fes.s-n O. E. o. L :prahy. Cop. 2. THE Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. BULLETIN No. 97. APRIL, 1889. FUNGOUS DISEASES OF PLANTS. The Station desires to call the attention of farmers and others to the fact that it has extended its field of investigation by the addition of a new department for which a laboratory has been completed during the past winter and equipped with the necessary books and apparatus for the study of fungi which are injurious to vegetation through the production of rusts, smuts, rots, mil- dews, blights, and similar diseases. A small green-house is at- tached to the building for winter experiments ; which has been used since its completion, for preliminary experiments to test the utility of certain methods of treating smut in onions, to which special attention will be given during the coming season. In order to obtain as much information as possible on this subject the following questions have been prepared and sent to numerous onion growers, and any one who can give any information on the subject will confer a favor by answering them as fully as possible, and sending his answers to the address given below. No answers are desired that do not represent the results of personal observations. Questions Concerning Onion Smut. 1. How long has the onion smut been known in your vicinity ? 2. Have you noticed that the prevalence of smut is influenced by (a) the variety of onion grown. (b) early or late planting. (c) method of cultivation and nature of soil. (d) condition of weather during germination and early growth of the onions. 3. How long have you known the smut to remain in the ground after the cultivation of onions has been discontinued ? 4. Is this period affected by the crops grown on such land ? For example is smut as bad on land that has been used for hoed crops as on land which has been put down to grass. 5. Have you ever seen smut damaging sets or seed onions ? 6. Do wild onions grow commonly in your vicinity and have you ever seen them smutted ? 7. What means have you used to prevent or lessen the amount of smut ? 8. About what per cent, of your crop is destroyed on an average by smut ? 9. What is your own idea as to the nature, origin and spread of smut ? 10. Can you give any general information on this subject not covered by the above questions ? In order to insure the usefulness of the department it is hoped that the occurrence of diseases of the nature above mentioned will be reported whenever their injury is sufficient to attract notice, and all inquiries on the subject will be cheerfully answered as far as it may be possible to do so. Specimens of any diseases con- cerning which information is desired should, if practicable, al- ways accompany inquiries, since an accurate determination is otherwise impossible. Specimens such as leaves, stems or other diseased parts may be sent by mail pressed between two pieces of paste-board, or better in a small tin box with a little damp moss or paper. Inquiries and specimens for this department should be sent to Dr. Roland Thaxter, 27 Lincoln St., New Haven. F F UTILIZERS. Duties of Dealers in Fertilizebs. The Fertilizer Law which went into effect in 1882 and which is still in force without amendment holds the seller responsible for affixing a correct lahel and statement of composition to every package or lot of fertilizer sold or offered for sale. Purchasers, for their own security, should insist that such statements are supplied. Evert Peeson who sells commercial fertilizers in Connecticut is also required by law to report certain facts to the Director of this Station and a penalty is provided for neglect to do this. The law -also holds the Seller responsible for the payment of an analysis-fee on every brand of fertilizer sold by him in case the fee is not paid by the manufacturer on or before the first of May annually. No discretion is left with the Station regarding the enforce- ment of this law and in order that it may not become a dead letter its strict and impartial