AGRICULTURE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN no. 338 - 353 The person charging this material is responsible for its return to the library from which it was withdrawn on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Th«ft. mutilation, sod underlining of books are reasons for discipli- nary action and may result in dismissal from the University To renew call Telephone Center. 333-8400 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN W605 1999 LI6I— O-IOM Crop Yields From Illinois Experiment Fields in 1929 Together With a General Summary for the Rotation Periods Ending in 1929 By F. C. BAUER UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 347 LOCATION OF THE THIRTY EXPERIMENT FIELDS FROM WHICH RESULTS ARE PRESENTED IN THIS BULLETIN Urbana, Illinois June, 1930 Publications in the Bulletin series report the results of investigations made or sponsored by the Experiment Station Crop Yields From Illinois Soil Experi- ment Fields in 1929 Together With a General Summary for the Rotation Periods Ending in 1929 By F. C. BAUER, Chief, Soil Experiment Fields A GRICULTURAL SOILS are somewhat like growing and aging A^\ human beings; their ability to perform — that is, to produce •*• -^- crops — and their requirements for performance are constantly changing. The rapidity with which these changes take place depends, in a broad sense, on the quality of the materials from which a soil is formed, on the intensity of the weathering forces acting upon these materials, and on the care exercised in management and treatment. Soil management and treatment practices properly employed can do much to retard the work of the aging influences and to uncover the latent productivity that may have become obscured by the rapid play of aging factors in the past. No single system of management or treatment, however, can be expected to give the best results with all soils. Neither can an effective system at a particular time be expected to give the best results on a particular soil for all time to come. Sys- tems of management and treatment must be adapted to the widely differing nature, maturity, and changeableness of different soils. In order to test the effectiveness of different systems of soil treat- ment on the yield of farm crops, the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station for a number of years has conducted field investigations in all sections of the state on extensive soil types varying widely in pro- ductiveness. Some investigations along this line have been in progress at Urbana since 1876; the first of the present outlying soil experiment fields were established in the fall of 1901. Some of the original fields are still in operation. Some have been abandoned at one time or another for various reasons. During the crop season of 1929 thirty of these fields were in operation. The complete results from all the Illinois soil experiment fields up to and including 1924 were reported in Bulletin 273. Subsequent re- sults have been reported annually— in Bulletins 280, 296, 307, and 327. The present bulletin is a continuation of this series. In these publica- tions the crop yields have been presented as a matter of record without 324 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, comment or discussion. In order, however, to give a little better pic- ture of the results as a whole, a general summary for all rotation peri- ods ending in 1929 has been added to this bulletin. The reader is urged to turn to pages 355 to 368 and note the points brought out in tables and text. Explanation of Symbols The following symbols are used to denote the soil treatments applied: 0 = No treatment rP = Rock phosphate M = Manure sP = Superphosphate R = Crop residues bP = Bone phosphate Le = Legume catch crop S = Flowers of sulfur L = Limestone KC1 = Muriate of potash K = Potash NaNOs = Sodium nitrate ( ) = Tons The crop residues are chiefly cornstalks and sweet clover plowed down as a green manure. In some cases the second crop of clover and other legume residues have also been plowed down. When legumes are used as a catch crop, they are seeded in small grain to be plowed down the following year for succeeding crops. All yields except those in parentheses indicate acre-yields in bushels; the yields in parentheses indicate acre-yields in tons. Soil Groups Represented by the Illinois Soil Experiment Fields1 The results reported on pages 326 to 354 are for individual fields arranged alphabetically rather than by location or by soil types. The general character of the soils represented by these fields is indicated by the following classification: Group Location Year No. Description of field established 1 Dark soils with heavy, noncalcareous subsoils Semimature Bloomington 1902 Young Aledo 1910 LaMoille 1910 Minonk 1910 2 Dark soils with heavy, calcareous subsoils Young (due to sedimentation) Hartsburg 1911 Young (due to erosion) Joliet 1914 3 Da^k soils with noncalcareous subsoils Semimature Urbana 1895 Young Kewanee 1915 JThis classification was prepared by Dr. R. S. Smith, in charge of Soil Survey Mapping. 1930] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 325 4 Dark soils with open, noncalcareous subsoils Semimature Dixon 1910 Mt Morris 1910 Young McNabb 1907 5 Dark soils with impervious, noncalcareous sub- soils Semimature Carthage 191 1 Clayton 1911 Lebanon 1910 Mature Carlinville 1910 7 Gray soils with impervious, noncalcareous sub- soils Old (moderately well drained) Ewing 1910 Oblong 1912 Old (poorlv drained; slick spots numerous).. . . Newton 1912 Odin 1902 Raleigh 1910 Toledo 1913 Old (very poorly drained; slick spots numerous) Sparta 1916 8 Yellow soils with noncalcareous subsoils Mature Enfield 1912 Unionville 1911 West Salem 1912 9 Brownish-yellow soils with open, noncalcareous subsoils Semimature (sedimentation and erosion) Springvalley 1915 11 Brownish-yellow soils with calcareous subsoils Young Antioch 1902 14 Sand loams and sands Mature Palestine 1919 Semimature Oquawka 1915 16 HUlvland Mature.. Elizabethtown 1917 326 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, TABLE 1.— ALEDO FIELD. Rotation: Corn, corn, oats, wheat Serial plot No. Series 100 Series 200 Soil treatment Wheat Stubble clover (sw. cl.) Oats Stubble clover (hubam) Series Series 300 400 First Seco id year year corn corn WEST HALF 1 0 23.7 72.5 (0 ) 45.4 48.6 2 M 30.7 81.3 (0 ) 58.6 60.8 3 ML 38.0 82.8 ( .93) 59.6 63.0 4 MLrP 38.3 85.0 (.97) 61.2 66.8 5 0 23.3 70.3 (0 ) 46.2 46.2 6 R 29.3 (0 ) 71.9 (0 ) 50.0 50.8 7 RL 24.7 (1.66) 73.4 ( .99) 60.6 59.8 8 RLrP 20.8 (1.68) 75.3 (1.03) 60.4 59.6 9 RLrPK.. 25.8 (1.72) 76.9 ( .91) 61.8 67.0 10 0 23.3 .... 66.3 (0 ) 43.0 44.8 EAST HALF 1 RL. . 30.7 (1.33) 64.4 ( .32) 53~0 58.0 2 MrP 35.2 81.3 (0 ) 57.6 60.8 3 MLbP 39.2 .... 83.1 ( .93) 57.8 62.4 4 MLrP 32.5 .... 83.1 (1.00) 58.6 61.0 5 RsP.. 31.3 68.8 (0 ) 50.0 49.6 6 RrP 29.2 72.5 (0 ) 47.8 55.4 7 RLsP 25.0 (1.66) 74.4 (.84) 57.0 60.8 8 RLrP 25.0 (1.60) 75.6 (1.07) 59.4 62.8 9 RLrPK.. 28.3 (1.72) 78.1 ( .93) 63.6 70.2 10 RLrP 30.8 (1.59) 71.9 ( .60) 53.2 62.0 Note. — In 1924 the plots on these series were divided into east and west halves in order to provide for additional phosphorus studies. The plots on the west halves of all series continue under the original soil treatment but the plots on the east halves receive the treatment designated above. No more rock phosphate will be applied to the phosphate plots on the west halves for an indefinite period, these plots having received a total of 8,000 pounds an acre. On the east halves all phosphorus fertilizers will be applied twice in the rotation, ahead of the wheat crop and the first corn crop, at the following annual acre rates: rock phosphate 500 pounds, superphosphate 200 pounds, bone meal 200 pounds. The minimum amount of limestone necessary for the successful growth of the clover green-manure crop will be applied to Plots 1-E and 10-E, 4,000 pounds an acre having been applied in 1924. TABLE 2. — ALEDO FIELD: PHOSPHORUS EXPERIMENT Rotation: Corn, corn, oats, wheat Series 500 Series 600 Plot No. Soil treatment Oats Stubble clover (hubam) Soil treatment Oats 1 R.... 2 RbP.. 3 RLbP. 4 RL. . 59.7 68.8 70.0 68.4 ( -33) ( 0 ) (1.16) ( -78) R... . RsP. . RLsP. RL.. 62.2 73.4 74.2 69.1 ( 0 ) (0 ) (1.10) ( .89) (Table is concluded on page 327) 1990} CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 327 TABLE 2. — Concluded Series 700 Series 800 Soil treatment Oats Stubble clover (hubam) Soil treatment Oats Stubble clover (hubam) 1 2 3 4 R. . 61.3 68.9 69.7 70.0 (0 ) '( 0 ) (1.20) (1.00) R 68.3 59.4 67.2 60.2 ( 0 ) ( 0 ) (1.30) ( -93) RrP. . R, slag P. RLrP RL, slagP RL RL TABLE 3.— ANTIOCH FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, clover, wheat jjj1 Soil treatment Mixed hay jjjj1 Soil treatment Mixed hay 1 0. . (1.62) 6 LRbP. . . (2 81) 2 LrP . (2 80) 7 LRK (2 17) 3 LRrP . (2.62) 8 LKbP . (2 56) 4 LbP . (2.80) 9 LRKbP (2 87) 5 LKrP . (2.41) 10 LKbP . (2.31) Note. — At Antioch, beginning with 1924, rock phosphate has been applied to Plots 2, 3, and 5 at the annual acre rate of 500 pounds; one-half of the rotation appli- cation is made ahead of the oats crop and one-half ahead of the wheat crop. The soil treatment remains unchanged on the other plots. TABLE 4.— BLOOMINGTON FIELD Rotation: Corn, corn, oats, clover, wheat Plot NORTH HALF SOUTH HALF •"">• Soil treatment Oats Soil treatment Oats 1 R. . 62.8 0.. 60.3 2 RLbP 60.6 RL. . . 51 6 3 RLrP 57 2 RLsP . 