 11 Green Cotton Seed.... 12 Stable ~Acid Green Cotton Seed. 960 9C0 Phosphate........ 150 Manure 6 16 9 18 2 1 .2. 1 570 1080 .. 3,000 Seed of eleven varieties of cotton were sent to all of the experimenters, but Mr. Albright is the only one who made a successful comparison of their productiveness. The following tabulated statement shows comparative earliness and productiveness of eleven varieties. The Peerless leads in early maturing and is equaled only by Jones' improved, in yield-, closely followed by Welborn's Pet and Zellner. There is remarkable uniformity in both time of. maturing and yield in varieties so distinctive, in characteristic as are most of them. 26 . Repjort qf Results of Experiments with Varieties o/ Cotton. TUSCALOOSA 1st COUNTY. PER PLOT. 2nd- YIELD IN SEED COTTON 3rd'Date, 4th picking. picking. picking. picking. o NAME OF VARIETY. Z o p., 1 Allan's Long Staple.......... 2 Barnett ..................... 3 Cherry's Cluster............18 4 Hawkins' Improved18 5 Jones', Improved ......... Date, Date, Date. - Sept. 5. Sept. 20. Oct. 11. Nov. 17 15 19 14 20 16 8 7 7 10 4 3 5 9' 3 4 1 5 4 4 2 2 2 3 2 930 810 930 990 10'0 6 King's Improved Prolific 7 Peerless ..................... .... 8SRameses.............. 9 10Welborn's Pet. 11iZeilner... Truitt.......................14 17 17 SUMMARY. 14 '10 9 10 1 1 2 2 900 1080 930 900 9 10 5 5 { 3 3 1020 1050 1. On the three soils, in Etowah, Tallapoosa and Tuscaloosa the experiments indicate that phosphoric acid is the principal ingredient deficient. Phosphoric acid hastened maturity. DIRECTIONS FOR CONDUCTING SOIL TESTS WITH FERTILIZERS, SELECTION OF LAND. The area upon which the experiment i 1890. made should be level, or nearly so; should represent in character of soil and subsoil the section in which the experimenter lives, should not have been fertilized for several years, or better still, never at all, but should not be new or fresh la~nd ; the object being to learn what fertilizer tile ordinary cultivated lands of. the section need. ARRANGEMENT OF PLOTS.. The accompanying diagram, shows the arrangement of the plots. There will be fifteen plots of 1-15 of an acre each. For convenience, the "farmer's acre," seventy yards square, is used. Each plot is, therefore, 210 feet long and 14 feet wide, admitting. of four rows of cotton 31 feet apart. All year. the experiments will be made with cotton 27 of this DIAGRAM OF EXPERIMENT PLOTS. .1... 210 FEET........... ... 2.I.... .............. S .. 3 .2 .................... 2. 3 . .1 1 .I........ ... ............. .. ls S l b.is mronia. m o ne Black. 2 { ... .:3. : .... . ... .. ... .. 1310lbs.Iaii . r . 2 ................... ... 3.................... .4.......... ......... No manure. 6 lbs. Sul. Ammonia. 10 lbs. Kainit. lbs Sul. 6 _I , 4 ....... . .1. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. mne Black. lbs...Dis...B 3l s i . B 13 lbs. KDi.B one Black.nmna 1.. An .. . 2 .... 1.................... ... ... ...... 4 .. . 2 . ( ......... ... . .. . ... ... N aue 6lb...l A l6ibs.Ds.. Bo one Black. .. ........... . .13.. ........ 103lbs. Kainit, :...1.1.................. 0 ... 3 .. ........ , 20 lbs. Floats. ats. ...................... 2....................Flo .1.. 12 .... 3.. .... umonia. .......... No manure. .......................... 53 lbs. green cotton seed. 14 ... 3....................... 1...................... 53 lbs. green cotfon seed. 20 lbs. Floats. 265 lbs. stable manure. 13 FERTILIZERS. The fertilizers are sent, freight prepaid, to the depot designated by each experimenter. That intended for each plot bears two labels-one showing its contents, the other the number of the plot to which it is to be applied. As shown in the diagram, each fertilizer is to be applied to four rows. Each row should receive as nearly as possible the same quantity. Numbers 4, 8 and 12 are to receive no fertilizer. The experimenter is expected to furnish the cotton seed for plots 13 and 14, and the stable manure for 15. Apply the cotton seed in a deep furrow and distribute'the floats over the seed in plot- 14. In plots 13 and 15 distribute the cotton seed and stable manure respectively, and bed upon them as on the fertilizers in the other plots. PREPARATION. First break the land "flush," deeply and thoroughly after accurately measuring the area 210 feet square. Lay off rows exactly 31 feet apart, distribute the fertilizers and bed with a good turn plow, making a high bed. Then draw a harrow or heavy brush across the beds. It is important to secure a perfectly