enforcement is evidently necessary. Gratuitous Analyses of Fertilizers. The Station will endeavor by its authorized agents to draw samples in all parts of the State of all brands offered for sale and to send its agents on request to sample large lots of goods bought by Granges or Farmers' Clubs. The cooperation of farmers' organizations is nevertheless de- sired in calling attention to new brands of fertilizers, and in securing samples. To insure justice to manufacturers, dealers and consumers alike, the Station will make gratuitous analyses of Commercial Fertilizers only on samples taken by the Agents of the Station, or on such other samples as are fully described on the Station Forms for Description and taken in accordance with the Station Instructions for sampling, and furthermore are properly authenti- cated by the certificate of the person drawing the sample, and in addition the witness, either 1. Of a Selectman ; 2. Of an Officer of a farmers' club, grange or local agricultural society ; or 3. Of the Dealer from whose stock the sample is taken. In case a Dealer takes samples of his own stock, the witness of one of the Officers aforesaid will be required. It is particularly necessary that the actual cost prices be given. In case of special rates the Station, if desired, will hold confidential both the names of the seller and buyer, but to make the results of analysis of any general value, and so to justify making the analyses at all it is essential to know the cost of the material. The Trade-Values for 1889 of Fertilizing Ingredients in Raw Materials and Chemicals. The average Trade-Values or retail cost per pound of the ordinarily occurring forms of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash are as follows : Cts. per lb. Nitrogen in ammonia salts ' 19 nitrates - 17 Organic nitrogen in dry and fine ground fish, meat and blood 19 in cotton seed meal and castor-pomace _ 15 in fine bone and tankage 16£ in fine medium bone and tankage 13 in medium bone and tankage 10£ in coarser bone and tankage 8£ in hair, horn shavings and coarse fish scrap 8 Phosphoric acid, soluble in water _ 8 in ammonium citrate* *\\ in dry ground fish, fine bone and tankage 7 in fine-medium bone and tankage 6 in medium bone and tankage 5 in coarser bone and tankage 4 in fine ground rock phosphate 2 Potash as high-grade Sulphate and in forms free from Muriate (or Chlorides) 6 as kainit 4-J- as muriate .- 4-j- These Trade-Values are the average prices at which in the six months preceding March the respective ingredients could be bought at retail for cash in our large markets, Boston, New York and Philadelphia, in the raw materials which are the regular source of supply. They also correspond to the average wholesale prices for the six months ending March 1st, plus about * Dissolved from 2 grams of the unground phosphate previously extracted with pure water, by 100 c. c. neutral solution of Ammonium Citrate, sp. gr. 1.09, in 30 minutes, at 65° C, with agitation once in five minutes. Commonly called " re- verted " or " backgone " Phosphoric Acid. 20 percent, in case of goods for which we have wholesale quo- tations. They have been agreed upon by the Experiment stations of Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut for use in their respective States during 1889. The valuations ob- tained by use of the above figures will be found to agree fairly with the average retail price at the large markets of standard raw materials such as : Sulphate of Ammonia, Azotin, Nitrate of Soda, Ammonite, Dried Blood, Dry Ground Fish, Muriate of Potash, Boue cr Tankage, Sulphate of Potash, Ground So. Carolina Rock, Plain Superphosphate. Valuation of Superphosphates, Special Manures and Mixed Fertilizers of High Grade. The Valuation of a Fertilizer, as practised at the Station con- sists in calculating the retail Trade-value or cash-cost at trade centers (in raw materials of good quality) of an amount of nitro- gen, phosphoric acid and potash equal to that contained in one ton of