66 9 4 RLbP 58 4 RLbP 65 0 5 RLKrP 57.2 RLKsP . 65.3 6 RLbP. . 66.9 RLbP. . 73.4 7 RLKrP... 64.1 RLKsP . 69 4 8 RLKbP 64 1 RLKbP . 70 9 9 RLKbP 67.2 RLKbP . 71.6 10 RKbP 60.3 RKbP t.s t 11 RrP 60.6 RsP . 69.7 Note. — At Bloomington in 1924 an additional plot was laid out at the east end of the series. All plots were divided into north ana south halves and the soil treat- ment planned as follows: Residues (cornstalks, the second crop of red clover, legume green-manure crops) to be turned under on all plots except Plot 1-S. Different phosphorus carriers to be applied at the following acre rates per rotation: bone meal, 1 ,000 pounds, to Plots 2-N, 4-N, 6-N, 8-N, 9-N, and 10-N ; rock phosphate, 2,500 pounds, to Plots 3-N, 5-N, 7-N. and 11-N; superphosphate, 1,000 pounds, to Plots 3}-S, 5-S, 7-S, and 11-S. Two-fifths of the rotation application of these phosphates is to be made ahead of the oats crop, two-fifths ahead of the wheat crop, and one-fifth ahead of the first corn crop. 328 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, TABLE 5.— CARLINVILLE FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, wheat, clover-alfalfa Serial Series plot Soil treatment 100 No. Oats Series 200 Wheat Series 300 Clover- alfalfa Series 400 Corn 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 12 .2 .0 .7 .3 .5 .0 .1 .0 .0 .3 19.7 25-. 5 25.8 28.4 19.9 19.5 23.4 22.7 21.8 16.2 (1 (1 (3 (4 (2 (3 (3 (3 (3 (2 .27) .78) .76) .40) .27) .11) .47) .86) .87) .23) 36 48 54 54 38 41 43 44 47 35 .7 .8 .2 .3 .8 .0 .0 .1 .0 .7 M 33 ML 39 MLrP 40 0.. 20 R 17 RL 33 RLrP 32 RLrPK. . 32 0 17 TABLE 6.— CARLINVILLE FIELD Rotation: Corn, wheat Serial Series 700 Series 800 plot No. Soil treatment1 Corn Soil treatment1 Corn ~~1 LeL (1,000) . . 26.6 LeL (5,000) 17.0 2 LeL (4,000) 25.2 LeL (20,000) 25.6 3 LeL (2,000) 29.2 LeL (10,000) 35.8 4 LeL (2,000), treble sP 26 .0 LeL (10,000), treble sP. . . . 32 .2 5 LeL (2,000), sP 28 .8 LeL (10,000), sP 33 .6 6 LeL (2,000), rP 27.0 LeL (10,000), rP 29.6 7 L (2,000) 23.8 L (10,000) 24.4 'The figures in parentheses refer to the total amounts of limestone applied per acre since 1921. TABLE 7.— CARTHAGE FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, clover, wheat Serial Series plot Soil treatment 100 No. Clover Series 200 Oats Series 300 Corn Series 400 Soybeans1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 (1 .60) .48) .39) .67) .45) .78) .93) .32) .66) .80) 35 61 63 68 48 52 57 61 65 49 .0 .3 ,8 .1 .8 .5 .5 .9 .0 .4 30 48 67 70 34 56 79 78 85 36 .3 .5 .8 .5 .5 .0 .3 .8 .5 .1 32 33 30 32 30 28 26 31 30 21 .0 .3 .0 .3 .0 .3 .7 .3 .0 .7 M (2 ML (2 MLrP (2 0.. (1 R. . .. ( RL RLrP ...:.... (i RLrPK. . (i 0 'Soybeans grown as a substitute for wheat, which winterkilled badly. CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1999 HQ TABLE 8.— CARTHAGE FIELD: SPECIAL FERTILIZER STUDIES OS- SERIES 300 AND 400' Rotation: Corn, oats, clover, wheat ^lof t Bf*1 v treat men Section A Section B Section C Section D 1 Corn Soy- Corn Soy- Ix-ans5 Corn Soy- Ix-ans1 Corn Soy- Ix-ans1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 30 8 .5 .8 .5 5 8 B .5 1 32 0 33 3 30.0 32 3 30 0 28.3 26.7 31.3 30 0 21 7 32.5 51 5 74.8 70 2 30.8 54.6 85.8 84.9 88.4 29.3 30 0 35 0 30.7 32 0 31.3 31.3 31.7 36.0 31.7 16.7 28 40 65 66 24 47 78 85 90 26 .7 l .2 .0 6 ,6 1 .7 ,2 1 16.7 28 3 30.0 31.3 30.3 26.7 29.7 31.3 32.7 30.7 28.9 38.0 52 5 71.2 24.6 If, x 83.0 87.9 77.2 30.4 17.3 31.0 32.7 31.7 30.0 28.3 26.7 34.7 31.7 31.7 M.. 48 ML. . 67 MLrP . . 70 0.. . 34 R 56 RL. . 79 RLrP . . 78 RLrPK. . . 85 0 .... 36 'For the purpose of studying the relative values of finely processed rock phos- phate, superphosphate, and mixed fertilizers when used in addition to different basal soil treatments which have been common to all sections since 1912, these series of plots in 1929 were divided into four sections extending across all plots. Section A receives the basal treatment only. Section B receives the basal treatment plus finely processed rock phosphate, 500 pounds per acre for wheat and 250 pounds for corn. Section C receives the basal treatment plus superphosphate, 200 pounds per acre for wheat and 150 pounds for corn. Section D receives the basal treatment plus a mixed fertilizer: namely, 250 pounds of 5-15_-5 per acre for wheat and 250 pounds of 2-12-6 for corn. *Wheat winterkilled, soybeans grown as a substitute crop. TABLE 9.— CARTHAGE FIELD Rotation: Corn, corn, oats Series 500 Series 600 Series 700 Serial plot No. Soil treatment1 Second-year corn West East First-year corn West East Oats Stubble clover (sw. cl.) West* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 RL. . 37.8 44.5 44.8 44 5 41 1 39 6 46 1 45 4 44.1 50.7 49.8 53 2 53 5 49.4 53 5 .VJ M 65.3 67.4 69.5 66.1 67.0 61.1 63.2 60 4 85.0 91.1 ft7 *? 83 'e 80 9 84.8 80.9 76.4 50.3 48.1 is s 48.1 44.1 40.9 41 9 i:; 1 (1 (1 (1 (1 (1 (1 (1 (1 .17) .13) .13) .17) .21) .36) .45) 32) RLrP RLrP RLrP RLrP RLrP RLrP RL. . (100). UN. . (200). gypsum (100).. _'(K. . 11X1 gypsum (200).. (400), gypsum (400).. 'The figures in parentheses indicate the annual acre rates (pounds) at which rock phosphate and gypsum are applied. *The fall growth of sweet clover is regularly re- moved from the west halves of the series and the corn following is harvested by half plots. 330 BULLETIN No. 347 TABLE 10.— CLAYTON FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, clover, wheat [June, Serial Series plot Soil treatment 100 No. Clover Series 200 Oats Series 300 Corn1 Series 400 Wheat Stubble clover (sw. cl.) North South 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 (1 .76) .21) .23) .40) 40) .52) ,45) .48) .60) .70) 56.3 62.2 73.4 74.2 57.5 57.8 67.2 70.3 86.3 45.3 26 58 67 70 38 53 62 59 64 28 2 0 .8 .0 0 2 0 2 .8 .2 29.6 48.0 60.4 64.4 41.4 45.2 59.2 61.4 66.2 24.8 19 24 30 31 20 22 28 28 31 21 .2 .4 .7 .0 .8 .9 .3 .5 .7 .7 (1 (1 (1 0 ) .46) .32) .22) M (3 ML (4 MLrP (4 0.. (2 R. . (1 RL (2 RLrP (2 RLrPK . . (2 0 .... (2 *The north half of the series was plowed on April 17 and the south half on May 9. (See opposite page for Table 11) TABLE 12.— DIXON FIELD Rotation: Corn, corn, oats, alfalfa Serial plot Soil treatment No. Series 500 Alfalfa Series 600 Oats Series 700 Series 800 Second-year First-year corn corn 1-N RK. . (1.18) 46.6 49.0 49.6 1-S R ( 77) 59.4 42.6 55.4 2-N RMK. . (2 24) 48 4 53.0 57.2 2-S RM (2.09) 65.0 51.6 67.2 3-N RMLK. . (4.80) 65.0 52.6 61.0 3-S RML (4 41) 60 0 50.2 58.6 4-N RMLrPK . . (4 96) 66 3 61.4 64.6 4-S RMLrP (4.91) 58.1 52.6 59.0 1930] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1029 331 TABLE 11.— DIXON FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, clover, wheat Serial Series Series Series Series plot Soil treatment 100 200 300 400 No. Clover Oats Corn Wheat SOUTH HALF 1 0.. (2.58) 50.0 40.6 32.5 2 M (2.70) 77.2 62.6 39.5 3 ML (2.36) 83.4 72.0 38.5 4 MLrP (2.50) 85.6 75.4 37.8 5 0.. (2.32) 71.6 43.8 32.8 6 R (2.66) 70.3 46.6 35.3 7 RL (2.89) 78.0 59.0 39.0 8 RLrP (2.90) 80.0 61.2 39.2 9 RLrPK.. (2.57) 77.8 70.0 39.0 10 0 (2.73) 65.6 50.0 32.3 NORTH HALF 1 RL. . (2.56) 73.1 46.6 30.8 2 MrP (2.34) 82.2 63.2 40.8 3 MLbP (2.57) 85.3 73.2 41.5 4 MLrP (2.56) 88.8 74.2 40.8 5 RsP.. (2.14) 70.0 46.4 28.5 6 RrP (2.73) 75.9 52.2 39.5 7 RLsP (2.84) 77.8 53.2 39.3 8 RLrP (3.09) 87.5 60.0 39.2 9 RLrPK, gypsum .. (2.66) 78.0 67.2 41.0 10 RLrP (2.91) 78.0 54.2 37.3 Note. — In 1924 the plots on these series were divided into north and south halves, and some additional investigations were begun. The plots on the south halves of all series continue under the original soil treatment, but the plots on the north halves receive the treatment designated above. No more rock phosphate will be applied to the phosphate plots on the south halves for an indefinite period, these having received a total of 8,000 pounds an acre. The same holds true for the north half of Plot 9 of all series. On the north halves the phosphatic fertilizers and gypsum are applied twice in the rotation, one-half of the rotation quota ahead of wheat, and one-half ahead of corn, at the following annual acre rates: rock phosphate 500 pounds, superphosphate 200 pounds, bone meal 200 pounds, gypsum 200 pounds. The minimum amount of limestone necessary for the successful growth of clovers will be applied to Plots 1-N and 10-N on all series, 4,000 pounds an acre having been applied in 1924. 332 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, TABLE 13.— ELIZABETHTOWN FIELD Rotation: Corn, wheat, mixed hay, wheat Serial1 Series plot Soil treatment 100 No. Wheat Series 200 Corn Series 300 Wheat Series 400 Mixed hay Series2 500 Alfalfa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 6 .4 .7 .3 6 .0 .0 .4 .3 .1 .5 3 6 24 44 3 18 41 50 54 26 .8 .0 .8 6 .0 .3 2 2 .8 .7 10 8 18 26 1 2 9 21 28 7 .7 .8 .7 2 .8 .2 .8 .0 .5 .1 (1 (2 (2 (1 (1 (2 (2 .70) .07) .16) ,65) .82) .27) .57) .04) .32) .68) (1 (1 (1 (1 0 ) 0 ) .23) .61) 0 ) 0 ) .13) .78) .80) 0 ) M 3 ML 12 MLrP 21 0.. 1 R 1 RL 7 RLrP 19 RLrPK. . 22 0 4 1 on Series 100, 300, and 400, and Plot 10 on Series 100 and 200 lie on lower ground and are naturally more productive. 2Series 500 is a permanent alfalfa series. TABLE 14.— ELIZABETHTOWN FIELD Rotation: Corn, soybeans, wheat Soil treatment Plot A Soybeans PlotB Wheat PlotC Corn RLsP. . (1 35) 12 0 34.8 RLrP (1.30) 7.0 38.2 TABLE 15.