uniform stand of plants and hence the seed-beds should be thoroughly ;prepared. PLANTING. Use the same kind of seed upon the whole area and plant all of the plots the same day. If a part was planted before and the rest after a rain, the experiment would be worthless. Use every precaution necessary to secure a full stand. If a uniform stand is not secured at the first planting, plow up promptly and plant again. CULTIVATION. As soon as the plants are large enough "side" with a scrape or sweep and, several days after, chop to two stalks every two feet. As soon as danger of loss by cold or cut worms has passed reduce the stand to one stalk in the hill. Rows 2 and 3 of each plot are to be gathered to determine the yield from each fertilizer. This reduces, the "test area" to 1-30 of an acre. One missing stalk on this area would therefore represent 30 to the acre. To make the experiment re29 14 liable, therefore, there must be the same number of stalks upon each such "test area." To insure this when the plants are eight or ten inches high, count carefully the stalks in rows 2 and 3 of each plot. A perfect stand would give 105 stalks to the row or 210 on the rows 2 and 3. Suppose the count shows that the number of stalks range from 210 to 190 to the test areas. Reduce the number of plants to 190 in all of the test areas (rows 2 and 3 of each plot), by pulling from each the number of stalks it was found to contain above 190. This is the only reliable way to secure uniformity of stand, without which the experiments cannot be accurate. Replanting, the method often resorted to, will not answer. Let all the plots be cultivated on the same day and in exactly the same manner through the season. See that no tree stands within 100 feet of any of the plots. MEMORANDA. Record in a book kept exclusively for that purpose the time and manner of performing every operation connected with the experiment, from the preparation of the land to the gathering of the crop. Make weekly or bi-weekly notes on the appearance of the cotton on the plots. Note especially the effects of either excessive moisture or drouth upon plants of the different plots. Record any changes in the weather likely.'to affect the growth or fruitfulness of the cotton plant, such as unusually high or low temperature, excessive rainfall or continued drouth, and note the different effects, if any, upon the plots; keep a careful record of the "seasons" and their apparent effects upon soil and plants. SGATHERING. Before the crop matures printed blanks upon which to record results will be furnished. The slightest mistake in gathering or weighing the seed-cotton will destroy the value of the experiment. The utmost care is necessary to prevent such mistakes. The picking and weighing of the product of the different plots must be done under uniform conditions. Picking should not be commenced until the morning dew has disappeared from the cotton. If some plots are picked and weighed in the early morning and others in th6 after30 16 noon, accuracy will be sacrificed. Each experimenter must exercise a sound judgment in these matters of detail, looking constantly to securing perfect accuracy in the comparison of the effects of the fertilizers. Experiments, like statistics, unless full and accurate, are misleading. No account need be kept of the production of rows I and 4 as they being only 3- feet from the adjacent plots to which different fertilizers are applied, receive, by the spread of their roots, the benefit of both fertilizers. The product of rows 2 and 3 will be used to compare the effects of the different fertilizers. The plants in these rows being seven feet from those to which a different fertilizer was applied, only the extremities of their longest roots will reach it, and hence will not be materially affected by it. Pickings should be made with sufficient frequency to avoid risk of having the experiment vitiated by storm. Record the weight and date of each picking. Record the average height of the stalks upon each "test area," rows 2 and 3 in each plot. Note the character and extent of injury to the plants by any casualty, such as storms, boll worm, caterpillar, rust or blight. When the plants are sufficiently advanced in growth to show plainly the effects of the fertilizers, invite the farmers of the neighborhood to inspect the plots at intervals during the season. This is important, since the object of the experiment is to benefit the farmers who cultivate the character of land upon which the experiment is made. 31