the fertilizer. To obtain the Valuation of a Fertilizer we multiply the pounds per ton of Nitrogen, etc. by the trade-value per pound. We thus get the values per ton of the several ingredients, and adding them together we obtain the total valuation per ton. Organic nitrogen in Mixed Fertilizers is reckoned at 19 cents, the price of nitrogen in raw materials of the best quality. Insoluble Phosphoric Acid is reckoned at 3 cents, unless found to be from rock phosphate. In this latter form Insoluble Phos- phoric Acid cost but 2 cents per pound. Potash is rated at 4^ cents, if sufficient chlorine is present in the fertilizer to combine with it to make muriate. If there is more Potash present than will combine with the chlorine, then this excess of potash is reck- oned at 6 cents. In most cases the valuation of the Ingredients in Superphos- phates and Specials falls below the retail cash price charged for these goods at the factory. The difference between the two figures represents the manufacturer's charges for converting raw materials into manufactured articles and selling them. These charges are for grinding and mixing, bagging or barreling, stor- age, commission to agents and dealers, interest on investment, and finally, profits. If instead of paying cash the purchaser buys on credit, giving a note for from 2 to 8 or 10 months, without security as is often the case, the price of the fertilizer must be increased of course to cover interest and bad debts. In these cases the purchaser virtually borrows the purchase-money of the seller of the goods and pays interest at the time of purchase just as he pays bank discount when borrowing money at the bank. Corrections. On page 50 of Part I, of the Report for 1888, it is stated that a sample of M. L. Shoemaker & Co.'s Swift-Sure Superphosphate was drawn from stock of W. A. Thomas, Hamden Plains. This brand was not sold by Mr. Thomas, and the misstatement was caused by an oversight in proof-reading. On page 72 of the same report the cost of the Davidge Potato Manure is stated to be $41.00. We are informed by the manu- facturer that the average retail price in this state is $35.95. This would make the percentage difference between cost and valuation 28.6 instead of 46.7 as given in the Report. The Potash guarantee on this brand is stated in the report to be 8.00 per cent. The manufacturers, however, claim but 8.00 per cent, of sulphate of potash equivalent to 4.3 per cent, of potash. In this connection attention is called to the fact that it is required, under the terms of the fertilizer law, that the quantity ' of actual potash shall be expressly stated. " Potash, Sulphate, 8 per cent." may be construed to mean eight per cent, of actual potash in the form of sulphate, instead of 4.3 per cent, of potash, and is therefore misleading. FERTILIZER ANALYSES. Ashes from Small Birch Boughs. 2407- This is ashes from a factory where oil of birch is dis- stilled from birch brush, which is afterwards burned in the boiler furnace. Sent by Dennis Fenn, Milford. Analysis. Sand 10.84 Phosphoric acid 5.89 Potash 4.86 Tobacco Stems. 2402. Kentucky Tobacco Stems. 2403. Connecticut Seed Leaf Stems. Sampled ami sent by Lioberl Aitken, Shaker Sta- tion. The Connecticut stems cost $9.50 per ton in cur lots (twelve tons), and the Kentucky stems §10.00. Analyses. Kentucky Connecticut Stems. Stems. 2402 2403 "Water 26.70 13.47 ♦Organic and Volatile matters 60.18 70.85 fAsh. 13.12 15.68 100.00 100.00 ♦Containing nitrogen 1.84 1.93 f Containing Phosphoric Acid .67 .53 Potash 8.03 6.41 Sand .64 .70 The Kentucky stems contain about one and a half per cent, more of potash than the Connecticut stems, although they are not so dry. Cotton Seed Meal and Castor Pomace. 2421. Damaged Cotton Seed Meal. Sold by J. E. Soper & Co., Boston. Sampled by Edmund Halladay, Suffield. 2449 and 2450. Damaged Cotton Seed Meal. No. 2449 is coarse and contains hulls, No. 2450 is fine. 2439. Castor Pomace, made by Red Seal Castor Oil Co., St. Louis, Mo. Stock of F. Ellsworth, Hartford. Analyses. 