— ENFIELD FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, mixed hay, wheat Serial plot Soil treatment No. Series 100 Mixed hay Series 200 Oats Series 300 Corn Series 400 Wheat 1 0.. ( 14) 13 3 14.3 9.2 2 M.. . ( 90) 18 6 23 4 13.4 3 ML (2.96) 35.2 48.5 26.3 4 MLrP (3 27) 37.0 42.9 26.7 5 0.. ( .54) 15.2 13.9 9.2 6 R ( 45) 14 2 17.5 9.5 7 RL. . . .... (2 34) 27 3 39 7 17.9 8 RLrP (2.50) 37.3 30.9 18.2 9 RLrPK. . (3.18) 25.5 46.7 . 21.9 10 0 ( -61) 17.5 27.1 11.2 1930] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 333 TABLE 16.— ENFIELD FIELD Rotation: Corn, wheat Srrial plot No. Soil treatment1 Series 700 Corn Series MM) Wheat 1-W L. . 25 6 3 8 1-E L 13 7 6 0 2-W LrP (2,000) sP (100), sweet clover. . . 36 0 5 2 2-E LrP (2,000) sP (100), red clover 11 4 9 5 3-W LrP (2,000), sweet clover 33.2 5.7 3-E LrP (2,000), red clover 10 4 11 3 4-W LrP (2,000) sP (200), sweet clover. . . 32 0 7 0 4-E LrP (2,000) sP (200), red clover 18 8 11 2 5-W LrP (2,000), sweet clover 28.1 8 7 5-E LrP (2,000), red clover 12 6 12 7 6-W L, sweet clover 19 8 7 5 6-E L, red clover 14.8 9.2 'The figures in parentheses indicate the total applications of phosphates since 1923. TABLE 17.— EWING FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, mixed hay, wheat Serial Sf™8 S'ot Soil treatment M 1 °- hay Series 200 Oats Series 300 Corn Series 400 Wheat Stubble hay (sw. cL) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0.. / »;•_> .80) .36) .20) .81) '.M 59) .09) 00) .94) 5 10 40 44 10 10 33 33 36 10 .8 .8 5 2 6 .8 .6 .1 1 2 1 12 37 37 2 4 14 21 53 16 .6 .7 .1 4 .7 .4 .5 .7 0 .7 2.0 4.7 37.0 36.7 1.0 .7 20 3 23.7 29.7 1.0 f ( '6') .32) .51) .94) M.. .. / ML. . (3 MLrP (3 0.. R / RL (1 RLrP (2 RLrPK . . (3 0 334 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, TABLE 18. — EWING FIELD: SPECIAL FERTILIZER STUDIES ON SERIES 300 AXD 4001 Rotation: Corn, oats, mixed hay, wheat Serial plot Basal treatn No. Section A Section B Section C Section D ieut Corn Wheat Corn Wheat Corn Wheat Corn Wheat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 8 .5 .8 .6 .2 9 .6 .6 .9 .6 .5 2.7 4.3 31.7 35.0 3.3 6.0 29.3 28.0 36.0 8.7 8.4 23.6 44.9 46.9 •9.7 20.0 49.5 45.3 54.5 17.0 1 3 36 37 1 1 24 32 32 1 .3 0 .7 3 0 ,7 ,3 ,7 .3 .3 1.6 12.7 37.1 37.4 2.7 4.4 14.5 21.7 53.0 16.7 2.0 4.7 37.0 36.7 1.0 .7 20.3 23.7 29.7 1.0 1.1 1.6 17.9 18.1 5.2 4.5 17.4 35.8 44.0 22.2 .7 4.3 32.0 33.0 2.7 1.3 21.0 25.0 25.0 4.0 M 17 ML 36 MLrP 42 0.. . 20 R 25 RL . . 38 RLrP 42 RLrPK. . . 51 0 17 aln order to study the relative values of different methods of fertilization when added to the basal soil treatments that have been common on these series since 1911, the series in 1929 were divided into four sections extending across all plots. Section A of each plot receives the basal treatment plus KC1 at the rate of 160 pounds per acre for wheat and 200 pounds for corn; also superphosphate at the rate of 300 pounds per acre for wheat and 150 pounds for corn. Section B receives KC1 as on Section A. Section C continues under the basal treatment except for Plot 10, which receives superphosphate as on Section A. Section D of the various plots is treated as follows: Plot 1 receives 100 pounds per acre of NaNO3 as a top dressing for wheat and 100 pounds as a side dressing for corn. On Plots 2, 3, and 4 of this section all soil treatments are discontinued. Plot 5 receives NaNO3 as on Plot 1 and KC1 as on Section A. On Plot 7 the sweet-clover catch crop is omitted. On Plot 8 oats straw is plowed down for corn at the rate of 2 tons an acre. On Plot 9 kainit is discontinued. Plot 10 receives NaNOs as on Plot 1 and KC1 and superphosphate as on Section A. Plot 6 in Sections A, B, and D received a 9-ton application of limestone in 1929. No sweet clover will be seeded on this plot in Sections A and B. TABLE 19— EWING FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, wheat Serial plot Soil treatment No. Series 500-N Corn Series 500-S Wheat Series 600 Oats 1 MLrPK, no clover 18 9 9 3 26.5 2 MLrPK, white biennial sweet clover. . . 3 MLrPK, red clover 13.0 13.9 13.3 14.4 39.5 47.5 4 MLrPK, hubam clover 9.5 17.6 40.0 5 MLrPK, alsike clover 9 4 13.9 45.0 6 MLrPK, yellow biennial sweet clover . . 8.3 9.1 40.0 Note. — These series were replotted in 1927 from what were formerly Plots A and B. Prior to 1917 fertilizers had been applied as follows: manure 8 tons, limestone 8 tons, rock phosphate 6,000 pounds, and kainit 2,400 pounds per acre. With the exception of limestone used when necessary to grow the clovers, no more fertilizing materials will be added. A study will be made of relative value of different clovers as the source of organic manure in a rotation of corn, oats, and wheat (clover catch crop) 19301 CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 335 TABLE 20.— EWING FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, wheat Serial plot No. Soil treatment1 S-ric- 700 Corn Series S 70.9 86.0 32.6 9 RLrPK.. (1.60) 73 3 94 7 40.1 10 0 (2.88) 49.8 58.4 28.2 TABLE 26.— KEWANEE FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, clover, wheat Serial plot Soil treatment No. Series 500 Clover Series 600 Oats Series 700 Corn Series 800 Wheat 1 RrP. . (2.41) 62 8 79.0 33.8 2 RsP. .. (2.22) 66 1 76 1 34.9 3 RLrP (2 65) 76 3 '.•s -' 35.3 4 RLsP (2.42) 74.7 90.7 :;s s 338 BULLETIN No. 347 TABLE 27.— LxMOILLE FIELD Rotation: Corn, corn, oats, wheat [June, Serial Series plot Soil treatment 100 No. Wheat Series 200 Series 300 Second- year corn Series 400 First- year corn Oats Stubble hay (hubam) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 24 .2 5 .9 .8 9 .0 5 3 .8 .2 83 85 80 78 78 81 83 84 80 71 .8 3 .2 .1 1 .7 3 4 .8 .4 (1 (1 (1 (1 ( (1 (1 (1 .60) .71) .69) .67) .90) .97) .36) .36) .75) .60) 35.2 60.2 60.6 60.5 50.3 57.6 63.1 62.3 66.4 44.0 39.8 58.8 61.2 66.5 62.4 56.5 60.4 60.7 64.6 41.1 M 33 ML 33 MLrP 33 0.. 27 R 30 RL 34 RLrP 37 RLrPK 38 0 . . . . 26 TABLE 28.— LEBANON FIELD Rotation: Corn, soybeans, wheat, wheat Series 100 Series Series 200 300 Soybeans Corn Series 400 Serif plot No. Soil treatment Wheat1 Stubble hay (hubam) Wheat1 Stubble hay (sw. cl.) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0.. 4 .2 .8 .8 .7 .7 .5 1 4 3 2 ( -42) ( -16) (1.55) (1.44) ( -54) ( .62) (1.70) (1.36) (1.55) ( -42) 5 14 18 18 10 10 20 19 26 16 .6 .3 1 .2 5 .6 5 ,8 .5 5 35.5 58.3 51.0 53.6 31.4 53.2 71.6 74.9 71.8 49.0 3.3 4.6 15.7 14.8 6.0 3.8 8.3 9.1 8.9 50 (1 (1 (1 0 ) .06) .29) .50) M 1 ML 3 MLrP 2 0.. 2 R 2 RL. . . . 2 RLrP .... 2 RLrPK. . 3 0 .... 2 practically ruined by Hessian fly. 1930] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 339 TABLE 29. — LEBANON FIELD: SPECIAL FERTILIZER STUDIES ON SERIES 3001 Rotation: Corn, wheat, wheat, soybeans Serial T» Section A Section B plot No. ' Corn Corn Section C Cora Section D Com 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0.. 35 .5 .3 .0 .6 .4 .2 .6 .9 .8 .0 32 53 •IS 51 25 50 71 69 79 47 .0 .4 .3 0 .6 .1 9 .6 .7 .9 33 48 47 50 30 70 61 62 72 45 .7 .2 .3 .2 .2 .6 6 .4 .3 .0 36 49 56 46 37 56 54 65 72 46 .2 .5 .6 2 .2 .8 .8 .9 .9 .5 M.. .. 58 ML 51 MLrP 53 0.. 31 R 53 RL 71 RLrP 74 RLrPK . . 71 0 49 'In order to study the relative values of finely processed rock phosphate, super- phosphate, and mixed fertilizer when used in addition to the different basal soil treat- ments applied since 1910, these series of plots in 1929 were divided into four sections extending across all plats. The treatments for the different sections are as follows, the added fertilizers being hill-dropped for corn: Section A, basal treatment only. Section B, basal treatment plus rock phosphate at the rate of 250 pounds an acre. Section C, basal treatment plus superphosphate at the rate of 150 pounds an acre. Section Z), basal treatment plus a 2-12-6 fertilizer at the rate of 250 pounds an TABLE 30.— LEBANON FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, wheat Serial Series Series 600 Series plot Soil treatment No. 500 Oats Wheat1 Stubble hay (sw. cl.) 700 Cora 1-W Le. . . 28.1 1.8 ( 0 ) 45 4 1-E LesP 31.6 2.3 ( 0 ) It s 2-W LeM. . 35 3 4.0 ( 0 ) 49.4 2-E LeMsP 42.2 5.0 ( 0 ) 48.0 3-W I.-M 1. . 38.1 10.5 (1 -70) 54.0 3-E LeMLsP 51.6 12.2 (1.72) 4-W LeMLrP. . 43.1 15.5 (2.01) 57.2 4-E LeMLrP. .. 45.6 18.3 (1.84) 61.0 •Wheat practically ruined by Hessian fly. 340 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, TABLE 31.— LEBANON FIELD Rotation: Wheat, potatoes Serial plot Soil treatment No. Series 800 Potatoes Series 900 Wheat1 1 LeM. . . 61 3 8 8 2 LesP 80 3 8 3 3 LerP 73 3 6 3 4 LesPK 58 0 6 0 5 LerPK.. 51.3 5.7 6 Le, straw ...................................... 83.0 3.7 7 LesP, straw ................................... 128.0 7.2 8 LerP, straw ................................... 129.0 6.8 9 Le, treble superphosphate ....................... 59 .0 5.8 10 Le, potassium phosphate ........................ 49 .3 _ 6.3 Note. — In 1925 Series 800 and 900 were laid out on land which had received 8,000 pounds of limestone, 2,000 pounds of rock phosphate, and 15 tons of manure an acre in 1911. The land grew alfalfa almost continuously from 1911 to 1925. A rotation of wheat (sweet-clover catch crop) and potatoes is followed. Fertilizers are applied as indicated above. The phosphates are supplied annually, rock phosphate 400 pounds, superphosphate 200 pounds, treble superphosphate 100 pounds and potassium phosphate 200 pounds an acre. Kainit 200 pounds an acre is applied for each potato crop. Two tons of manure an acre is applied for potatoes. Straw is applied as a mulch when the potatoes are coming thru the ground. 1Wheat practically ruined by Hessian fly. (See opposite page for Table 32) TABLE 33.