2421 2449 2450 2439 Nitrogen 6.94 6.75 7.17 5.52 Phosphoric Acid_. 2.71 2.56 2.70 2.37 Potash 1.85 1.83 1.S4 1.16 Cost per ton.. $23.00* 24.00* 24.00* 25.00 Nitrogen costs per pound 12.2 cts.* 13.5cts.* 12.5 cts.* 18.3 cts. * In car lots. Nos. 2449 and 2450 were received from H. S. Frye, Poquo- nock, who states that they are fair samples from a car lot bought of J. E. Soper & Co., Boston, on sample shown, and analysis, giving 7.74 per cent, nitrogen ; that the meal came in bags of all sizes from 75 to 160 pounds, and that it was of all grades and colors, light and dark, coarse and fine ; that after correspondence ■■' ■ --— the seller charged one dollar less per ton than was at first asked. Mr. Frye estimates that 20 per cent, of the meal is coarse. The mechanical condition of the two grades is as follows. 2449 2450 Fine, smaller than 5 \| inch 3 52 Fine medium, smaller than j^ inch 1 22 Medium, smaller than f 2 inch _. 4 22 Coarse, larger than fa inch 92 4 100 100 Nitrate of Soda. 2427. From stock of L. Sanderson, New Haven, guaranteed 95 per cent, pure nitrate. 2438. Stock of Rogers & Hubbard Co. Both were sampled by Station Agent. Guaranteed 98 per cent, pure nitrate. Analyses. 2427 2438 Moisture 1.31 1.59 Sulphate of soda. .. 3.02 .27 Salt (chloride of sodium) .36 .60 Insoluble in water _ .11 — *Pure nitrate of soda 95.20 97.54 100.00 100.00 *Containing nitrogen 15.70 16.07 Costperton $55.00 56.00 Nitrogen costs per pound 17.5 cents. 17.4 cents. Sulphate or Ammonia. 2405. From stock of L. Sanderson, New Haven. Guarantee 25 per cent, of ammonia. 2443. From stock bought by Dennis Fenn of C. Meyer, Jr., Maspeth, L. I. Analyses. 2405 2443 Nitrogen 20.46 20.88 Equivalent ammonia 24.85 25.35 Costperton $75.00 74.60 Nitrogen costs per pound 18.3 cents. I7.9cents 9 Potash Salts. 2444. High grade Sulphate of Potash, sold by C. Meyer, Jr., Maspeth L. I., to G. F. Piatt, Milford. Guarantee 52 per cent, potash. 2423. Double Sulphate of Potash and Magnesia. Guarantee 27 per cent, potash. Stock of L. Sanderson, New Haven. 2445. Double Sulphate of Potash and Magnesia, sold by C. Meyer, Jr., Maspeth, L. I., to Dennis Fenn, Milford. Guar- antee 27 per cent, potash. 2425. Kainit. Stock of L. Sanderson, New Haven. Guar- antee 12 per cent, potash. 2422. Muriate of Potash from stock of L. Sanderson, New Haven. Guarantee 50.5 per cent, potash. 2434. Muriate of Potash. Guarantee 80 per cent. Stock of Rogers & Hubbard Co. 2446. Muriate of Potash. Guarantee 82 per cent, nitrate. Stock sold by C. Meyer, Jr., Maspeth, L. I., to Dennis Fenn, Milford. Analyses. 2444 2423 2445 2425 2422 2434 2446 Potash found 52.23 27.82 25.98 12.58 52.11 52.39 51.75 Potash guaranteed. 52.0 27.0 27.0 12.0 50.5 50.4 51.6 Cost per ton $61.20 30.00 30.60 12.50 42.50 44.00 41.60 Potash costs per lb, 5.8 cts. 5.4 cts. 5.9 cts. 4.9 cts. 4.1 cts. 4.2 cts. 4.0 cts. Cotton Hull Ashes. 2408, 2409 and 2410. From different car lots. Each sample taken from eight to eleven different bags. Stock of C. L. Spencer, Suffield. Sampled by Edmund Halladay, Suffield. 2418. Light color. 2419. Dark Color. Both from stock of R. E. Pinney, Suffield. Sampled by C. H. Wells, Suffield. 2429. Stock of R. E. Pinney. Sampled by Edmund Halladay, Siiffield. 2448. Bought by B. R. Townsend, Wallingford, of Wilder & Puffer, Springfield, Mass. 2453. Stock bought of R. E. Pinney by D. L. Brockett, pur- chasing agent of Suffield Grange. Sampled by D. L. Brockett. 2454. From car lot bought by Wayne Rice and others of East Windsor Hill, of The Southern Oil Co., Atlanta. Sampled and sent by R. E. Pinney, Suffield. 10 Analyses. 2408 2409 2410 2418 2419 Phosporic Acid, soluble. 45 .48 .48 1.28 2.78 " " "reverted," 1.80 1.93 8.06 5.17 6.44 " " insoluble .34 .36 .36 1.66 2.50 Potash... 28.23 26.51 26.18 27.26 23.07 Cost per tOD '. $35.00 35.00 35.00 30.00 30.00 Cost of potash per pound,* 3.9 4.1 4.2 3.41 3.23 . 2429 2448 2453 2454 Phosphoric Acid, soluble 1.12 .75 2.23 .03 " " "reverted," 5.46 6.43, 5.98 2.20 " " insoluble 1.30 1.81 2.02 1.49 Potash 15.14 21.42 16.50 . 