— MINONK FIELD Rotation: Corn, corn, oats, wheat Serial Soil treatment Series 100 Wheat North half1 South half Series 200 Stubble Oats hay Series 300 Second-year corn Series 400 First-year corn v North South North South (hubam) half2 half half2 half 1 0 2 M.... 3 ML.. 4 MLrP. 33.3 28.7 69.4 (1.16) 33.8 37.3 28.3 65.6 (1.81) 56.7 33.3 26.7 53.4 (1.66) 61.8 33.3 22.7 54.5 (1.43) 46.6 47.4 52.8 48.4 55.7 64.0 58.4 52.4 71.8 69.8 49.7 72.4 65.2 5 0 30 3 23.3 60.9 (1 ^?^ 48.0 42.3 48.0 47.8 6 R 35 Q 30.0 63.6 n i?) 41.7 45.6 54.8 58.4 7 RL . ... 29 7 26 3 72 8 n 03) 53 7 53.2 68.4 67.8 8 RLrP ... 31 0 30 0 71 7 n ?1) 56 4 57 1 64.0 71.4 q RLrPK. . 30 o 29 0 70 0 n 39) 55.7 58.4 68.8 69.8 10 0 24 0 19.7 69.7 ( .24) 41.6 40.7 58.6 48.6 *On March 8, 200 pounds of sodium nitrate per acre was applied to the north halves of all plots as a top dressing for the wheat. This application was repeated on May 11. 2The north halves of all plots of Series 400 received nitrogen fertilizers as follows: ammonium sulfate, 75 pounds per acre hill-dropped at planting time; 125 pounds sodium nitrate as a side dressing when the corn was about 12 inches high. The yields of corn on Series 300-N show the residual effects of this nitrate fertili- zation in 1928. 1930] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 TABLE 32.— McNABB FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, wheat, clover 341 Serial plot Soil treatment No. . Series 100 Oate Series 200 Corn Series 300 Clover Series 400 Wheat 1 R. . 80.0 73.8 (2.43) 27 8 2 RrP... 86.9 M () (2.61) 30 5 3 0.. 93 1 r><) c, (3 96) 29 7 4 MrP. . . 95 6 74 6 (4 12) 33 7 5 M ... 86.3 77.2 (4.27) 37.7 TABLE 34.— MT. MORRIS FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, clover, wheat Serial plot Soil treatment No. "Wl inn* ^^ 1UU Oats Series 300 Corn Series 400 \Vh«-:it 1 0.. 46 9 54 4 27 0 2 M.... 55.6 64.9 32.0 3 ML 67.5 81.6 39.5 4 MLrP 64 7 72 6 38.7 5 0.. 44.2 46.1 26.8 6 R.... 45.5 56.5 28.2 7 RL. . 58.4 67.3 39.6 8 RLrP 60 0 73.8 39.8 9 RLrPK.. 61.6 75.5 43.3 10 0 43.6 47.5 19.7 'This series was summer fallowed in an attempt to destroy an infestation of quack grass. TABLE 35.— MT. MORRIS FIELD Rotation: Corn, barley, mixed hay, alfalfa Serial plot Soil treatment No. Series 500 Alfalfa Series 600 Alfalfa Series 700 Barley Scries 800 Corn 1 0.. ( 0 ) (2.48) 35 0 57.2 2 M.. ( 0 ) (2.87) 41.9 61.4 3 ML. . (4 60) (4 49) 74 2 65.4 4 MLrP (4.73) (4.87) 68.1 62 4 342 BULLETIN No. 347 TABLE 36.— NEWTON FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, wheat, mixed ha}' [June, Serial Series plot Soil treatment 100 No. Oats Series Series 200 300 Corn Mixed hay Series 400 Wheat Stubble hay (mixed) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 10 .6 .9 .6 .4 .6 .1 .6 .1 .1 .9 2.7 23.8 55.8 59.0 6.6 13.2 38.8 45.4 48.0 3.6 ( (2 (2 ( (1 (1 (2 .32) .35) .31) .96) .28) • .28) .36) .75) .65) .64) 2 10 25 28 6 7 21 24 29 6 .7 .0 .8 .8 .7 .5 .5 .5 .0 .0 ( 0 ) ( 0 ) ( -88) ( .91) ( 0 ) ( 0 ) ( .36) ( -36) ( -72) ( 0 ) M 25 ML 26 MLrP 34 0.. 26 R 23 RL 25 RLrP 29 RLrPK . . 18 0 15 TABLE 37.— NEWTON FIELD Rotation: Wheat, soybeans, redtop Serial plot Soil treatment No. Series 1100-N Redtop Series 1100-S Soybeans Series 1200 Wheat Seed Hay 1 LeLrP. . 3.71 2.86 2.79 2.64 4.07 ( .46) ( .32) ( .37) ( -42) ( -46) (1-.43) (1.56) (1.52) (1.44) (1.30) 17.2 14.3 13.5 12.7 12.7 2 LeL 3 LeLrP 4 LeL 5 LeLrP Note. — Prior to 1923 these series were used in plant-breeding projects and all plots had received uniform soil treatment. From 1923 to 1926 wheat, soybeans, and timothy were grown. In 1927 the rotation was changed to wheat (sweet clover), soybeans, and redtop, the redtop to occupy a given series for three years while wheat and soybeans are grown alternately on the other two series. The plan of fertilization is as follows: Limestone in sufficient amounts to grow sweet clover. Rock phosphate: Plot 1 received an application sufficient to bring the phosphorus content of the surface soil up to 2,000 pounds per acre by analysis. Plot 3 will receive phosphate at the annual acre rate of 200 pounds (400 pounds applied for wheat and 600 pounds for redtop). Plot 5 to receive phosphate at the annual acre rate of 400 pounds (800 pounds for wheat and 1,200 pounds for redtop). / 00] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 343 1 •/. . s§ X r a .2 If x 3 3f » ? 3 i I al n : -7 n £.s Isi S g 3| 7. I 4g O O O C* - • / — O^ i - t - _ . r - O 00?4O?1«O 00 OOOMOO M COG3CC3M O N ^I §5 eccco C o c'^'c c * oej •»« -r — 3; 35 n 00= - P- 3553 — o c o -TJ-C c _____ ^___ _____ ^^^^ u: ^^^^^ ^ xxxxx - - — M £££££ ~ — N co L mm £8 as a ^g-5 g E* f «E . 11 O *>S a£ E 2 * S E al « s § = « 0.0 3J= ^5^ = go. S-* 1 2~.S ^?e| in! s-oVi £•§.> = f-5 344 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, TABLE 39.— OBLONG FIELD Rotation: Wheat, corn, oats, mixed hay Serial plot No. Soil treatment Series 100 Mixed hay Series 200 Oats Series 300 Corn Series 400 Wheat SOUTH HALF 1 0 ( .70) 19.1 16.2 9.5 2 M (1.17) 17.8 46.2 12.2 3 ML (2.60) 31.9 58.0 26.8 4 MLrP (2.55) 30.6 62.6 27.2 5 0 (.70) 33.8 19.2 13.0 6 R (.83) 27.8 29.6 13.3 7 RL (2.03) 35.8 22.4 21.3 8 RLrP (2.20) 34.4 32.0 23.2 9 RLrPK (2.22) 32.2 60.6 23.7 10 0 ( .42) 26.3 18.6 10.7 NORTH HALF 1 RLsP.. ( .94) 14.7 17.2 20.7 2 MLrP (2.11) 22.8 36.6 28.8 3 MLbP (2.55) 27.8 65.6 29.7 4 MLrP (2.49) 31.6 60.8 30.5 5 RL, underacidulated P (1.14) 33.1 26.2 24.7 6 RLrP (1.51) 24.4 31.2 26.2 7 RLbP (2.36) 29.4 38.8 25.5 8 RLrP (2.12) 33.8 36.0 22.2 9 RLrPK.. (2.23) 28.1 55.8 28.5 10 RL, potassium P (1 .47) 16.6 43.0 20.5 Note. — In 1925 these series were divided into north and south halves for the pur- pose of studying the relative values of different phosphorus carriers. The plots on the south halves of all series, as well as Plots 4, 8, and 9 on the north halves, continue under the original soil treatment. On the north halves the new soil treatment is as follows: An initial application of 4,000 pounds of limestone an acre to Plots 1, 2, 5, 6, and 10; subsequent applications to be governed by the clover requirements. Rock phosphate to Plots 2 and 6 : 1 ,000 pounds an acre ahead of wheat and 600 pounds ahead of corn. Bone meal to Plots 3 and 7 : 500 pounds an acre ahead of wheat and 300 pounds ahead of corn. Superphos- phate to Plot 1, underacidulated phosphate to Plot 5, and potassium phosphate to Plot 10; all in the same amounts and applied for the same crops as the bone meal. Residues to be turned under on Plots 1, 5, and 10 as on the original residues plots. (See opposite page for Table 40) TABLE 41.— OBLONG FIELD: LIME-LEGUME STUDIES1 Kind of lime material 1/4-inch mesh Red clover 1/4- to 1/10-inch mesh Red clover 1/10-inch mesh Red clover 1/50-inch mesh Red clover Burnt lime Red clover High calcium (1 .42) Dolomitic (1.05) (1.33) (1.18) (1.11) (1-34) (1-04) (1.35) ( -95) (1.64) ^This experiment is similar to the Newton lime experiment except that the lime is applied at a uniform rate (9,000 pounds calcium carbonate equivalent per acre) and no materials except lime are applied. Each yield is the average of duplicate plots. ; •'-.'" I CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 345 TABLE 40.— -OBLONG FIELD: SPECIAL LEGUME STUDIES Rotation: Corn, oats, wheat, legumes Serial plot Soil treatment No. Series 700 Corn Series Series oJ^J j^.RJ Legumes1 Wheat Series 1000 Oats 1 White biennial sweet clover 41 5 28 0 31 9 2 Red clover 39 7 30 3 29 4 3 Alsike clover. 46 2 27 0 36 2 4 Native vegetation 43 7 17 3 30 6 5 White biennial sweet clover 41 9 26 3 16 9 6 Red clover 48 0 24 7 21 3 7 Alsike clover 42 6 26 0 25 0 8 Native vegetation . . 39.2 19.0 19.4 Note. — From 1912 to 1920 these series were operated as single plots and grew a rotation of potatoes, corn, soybeans, and alfalfa with regular applications of manure, limestone, rock phosphate, and kainit. In 1921 the rotation was changed to corn, oats, legumes, and wheat. Since that time no fertilizing materials have been used except sweet clover as a green-manure crop. In 1926 the series were divided into 8 plots each and since that time a rotation of corn, oats, wheat, and legumes has been grown. Legumes are seeded as designated in the above table and occupy the ground as a regular crop. Where practical, the sweet clover is removed as a hay crop in the fall of the first year and clipped or harvested as seed during the second year. Only one crop of red and alsike clover is removed, the fall growth being plowed down. The native vegetation on Plots 4 and 8 is plowed under. 'Legumes not harvested. TABLE 42.— ODIN FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, wheat, soybeans Serial Series S*ot Soil treatment 100 b. Soybeans Series 200 Corn Series 300 Oats Series 400 Wheat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 3 .6 .8 .7 5 2 4 .8 .3 7 .8 4 6 8 9 31 5 8 15 19 32 .0 .fr .5 5 .2 4 .8 .1 2 1 3 4 14 12 14 5 5 19 18 21 .9 4 .2 .8 .5 .8 .2 .7 .8 1 4 3 12 13 17 3 5 10 10 13 .2 .9 .6 .2 .4 .8 .9 .9 8 3 R. . . 2 RL 4 RLbP 4 RLbPK 6 0.. , 2 R. . 4 RL. . 10 RLbP 9 RLbPK 14 346 BULLETIN No. 347 TABLE 43.— ODIN FIELD Rotation: Wheat, corn [June. Serial plot Soil treatment No. Light lime Heavy lime Series 500 Wheat Series 600 Corn Series 700 Wheat Series 800 Corn 1 LeLbPK. . 16.8 13.4 9.6 13.6 11.2 9.2 13.2 18.3 18.0 13.0 13.3 17.8 13.8 14.6 15.8 10.6 8.8 10.6 6.4 2 LeLK 11.3 3 LeLsPK 13 0 4 LeLrPK.. 15.5 5 LeLK 12 5 6 LeL, slag P, K 18.3 TABLE 44.— ODIN FIELD Sweet-clover rotation experiment Rotation Soil treatment Corn Soybeans Wheat Sweet clover 3-year rotation1 . . 4-year rotation2 . . RLbP RLbP 4.3 15.5 5.0 15.0 18.3 22.8 2 '.75 1Corn, soybeans, wheat (sweet-clover catch crop), sweet clover. 2Corn, soybeans, wheat, TABLE 45.— OQUAWKA FIELD Rotation: Wheat, corn, soybeans, rye, mixed hay, alfalfa < ,r;- I Series , T- Soil treatment 100 No! Wheat Series 200 Alfalfa Series 300 Clover- alfalfa Series Series Series 400 500 600 Rye Soybeans Corn 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 9 .3 .7 .7 .0 .8 .0 .7 .0 .3 .5 (1.98) (4.46) (4.84) (4.94) (4.27) (4.35) (4.59) (4.67) (4.77) (2.64) ( 0 ) ( o ) (5.06) (5.26) ( 0 ) ( 0 ) (2.96) (3.01) (3.14) ( 0 ) 11.4 15.9 16.8 18.8 13.6 14.7 15.4 15.6 16.1 10.3 5.2 8.3 11.7 12.2 5.2 6.9 11.3 11.8 13.3 8.7 10.0 22.0 45.0 54.2 9.4 10.2 48.6 52.4 62.4 5.0 M.. 16 ML 19 MLrP 30 0.. 13 R . 14 RL 22 RLrP 20 RLrPK. . 20 0 .... 7 1930] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 347 TABLE 46.— PALESTINE FIELD Rotation: Wheat, corn, oats, mixed hay, alfalfa Serial JjJ* Soil treatment Series 100 Wheat Series 200 Mixed hay Series 300 Stubble hay1 BOOM 400 Corn Series 500 Alfalfa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LeL. . 10 .7 .3 .3 3 3 5 .8 .2 3 .7 (3 (3 (3 (3 (3 (4 (3 (3 (3 (1 .76) .76) .59) .99) .41) .21) .88) .51) .90) .67) (1 (2 (2 (2 (1 (2 (1 (2 .67) .21) 60) .12) .97) .63) .30) .97) .40) .80) 55 54 48 53 51 53 58 51 45 48 .0 .2 0 4 .2 .0 4 .8 0 .0 (3 (3 (3 (3 (3 (3 (3 (3 (4 (3 .25) .24) 65) .70) .38) .65) .76) .90) .32) .51) LeLM . . 14 LeLMsP. . 16 LeLMrP 17 LeL. . 14 LeL, KC1 14 LeLsP, KC1 16 LeLrP, KC1 16 LeLrP, kainit 15 0 1 Note. — In 1928 the rotation was changed to wheat (standard mixture catch crop), corn (hairv vetch seeded at last cultivation), oats, red-clover-alfalfa mixture, and alfalfa. K('l is applied at the rate of 250 pounds an acre for the corn crop; kainit, 500 pounds an acre for wheat and 500 pounds for corn; superphosphate, 300 pounds an acre for wheat, 300 pounds for oats, and 150 pounds for corn; rock phosphate, 600 pounds an acre for wheat, 600 pounds for oats, and 300 pounds for corn. Lime- stone has been applied in sufficient amounts to grow clovers and subsequent applica- tions will be governed by the requirement of the legume crops. Plots 2, 3, 4 will receive manure in amounts equivalent to the crops removed from Plot 2 of all series, applied for corn. •Oats were seeded on Series 300 but the clover and alfalfa of the standard mixture seeding smothered the oats and the crop was harvested as hay. TABLE 47.— PALESTINE FIELD Rotation: Wheat, corn, alfalfa Serial plot Soil treatment No. Series 600 Alfalfa Series 700 Wheat Series 800 Corn 1 LeLsP. (3.97) 11.7 31.2 2 LeLrP (3.12) 9.1 37.1 3 LeL. . (3.09) 5.3 31.1 4 LeL, flowers of sulfur (2.40) 4.8 39 0 5 LeLrP, flowers of sulfur (2.70) 1.6 29.8 6 LeL (2.38) 11.7 32 9 7 LeL, gvpsum (2.46) 3.2 34.7 8 LeLrP, gvpsum (3.10) 5.9 34.3 Note. — These series were laid out in the fall of 1925. A rotation of wheat (sweet clover), corn, and alfalfa is grown, wheat and corn alternating on two series for three years, while alfalfa occupies the third series for the same period. The following plan of soil treatment was adopted: An initial application of 6,000 pounds of limestone an acre, future applications to \te governed by the crop needs. Rock phosphate, 600 pounds an acre for wheat, 300 pounds for corn, and 600 pounds for the second crop of alfalfa. Superphosphate, 300 pounds an acre for wheat, 150 pounds for corn, and 300 pounds for the second crop of alfalfa. Flowers of sulfur, 50 pounds an acre for wheat and 50 pounds for the second crop of alfalfa. Gypsum, 300 |x>unds an acre for wheat and 300 pounds for the second crop of alfalfa. 348 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, TABLE 48.— PALESTINE FIELD: SERIES 900 Corn-vetch experiment Plot No. Soil treatment Corn Plot No. Soil treatment Corn 1 Le 31.2 2 LesP (100) 33.7 3 LerP (200) 33.3 4 LesP (200) 36.6 5 LerP (400) 38.7 6 LeL 38.4 7 LeLsP (100) 37.4 8 LeLsP (200) 41.2 Note. — This experiment was planned to study the effects of vetch green manure on the following corn crop. Temporarily a single crop system is planned. Corn with a catch crop of hairy vetch will be grown. The vetch will be seeded in the corn late in August and the growth plowed under the following spring. An initial application of 6,000 pounds of limestone an acre was made on Plots 6, 7, 8. The figures in parentheses represent the annual acre applications of the phosphates. TABLE 49.— RALEIGH FIELD Rotation: Wheat, corn, oats, mixed hay Serial plot No. Soil treatment Series 100 Mixed hay Series 200 Oats Series 300 Corn Series 400 Wheat1 WEST HALF 1 0 ( .49) 11.6 9.2 1.5 2 M (.88) 15.9 32.2 3.0 3 ML (1.64) 32.5 41.6 3.3 4 MLrP (1.02) 30.6 47.4 3.0 5 0... ( .85) 11.6 10.2 1.8 6 R (.95) 11.3 14.6 2.7 7 RL (1.18) 19.4 24.6 3.8 8 RLrP (1.58) 21.6 28.4 2.3 9 RLrPK.. (1.76) 21.9 45.0 2.8 10 0 ( .40) 14.1 18.6 1.7 EAST HALF 1 RL. . ( .70) 12.5 15.0 2.3 2 MrP ( .88) 11.3 31.0 .3 3 MLbP (1.68) 29.1 44.8 2.3 4 MLrP (2.31) 31.3 45.0 1.8 5 RsP. . ( .45) 8.4 9.8 1.0 6 RrP ( .85) 10.3 14.8 .5 7 RLsP (2.21) 26.9 20.8 1.0 8 RLrP (1.67) 22.5 28.6 2.2 9 RLrPK, gypsum (1.86) 21.6 49.6 3.0 10 RLrP....'. (1.47) 23.4 23.2 3.2 Note. — In 1924 the plots on these series were divided into west and east halves and additional investigations were begun. The plots on the west halves of all series continue under the original soil treatment, but the plots on the east halves receive the treatment indicated above. (Note is concluded on opposite page) 1930] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 349 TABLE 60.— SPARTA FIELD Rotation: Corn, soybeans, oats, wheat Serial Series plot Soil treatment 100 No. Oats Series 200 Soylx-iuis Series 300 Corn Series 400 Wheat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0.. 14 .7 .1 .4 .3 .9 .2 .5 .3 .6 .1 7 9 22 22 3 5 18 19 20 3 .5 5 .8 .5 .5 .0 .7 3 2 .0 17 21 39 40 9 19 33 31 57 13 .6 .6 .2 .8 .0 .0 .4 .6 .6 .4 1 13 14 2 3 12 12 10 1 .7 .8 3 .0 .8 .7 .2 5 .5 .0 M.. 23 ML 34 MLrP 36 0.. 11 R. . . 12 RL. . 27 RLrP 26 RLrPK. . 26 0 18 TABLE 51.— SPARTA FIELD Rotation: Wheat, corn, cowpeas, timothy Serial plot Soil treatment No. Series 500 Cowpeas Series 600 Timothy Series 700 Wheat Series 800 Corn 1 Le.. . ( .70) (1-07) 5.7 21.6 2 LeM ( -80) (1.25) 7.7 24.4 3 LeML. . . (1.12) (2.41) 12.7 52.8 4 LeMLrP (1.32) (2.46) 14.2 61.6 5 LeMLrPK (1.44) (2.18) 14.0 67.0 6 Le (1.14) (1.11) 5.2 24.6 (Note to Table 49, concluded) No more rock phosphate will be applied to the phosphate plots on the west halves for an indefinite period, these plots having received a total of 8,500 pounds an acre. The same holds true for the east half of Plot 9 of all series. On the east halves the phosphatic fertilizers and gypsum are applied twice in the rotation, one-half the rotation quota ahead of wheat and one-half ahead of corn at the following annual acre rates: rock phosphate 500 pounds, superphosphate 200 pounds, bone meal 200 pounds, gypsum 200 pounds. The minimum amount of limestone necessary to the successful growth of clovers will be applied to Plots 1-E and 10-E of all series, 4,000 pounds an acre having been applied in 1924 and 2,000 pounds in 1927. 'Wheat damaged by hail. 350 BULLETIN No. 347 TABLE 52.— SPARTA FIELD: MISCELLANEOUS STUDIES [June, Soil treatment Plot A Corn PlotB Wheat PlotC Alfalfa PlotD Corn PlotE Wheat PlotF Wheat MLrPK. . 54 5 9 5 (1 70) 49 4 MrPK 30 4 4 5 ( 0 ) 53 0 LeLN 13 2 LeL 13.6 10.3 TABLE 53.— SPRINGVALLEY FIELD Rotation: Wheat, corn, oats, clover Serial . Series plot Soil treatment 100 No. Clover Series 200 Oats Series 300 Corn Series 400 Spring wheat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 (3 .60) .79) .12) .17) .13) .10) .34) .02) .39) .00) 27 40 43 50 36 40 45 46 45 30 .5 .0 .4 .9 .3 .0 .9 .6 .0 .9 44 56 59 62 44 52 57 41 67 48 .0 .4 .6 .0 .6 .4 .0 .4 .6 .6 25 30 32 31 25 27 26 27 30 27 .8 .8 .2 .3 .3 .0 .7 .0 .2 .2 M (3 ML (4 MLrP (4 0.. (3 R (2 RL (2 RLrP (2 RLrPK (2 0 (2 TABLE 54.— SPRINGVALLEY FIELD Rotation: Corn, corn, oats, alfalfa Serial plot Soil treatment No. Series 500 Alfalfa Series 600 First-year corn Series 700 Second-year corn Series 800 Oats 1 0.. (2.96) 48.4 30.2 54.4 2 RM (3.56) 47.6 54.4 70.9 3 RML (4 33) 53 0 52 0 77.5 4 RMLrP (3.47) 55.2 52.8 74.4 W30] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 351 TABLE 55.— TOLEDO FIELD Rotation: Wheat, corn, oats, mixed hay Serial plot No. Soil treatment Series 100 Mixed hay Series 200 Oats Series 300 Corn Series 400 Wheat SOUTH HALF 1 0 (1.15) 16.6 7.0 10.3 2 M.... (1.68) 23.1 15.4 10.7 3 ML (2.70) 37.8 37.0 24.0 4 MLrP (2.45) 33.1 34.4 21.5 50.. ( .62) 194 6.6 11.7 6 R ( .92) 17.2 15.4 13.8 7 RL (1.78) 52.8 11.2 22.7 8 RLrP (1.88) 32.8 6.6 21.8 9 RLrPK.. (2.65) 36.6 41.0 26.7 10 0 ( .58) 22.5 6.0 5.2 NORTH HALF 1 RL. . (1.92) 35.0 14.8 20.5 2 MrP (2.30) 23.4 15.2 20.3 3 MLbP (2.88) 33.8 38.0 25.5 4 MLrP (2.68) 40.9 39.8 24.7 5 RsP. . ( .92) 20 9 8.6 13.8 6 RrP (1.60) 20.9 12.6 17.2 7 RLsP (2.38) 23.4 7.6 17.7 8 RLrP (2.40) 344 8.2 20.7 9 RLrPK, gypsum.. (3.02) 35.0 37.2 33.3 10 RLrP (1.20) 36.6 16.0 16.2 Note. — In 1924 the plots on these series were divided into north and south halves and additional studies were begun. The plots on the south halves of the series con- tinue under the original soil treatment but the plots on the north halves receive the soil treatment designated above. No more rock phosphate will be applied to the phosphate plots on the south halves for an indefinite period, these plots having re- ceived a total of 8,000 pounds. The same holds true of the north half of Plot 9 of all series. Both halves of Plots 2, 3, and 4 will receive the sweet-clover catch crop in the same manner as the residue plots. On the north halves the phosphatic fertilizers and gypsum are applied twice in the rotation, one-half of the rotation quota ahead of corn and one-half ahead of wheat at the following annual acre rates: rock phosphate 500 pounds, superphosphate 200 pounds, bone meal 200 pounds, gypsum 200 pounds. The minimum amount of limestone necessary to the successful growth of clovers will be applied to Plots 1-N and 10-N, 4,000 pounds having been applied in 1924. 