10.38 Costperton $28.67 31.50 28.00-f- 25.60f ' Cost of potash per pound*. 6.4 4.6 4.4 10.4 ♦Reckoning soluble phosphoric acid at 8 cents per pound, "reverted" at 7-J, and insoluble at 2 cents. f In Car lots. The price originally charged for No. 2429 was $30.00, but as the goods proved to be of lower grade than was anticipated, Mr. Pinney states that the price was reduced to $28.67. Cotton Hull Ashes have been for some years the cheapest source of potash in the Connecticut market. The potash is soluble in water, is entirely free from chlorides and is combined chiefly with phosphoric and carbonic acid. The ashes are now used chiefly on tobacco lands but are worth the attention of all who buy raw materials rather than mixed goods. The only thing which stands in the way of their more general use is the uneven quality of the material due to the fact that the hulls are often burned together with coal, so that the hull ashes are mixed with considerable coal ashes. This probably explains the low per cent, of potash in Nos. 2429 2453 and 2454. No. 2454 has 42.95 per cent, of matters in- soluble in acid. Bone. 2440. Coarse Pure Ground Bone. 2441 . Fine Pure Ground Bone. From Stock bought of C. Meyer, Jr., Maspeth, L. I., by Messrs. Fenn, Merwin and Piatt of Milford. 2431. Rogers & Hubbard Go's Pure Ground A. X. Bone. 2435- Rogers & Hubbard Co's Raw Knuckle Bone Flour. 11 2436. Rogers & Hubbard Co's Strictly Pure Fine Bone. The three last named were from stock of the manufacturer, The Rogers & Hubbard Co. Middletown. 2424. Sanderson's Fine Ground Bone. Stock of L. Sanderson, New Haven. For table of analyses see page 12. Tankage. 2442. Stockbought of C. Meyer, Jr., Maspeth, by Messrs. Fenn, Merwin and Piatt of Milford. 2426. Blood Bone and Meat. 2430. Fine Tankage. Both the above from stock of L. Sanderson, New Haven. It will be seen that all the bone samples are slightly, and one of them very considerably below guarantee in nitrogen, while the phosphoric acid is considerably above guarantee. The guar- antee of Sanderson's Blood, Bone and Meat does not represent even approximately its actual composition. For table of analyses see page 12. Dissolved Bone Black. 2447. Stock bought of C. Meyer, Jr., Maspeth, L. I., by Messrs. Fenn, Merwin and Piatt, of Milford. 2428 and 2451. Two different grades from stock of L. Sander- son, New Haven. Analyses. 2447 2428 2451 Soluble Phosphoric Acid, 13.33 16.95 15.59 Keverted " " ._ 3.93 .06 .08 Insoluble " " 1.74 none. .09 Costperton $26.00 26.00 26.00 Soluble Phosphoric Acid costs per pound,* 7.2 cts. 7.6 cts. 8.3 cts. * Reckoning reverted at 7 -J- cents, and insoluble at 2 cents per pound. Special Manures. 2432. Rogers & Hubbard Co's Complete Potato and Tobacco Manure. 2433. Fairchild's Formula for Corn and General Crops. 2437. Fairchild's Formula Bone and Potash for Seeding Down. These fertilizers are made by the Rogers & Hubbard Co., Mid- dletown, and are mixtures of finely ground bone with fertilizer chemicals. Therefore the organic nitrogen and phosphoric acid in them are valued as in bone of the same fineness. 12 W •4 ft < 8 O pq ft o ^ H co CO 05 co CM 00 o o o CD 00 CO co 05 CO iffl CO C5 CO GO co CM t« r-i ^ © Q> *0 C> Cs >Q «a , is 00 94 <5* S SO I 73 a o o co o C5 o © oo en CM CO -C— -# -# CO CM CM CM CM IC5 CM CM CM CM CM CM CM OJ Co Sij Sij <2> d 00* LC5* CO . m CM c- CO CO t- ; CM CM 1 — 1 CM CM » " _jofS oo i- o ^H CM i—l CO » * o cS s tf OQ m .s tn a a « © — — cb O CO 13 Mechanical Analyses* 2132 2433 2437 Fine, smaller than ^t, inch.. 74 66 73 Fine Medium, smaller than ^ inch 26 34 18 Medium, smaller than ^ inch .. .. 9 100 100 100 Chemical Analyses. Nitrogen as nitrates 3.16 3.13 Organic nitrogen 2.24 2.30 2.89 Phosphoric acid 15.74 14.63 18.54 Potash as muriate 11.61 13.12 Potash as sulphate 9.89 Cost per ton 1 $47.50 46.00 40.00 Valuation per ton $50.82 47.60 45.30 * Made after washing the bone free from the chemicals. T University of Connecticut Libraries llPli ■NT'