352 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, TABLE 56.— UNIONVILLE FIELD Rotation: Wheat, cowpeas, mixed hay Serial plot No. Soil treatment Series 500 Cowpeas Seed Hay Series 700 Wheat Series 800 Mixed hay 1 0 2 MLrP. 3 RLrP. 4 RLrP, kainit 5 RLrP, shale 6 RLrP, common salt.. 7 RLrP, Omaha K 8 0. . 7.3 15.2 12.8 15.8 12.6 13.3 13.6 9.3 ( .88) (2.46) (1-75) (1.92) (1.50) (1.68) (1.79) ( -84) 5.1 23.0 20.8 22.7 20.9 20.9 18.7 9.3 ( -54) (2.50) (2.39) (1.81) (1.84) (1-40) (1.95) (1.11) TABLE 57.— UNIONVILLE FIELD Rotation: Corn, soybeans, oats, wheat Serial plot No. Soil treatment Series 100 Oats Series 200 Soybeans Series 300 Corn Series 400 Wheat WEST HALF 10 9.1 2.7 2.4 4.3 2 M 3.1 5.0 6.7 7.2 3 ML 31.6 15.5 18.8 13.2 4 MLrP 33.8 16.2 16.4 13.2 5 0.. 8.1 3.3 2.8 3.7 6 R 26.6 3.0 6.3 3.3 7 RL 45.0 11.2 27.2 12.3 8 RLrP 49.1 12.0 33.3 12.8 9 RLrPK.. 44.1 15.2 ' 47.2 21.5 10 0 6.6 3.2 2.2 6.3 EAST HALF 1 L.. 3.4 6.8 6.8 4.3 2 MLrP 6.3 7.7 11.2 9.3 3 ML, KC1 26.9 15.7 11.8 14.3 4 MLrP, KC1 26.9 14.8 11.8 16.7 5 LsP.. 5.6 4.8 7.2 10.3 6 L, NaNO3 15.3 6.8 11.4 7.7 7 RLsP, KC1 36.9 13.7 31.8 18.0 8 RLrP, KC1 31.6 14.5 37.0 19.5 9 RLrP, kainit 35.6 17.2 40.0 19.3 10 LsP, NaNO3 6.3 10.2 6.7 16.5 Note. — In 1925 these series were divided into west and east halves and new investigations were begun. All plots on the west halves and Plot 9 on the east halves of all series will continue under the original soil treatment; but the plots on the east halves, with the exception of Plot 9, receive the treatment indicated above. No more rock phosphate will be applied to any of the original phosphate plots for an indefinite period, these plots having received a total of 8,000 pounds an acre. (Note is concluded on opposite page) 1930] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 353 TABLE 58.— URBAN A, MORROW PLOTS: ROTATION EXPERIMENT Section Plots Plot 4 PlotS of Soil treatment (Continuous (Corn and oats (Corn, oats, and plot corn) rotati6n) clover rotation) Corn Corn Oate NW 0.. 16 4 20 4 50 7 SW MLrP 32 4 67 2 75 8 NE 0 is s •Jii s 60.4 SE MLbP 39.6 63.2 74.8 TABLE 59.— URBAN A, DAVENPORT PLOTS Rotation: Corn, oats, clover, wheat, alfalfa Serial Series plot Soil treatment 100 No. Corn Series 200 Clover Series 300 Wheat Series 400 Alfalfa Series 500 Oats WEST HALF 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0.. 66 .0 .2 .6 .0 .2 .2 .0 4 .2 .4 (2 (2 (3 (2 (3 (4 (4 (4 (4 (3 .45) .74) .50) .97) .42) .04) .25) .05) .27) .89) 21 20 30 29 36 44 47 44 41 41 .6 .8 5 .8 .5 1 .5 .3 .7 .9 (1 (1 (1 (2 (2 (3 (4 (4 (5 (5 .72) .26) .29) I'.t .91) .84) .40) .80) .39) .10) 54 49 49 47 52 62 64 61 67 41 (i .8 .7 .* .0 .0 .2 .9 .2 8 R 71 M.. 71 RL. 68 ML 65 RLrP. . 75 MLrP . . 66 RLrPK. . 70 MLrPK 69 M'LrP' ... 68 EAST HALF 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 . 58 .4 .6 .6 .6 .8 0 .8 .2 0 0 (2 (3 (3 (2 (3 (3 (4 (4 (4 (3 .79) .00) .83) .99) .65) .84) -42) .18) .13) .92) 0 0 1 0 0 45 46 44 46 42 ) 1 .0 .4 .5 .7 (1 (1 (1 (2 (2 (4. (4 (5 (5 (5 .77) .61) .94) 50) .90) .39) Mi IM .53) .35) 53 50 54 45 71 61 67 66 71 55 •2 .1 8 .4 .5 (i .2 .6 i i R 57 M.. 73 RL 67 ML 6S RLbP. . 70 MLbP 72 RLbPK . . 79 MLhPK 64 M'LbP« ... 74 'These plots were used in special fertilizer tests, see Table 60. (Note to Table 56, concluded) The soil treatment on the east halves is as follows: Limestone to Plots 1, 2, 5, 6, 10 at the rate of 4,000 pounds an acre; subsequent applications to !*• governed by the requirement of the legume crops. Rock phosphate to Plot 2; 5(K) pounds an acre for wheat, and 500 jxiunds for corn. Superphosphate, 250 pounds for wheat, and 250 pounds for corn. KC1, 150 pounds for wheat and 150 |x>unds for corn. NaNOj, 100 pounds an acre as a top dressing for wheat and 100 pounds as a side dressing for corn. No more residues to Plot 6. In 1929 the rotation was changed to corn, soylieans, oats, and wheat. Hubatn clover will be seeded in the oats on all plots and sweet clover on the residues plots as green manure. 354 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, TABLE 60 —URBAN A, DAVENPORT PLOTS: SPECIAL FERTILIZER EXPERIMENT Plot No. Section A Section B Section C Soil treatment Wheat Soil treatment Wheat Soil treatment Wheat 301 302 303 304 305 0.. . 21 .6 .8 5 .8 5 sP. . . 22 .2 .8 .5 .5 .1 sP, NaNO3 . . 22 26 36 37 38 .7 .0 .4 .9 ,7 R. . . 20 RsP. . 24 RsP, NaNO3. . . MsP, NaNO3. . . RLsP, NaNO3... MLsP, NaNO3. . M. RL. .. 30 MsP. . . 31 . . 29 RLsP MLsP . . 34 ML.. ..36 36 Note. — In the spring of 1929 Plots 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Series 300 were divided into three sections. Section A remained under the original soil treatment. On April 17 superphosphate (16 percent) was applied at the rate of 320 pounds an acre across all plots in Section B. At the same time all plots in Section C received superphosphate at the rate of 320 pounds an acre and sodium nitrate at the rate of 125 pounds. TABLE 61— WEST SALEM FIELD Rotation: Corn, oats, wheat, mixed hay, wheat Serial Series plot Soil treatment 100 No. Wheat Series Series 200 300 Mixed hay Wheat Series 4002 Oats Series 5002 Corn 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 4 .2 .6 .0 2 .3 .6 .2 .1 .8 .2 ( (1 (1 (2 ( (1 (1 .77) .17) .30) .02) .20) .44) .93) .65) .91) .52) 6 11 18 21 7 8 15 17 20 1 .0 .0 .1 2 .4 .7 .7 .3 .1 .3 32.3 43.6 60.9 63.1 35.3 43.0 54.5 70.5 61.6 7 36 42 47 14 24 25 28 52 .9 .3 .6 .6 .8 .6 .3 .7 .2 ML1 17 ML 21 MLrP 28 . L». . 11 RL1 13 RL 15 RLrP 19 RLrPK. .. 25 0 3 each. Initial application of limestone only. 2Series 400 and 500 contain only 9 plots TABLE 62.— WEST SALEM FIELD: MINOR ROTATIONS Soil treatment Wheat, sweet clover, and mixed hay Corn, wheat, and mixed hay Plot A Mixed hay PlotB Wheat PlotC Sweet clover PlotD Mixed hay Plot E Wheat PlotF Corn MLrPK. . (1.84) 23.5 6.8 2.45 0 (1.16) ( -40) 18.7 8.2 30.4 25.4 MrPK ... ( .56) 19SO] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1029 355 WHAT IN GENERAL DOES A STUDY OF THESE FIELDS INDICATE? From the summaries on the following pages, the reader can get a clearer conception of the influence of soil treatments upon the Illi- nois soil experiment fields than can be obtained by a study of each field independently or of each year independently. A very condensed form is used. The crop yields for a rotation have been averaged and converted into money values. These money values in turn have been reduced to an annual acre basis. For a four-year rotation this pro- cedure condenses 16 different crop yields into one figure. Such fig- ures make it possible to see at a glance the relative effect of any particular treatment for the rotation period. The crop prices on which these figures are based are the average December 1 prices on Illinois farms as reported by the government for the period covered. For the more common crops the prices for the four-year period ending in 1929 were as follows: corn, 67 cents; wheat, $1.17; oats, 39 cents a bushel; and mixed hay, $12.90 a ton. Where deductions were made for the cost of the treatment applied, crop residues were figured as costing 75 cents an acre annually, and the manure, limestone, rock phosphate, and kainit 75 cents, $3, $15. and $25 a ton respectively. Under average conditions these prices should cover the cost of application as well as purchase. With these explanations, attention is directed to the facts brought out in the following tables and text. 356 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, Fields Vary Markedly in Level of Productiveness Marked variation in the present level of productivity among the soils represented by these thirty fields is revealed by the figures from the untreated plots, shown in Table 63. The annual acre-value of the crops grown during the last rotation ranged from $4.19 at Sparta to $41.07 at McNabb, a difference of nearly 900 percent. The returns from the other fields are distributed more or less regularly between these two extremes. If these values are correlated with the soil groups on page 325, some interesting relationships become apparent. The dark-colored soils, for instance, are on the average from three to four times as productive as the light-colored soils. Among the dark- colored soils those having heavy, noncalcareous subsoils are the most productive and those with impervious, noncalcareous subsoils the least productive. The sandy soils occupy an intermediate position, and the old, very poorly drained gray soils with impervious, noncal- careous subsoils occupy the lowest position. TABLE 63.— UNTREATED LAND: VALUE OF ALL CROPS GROWN ON THE UNTREATED PLOTS ON EACH FIELD (Values represent average annual acre returns for rotation periods ending in 1929) Rank Field Value 1 McNabb $41 .07 2 Aledo 31 .90 3 LaMoille 30 .63 4 Minonk 28 .64 5 Bloomington 28.16 6 Springvalley 27 .83 7 Kewanee 27 .56 8 Urbana 27 .32 9 Hartsburg 25 .92 10 Dixon 23 .94 11 Carthage 20 .81 12 Clayton 20 .77 13 Mt. Morris 19 .62 14 Antioch 19 .49 15 CarlinviUe 19 .40 16 Palestine 19 . 10 17 Joliet 17 .36 18 Lebanon 16 .51 19 Oquawka 14 .78 20 Oblong 9 .95 21 Toledo 7 . 19 22 Enfield 6 .38 23 Raleigh 5 .53 24 Unionville 5.51 25 Newton 5 .48 26 Odin 5.17 27 West Salem 4 .87 28 Ewing 4 .61 29 Elizabethtown 4 .51 30 Sparta 4 . 19 CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 Limestone Results Indicate Value of Soil-Testing Program On most soil experiment fields 4 tons of limestone an acre was applied when the field was established, in addition to either manure or crop residues. Subsequent applications were made at the rate of 2 tons an acre each four years thereafter until 1923, when all appli- cations were discontinued. The total amount applied to the respec- tive fields ranges from 4 to 10 tons an acre depending upon the age of the field. On most fields a total of 8% tons an acre has been ap- plied, which is at the rate of about 900 pounds a year. The annual acre-value of the limestone used on the soil experi- ment fields, as revealed in Table 64, ranges from minus 49 cents to $17.94 in the livestock system and from minus 18 cents to $11.94 in the grain system, indicating the great need for limestone on some soils, the uselessness of it on others, and the need, therefore, of a soil-testing program on the part of every farmer. TABLE 64. — LIMESTONE: VALUE OF CROP INCREASES RESULTING FROM LIME- STONE WHEN USED IN ADDITION TO MANURE OR CROP RESIDUES (Values represent average annual acre returns for rotation periods ending in 1929) Livestock systems Grain systems Rank Fields Values Rank Fields Values 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Q 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Ewing .$17 94 1 2 3 4 5 6 m 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ewing ..$11.94 EnfieTd . 14 03 Lebanon . .. 11.55 Newton 12 68 Enfield . ... 11 09 Toledo . 11.57 Aledo . . . 10.19 Oquawka . 10 78 Clayton . .. 10.17 Ehzat>ethtown . 9 75 ^It. Morris . .. 10.12 Raleigh . 9.74 Oquawka . .. 9.74 Oblong . 9 73 Toledo . .. 9.61 Mt. Morris . 9 17 Sparta 9.11 Sparta 9 10 Newton . .. 8.70 Carlinville 8 62 Elizabethtown ... 8.20 Urbana . 8 54 Urbana . .. 7.62 Lebanon . 8 06 Carlinville ... 7.60 Unionville. . . 7 55 Carthage 7.60 Clavton . . 6 63 Unionville 7.40 West Salem1 5 36 West Salem1 .... 7.19 Hartsburg . 5 05 Odin 7.11 Joliet 4 82 Raleigh 6 79 Kewanee ... 4 17 Dixon 5.54 Carthage . . . 4 00 Oblong :• n Aledo.T.. 3 60 LaMoille 5.09 Dixon . 3 12 Kewanee ... 4.30 Springvallev . 1 68 Bloomington 4.11 LaMoille 1 02 Joliet ... 3.70 Minonk - 49 Antioch .. 1.28 Springvallev 1.13 Hurtsburg .77 Minonk ..- .18 'Some limestone was applied to check plots by mistake in 1912. 358 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, Most Soils Respond to Farm Manure In livestock systems of farming the amount of manure that can be produced and returned to the soil depends upon the productiveness of the soil. If manure is composed of 75 percent moisture and 25 per- cent dry matter, and it is assumed that one-third of the produce grown is sold and two-thirds is fed, and that one-fifth of the manure is lost before it can be returned to the land, then for every pound of produce grown, one pound of manure can be returned to the soil. When ma- nure was applied to the respective experiment fields on this basis the amounts returned, where no supplementary treatments were used, ranged from less than three-quarters ton at Enfield to about 3% tons at LaMoille. With supplementary treatments consisting of either lime- stone, or limestone and phosphate, the amount of manure returned to the soil on each field was increased, but the extremes in range of the amounts applied was not greatly different than when no supple- mentary treatments were used. The application of manure in the manner described increased crop yields on all fields. Rather marked variations occurred, however, in the size of the increases on the respective fields. The value of the crop increases for the manure where it was used alone varied from $2.02 an acre annually at Unionville, on a yellow soil with a non- calcareous subsoil, to $9.93 at Oquawka, which is located on a semi- mature sand soil. In a similar manner the ton-value of the manure ranged from 94 cents at McNabb on a young, dark soil with an open, noncalcareous subsoil, to $8.28 at Oquawka. These data reveal a tendency for the smaller applications to give higher tori-values, but a comparison of these values with the acre-values indicates that some soils are more highly responsive to manure than are others, and that this difference in responsiveness exists both in the highly productive and in the less productive soils. J'JSO] CROP YIELDS FKOM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 359 TABLE 65. — MANURE: AMOUNTS APPLIED TO SOIL IN THREE SYSTEMS OF LIVE- STOCK FARMING AND RETURNS FROM IT WHERE UHED ALONE (For rotation periods ending in 1929) Amounts applied annually per acre Value when used alone Rank Fields Alone With limestone With lime- stone and pliosplmtr Ton value Annual acre value 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Oquawka tons 1.10 tons 1.90 3.00 3.11 3.02 3.89 3.77 2.98 2 97 3.33 1.30 2.20 2.92 3.45 2.16 2.76 3.30 2.00 1.90 3.50 2.14 1.46 1.85 2.20 1.50 i.60 1.24 tons 1.89 3.04 3.19 3.12 3.87 3.75 3.14 3.20 3.26 1.40 2.10 2.93 3.49 2.26 3.12 3.67 2.19 2.00 3.61 2.38 1.82 2.00 2.10 1.50 i.60 1.28 $8.28 4.08 3.07 3.03 2.33 2.14 3.01 2.72 2.64 c, ;,s' 3.55 2.92 1.53 4.71 •2 (HI 1.91 4.80 5.22 1 34 5 19 5.17 4.88 3.03 1.88 .94 2.73 2.46 $9.93 9.83 9.04 8.37 8.10 7.99 7.62 7 57 7.26 7.24' 6.75 6.75 5.51 5.28 5.09 5 00 4.71 4.65 4.38 4.10 3.98 3.57 3.03 2.92 2.80 2 05 2 02 Clayton 2.41 Kewanee 2.94 Dixon 2.76 Aledo 3.47 LaMoille 3.73 Carthage 2.53 Springvalley Mt. Morris . 2.78 2.75 West Salem 1.101 Lebanon 1.90 Carlinville. . 2 31 Minonk 3.59 Oblong 1.12 Joliet 2.44 Urbana 2.62 Raleigh .98 Newton .89 Hartsburg 3.27 Ewing .79 Elizabethtown . . . .77 Enfield 73 Toledo 1.00 Palestine. . . 1.50 McNabb 2.99 Sparta .75 Union ville .82 'Some limestone applied thru mistake. 360 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, Soil Improvement Value of Crop Residues On farms where little or no livestock is fed there usually is pro- duced more or less crop-residue material that may be used for soil- improvement purposes. Cropping systems are easily devised in which the amount of such material available for soil-improvement purposes can be greatly increased. The value of such material, as utilized on the Illinois soil experiment fields, is shown by the data in Table 66. This material has consisted chiefly of cornstalks, green-manure sweet clover, second-crop red clover and soybean chaff, grown upon the land and plowed down in the absence of other soil treatments. In the early years the grain straws were also returned. The results in the last column indicate that this system of soil improvement may be rather effective on some soils and less effective on others. The best results were obtained on those fields where sweet clover will grow without the application of limestone, such as those representing the young soils in the group of dark soils with heavy, noncalcareous subsoils. The poorest results were obtained on the dark soils that will not grow sweet clover but which will grow fairly good red clover without supplementary treatments, such as the dark soils with noncalcareous subsoils represented by the Urbana and Kewanee fields. In the latter group the red clover grows as well on the check plots as on the residues plots. The only difference between these plots is that on one, two crops of hay are removed and on the other the second crop is plowed down. This fact makes it difficult to meas- ure the effects of crop residues on those fields where red clover is a prominent legume. On those fields where legumes will not grow without limestone, the value of the crop residues is probably due chiefly to the cornstalks plowed down. In this system of soil im- provement the legume green manure is probably an essential factor. On many experiment fields where limestone is not applied, this influ- ence is entirely suppressed. 1930] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 361 TABLE 66. — CROP RESIDUES: CROP YIELDS AND VALUE OF INCREASES RESULT- ING FROM PLOWING DOWN CROP RESIDUES IN ABSENCE OF OTHER SOIL TREATMENT PRACTICES (Figures represent average annual acre yields and average annual acre returns for rotation periods ending in 1929) Rank' Fields Grain vields Corn Wheat Value of crop increases Gramcrops ^ cropfl l>u. bu. 1 Minonk 12.5 3.9 $5.52 $7.73 2 Harteburg 16.0 4.0 6.30 7.07 3 LaMoille 6.3 4.0 3.72 5.05 4 Aledo 6.1 3.1 3.12 3.13 5 Oquawka 1.5 1.5 1.47 3.13 6 Palestine* 2.1 3.0 2.46 3.12 7 Lebanon 13.7 - .1 2.98 2.83 8 West Salem' 6.2 3.1 3.20 2.68 9 Springvalley 9.0 4.0 4.10 2.15 10 Carthage 12.0 4.6 5.28 2.01 11 Clayton 10.0 5.0 4.31 1.91 12 Antioch 3.5 3.0 3.16 .86 13 Oblong 67 4.0 2.94 .82 14 Odin 2.7 1.8 2.01 .73 15 Raleigh 3.2 1.3 .84 .73 16 Dixon 4.3 3.6 2.34 .68 17 Soarta 6.0 .7 2.42 .58 18 Toledo 4.6 1.0 1.62 1.57 19 Elizabethtown 5.1 .7 169 1.56 20 Newton 1.7 1.8 1.14 1.27 21 Mt. Morris 10.0 1.4 3.12 1.25 22 Joliet 2.9 1.6 1.36 1.09 23 Enfield 2.7 .5 .77 .62 24 Unionville 2.5 - .4 .60 .62 25 Urbana 3.1 -1.6 .30 .47 26 Carlinville .7 1.4 .61 .32 27 Ewing 1.4 - .4 .14 .14 28 Bloomington 12.2 9.8 5.39 - .29 29 Kewanee 5.4 1.5 1.43 -144 'The rank is based on the value of the crop increases shown in the last column. 'Includes a little limestone. 362 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, Phosphates Highly Important on Some Soils On most experiment fields one ton of rock phosphate an acre was applied every four years until a total of 4 tons was reached, after which no further applications were made. The bone phosphate was applied at the annual rate of 200 pounds an acre until a total of 4,800 pounds was reached. Thus, distributed over all the years of the ex- periment, rock phosphate has been applied at the annual acre-rate of about 440 pounds and bone phosphate at the rate of 160 pounds. In general better results for phosphate were obtained in the grain system than in the livestock system, probably because the manure functioned to some extent as a source of phosphorus. The poor re- sults on some fields in both systems of farming indicate the desir- ability of testing the soil for phosphates, as described in Bulletin 337, when making plans to apply this plant-food element to Illinois fields. TABLE 67. — PHOSPHATE: VALUE OF CHOP INCREASES RESULTING FROM PHOS- PHATE WHEN USED IN ADDITION TO LIMESTONE AND MANURE OR LIMESTONE AND CROP RESIDUES (Values represent average annual acre returns for rotation periods ending in" 1929) Livestock systems Grain systems Rank Fields Values Rank Fields Values 1 Urbana .$ 9.72 1 Bloomington ..$14.98 2 Joliet . 6.34 2 Urbana . . 11.74 3 Elizabethtown . 5.16 3 Antioch . . 10 561 4 West Salem . 3.22 4 Joliet . . 10.14 5 Carthage . 3.01 5 Elizabethtown . . 8.16 6 Newton . 2.89 6 West Salem . . 4.62 7 Kewanee . 2.63 7 Kewanee . . 4.10 8 Enfield . 2.56 8 Oblong . . 3.44 9 Springvalley . 2 20 9 Raleigh . . 3 33 10 Raleigh . 1.73 10 McNabb .. 2.88 11 Oblong . 1.39 11 Newton . . 2.85 12 Palestine . 1.39 12 Minonk . . 2.77 13 Clavton . 1 36 13 Mt. Morris .. 2 44 14 Carlinville . 1.24 14 Palestine . . 2.20 15 Dixon . 1.10 15 Carlinville .. 2.00 16 Ewing .81 16 Hartsburg . . 1.98 17 Aledo .77 17 Carthage .. 1.88 18 Oquawka 61 18 Lebanon . . 1 .70 19 Sparta 39 19 Clayton . . 1 62 20 McNabb 31 20 Ewing .... 1 48 21 Union ville .09 21 Union ville . 1.48 22 Lebanon .- .30 22 Enfield . 1.21 23 Hartsburg .- .44 23 Dixon . 1.18 24 Minonk .- .57 24 LaMoille . 1.14 25 LaMoille .- 60 25 Oquawka 78 26 Mt. Morris .-1 06 26 Aledo 70 27 Toledo -1 26 27 Odin . 201 28 Toledo .- .33 29 Sparta .- .71 30 Springvallev .-1.18 phosphate. All other rock phosphate. 1690] CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 HI Carriers of Phosphorus Being Studied Five experiment fields were modified in 1924 so as to give infor- mation concerning the relative value and behavior of several carriers of phosphorus under various conditions. The results recorded in Table 68 indicate that rock phosphate was more effective than superphos- phate when both were applied in the absence of limestone, and that there was but little difference between the two carriers when applied in the presence of limestone. The poorest results with rock phosphate were obtained where heavy applications of limestone were made, and in general the best results where light applications of limestone were made. Some rela- tionship between soil acidity, or response to limestone, and the effec- tiveness of rock phosphate is suggested. No large responses for phosphates have occurred on any of these five fields, probably because the soils are not deficient in available phosphorus or else because some other constituent such as potassium is more deficient than phosphorus. TABLE 68. — PHOSPHATE: VALUE OF CROP INCREASES RESULTING FROM VARIOUS CARRIERS OF PHOSPHORUS WHEN USED WITH LIMESTONE AND WITHOUT LIMESTONE l (Values represent average annual acre returns for rotation periods ending in 1929) Hartsburg Dixon Aledo Raleigh Toledo Phosphate treatment Basal treat- ment (response to lime- stone (response to lime- stone (response to lime- stone (response to lame- stone (response to lime- stone slight) fair) medium) high) very high) Rock phosphate No limestone . . M $3.17 $1.27 $1.56 $1.34 $3.71 No limestone . . R 2.16 4.31 1.94 3.13 2.39 Light lime- stone* RL -1.00 4.82 4.96 3.12 2.57 Heavy lime- stone1 RL 1.98 1.18 .70 2.24 - .33 \o limestone Rock phosphate R 2.16 4.31 1.94 3.13 2.39 Superphosphate R - .54 .95 - .08 .70 - .36 Heary limestone* Rock phosphate RL 1.98 1.18 .70 2.24 - .33 Superphosphate RL 1.75 1.26 - .04 2.48 .40 Bone phosphate RL .44 1.27 .86 1.38 1.21 'These experiments were established in 1924. The phosphate applications were all new at that time with the exception of the rock phosphate where applied with the heavy applications of limestone. This phosphate was first applied when the fields were established. The heavy applications of limestone range from 8 to 10 tons an acre in total since the establishment of the field and the light applications from 2 to 4 tons an acre. The detailed description of these experiments will be found in the table and footnotes for each individual field. 364 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, Less-Productive Soils Give Best Response to Potash The potash used in these experiments was applied at the annual acre-rate of 200 pounds of kainit or 100 pounds of potassium sulfate or potassium chlorid, ahead of corn and wheat. The more-productive soils have given little or no response to potash, the less-productive soils, the best responses. At Hartsburg, where the soil is dark, with a heavy, calcareous subsoil, potash was applied at a loss. At Ewing, where the soil is gray and has an im- pervious noncalcareous subsoil, the net return was $10.53 an acre annually. The sandy fields at Palestine and Oquawka are not very responsive. That the favorable results for potash on some fields may have been influenced in part by the accompanying treatments is suggested by these data. The sweet-clover and limestone treatments especially seem to have increased the effectiveness of the potash. TABLE 69. — POTASH: VALUE OP CROP INCREASES RESULTING FROM POTASH* WHEN USED IN ADDITION TO CROP RESIDUES, LIMESTONE, AND PHOSPHATE (Values represent average annual acre returns for rotation periods ending in 1929) Rank Fields Values 1 Ewing $10.53 2 Toledo 8.43 3 Enfield 7 .72 4 Newton 6 .22 5 Carthage 5 .98 6 Springvalley 5 . 17 7 Oblong 4 .94 8 Clayton 4 .86 9 West Salem 4 .63 10 Raleigh 4 .55 11 Sparta 4 .52 12 Unionville 4 .06 13 Joliet 4 .03 14 CarlinvUle 3 .79 15 Urbana 3 .292 16 Odin 3 .252 17 Kewanee 3 .01 18 Lebanon 2 .93 19 Aledo 2 .53 20 Mt. Morris 2 .43 21 Elizabethtown 2.37 22 Palestine 2 .29s 23 Dixon 1 .54 24 Bloomington 68* 25 Oquawka 48 26 Antioch 22s 27 LaMoille 00 28 Minonk - .61 29 Hartsburg - .77 'Chiefly kainit. 2Potassium sulfate. 'Potassium chlorid. 1930} CROP YIELDS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 365 Net Value of Increases Greatest on Less-Productive Soils In general the less-productive soils have given the greatest net response to soil treatment, and the more-productive soils the least. Some of the more-productive soils have given little or no net re- sponse for any system of soil treatment tried. On the young dark soil at McNabb, for instance, in the grain system of farming the check plot gave the highest net returns and in the livestock system manure without other fertilizer returned a net increase of only 56 cents. On a large number of fields the livestock system has given a larger net response than the grain system. From the farmer's point of view the net value of the crop increases is not of as great interest as the total value of the crop with the cost of treatment deducted (see Table 71 and discussion). TABLE 70.— NET VALUE OF INCREASES FROM MOST EFFECTIVE SYS- TEMS OF SOIL TREATMENT ON EACH FIELD (Figures represent value of increases per acre per year for rotation periods ending in 1929, after deducting cost of treatment) Livestock systems Grain systems Rank Fields Treat- ment Values Rank Fields Treat- ment Values 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 IB 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Ewing ML $19.06 17.71 14.97 14.90 14.83 12.86 12.58 12.57 12.01 11.82 11 69 11.41 11.25 10.12 9.53 8.74 8.51 8.01 7.92 7.26 6 90 5 73 5 55 5.19 2 82 ; 1 67 .56 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Ewing RLrPK $16.31 13.47 12.56 12.25 12.22 11 55 11 41 11.19 10.63 10.58 9.77 9.69 9 27 9.03 9.00 8.50 8.16 7.71 6 98 6.90 .; M 6.65 6.36 6.32 5.93 5.20 1.62 1.40 1 32 0 Oquawka ML Urbana. . . . .. RLrP Newton ML Enfield . . . RLrPK Urbana MLrP Lebanon . . . RL Enfield ML Elizabethtown . RLrP Toledo RLrPK Clayton ML Mt. Morris. . . . ML Newton .... . . . RLrPK Elizabethtown. . Oblong Carlinville . MLrP . ML ML Aledo . .. RL Clayton .... RLrPK Joliet . . . RLrPK Raleigh . ML West Salem. Carthage. . . . . . RLrPK . . . RLrPK Lebanon . ML Toledo ML Mt. Morris. Antioch .... ... RL . . . RLbP West Salem. ML Kewanee . . ML Oquawka. . . RL Juliet . MLrP Sparta RL Sparta ML Odin ... RL Carthage ML Oblong . RLrPK Dixon . ML Minonk .... R Unionville ML ML Bloomington LaMoille . . . RLbP RL Aledo ... Springvalley . . . Hartsburg . ML ML litilcigh . . RLrPK Unionville . . Hartaburg . . Carlinville. . RLrPK R RLrPK LaMoille M Nlinonk M Palestine. . MLL< Dixon Kcwane** . . . .. RL RLrPK McNabb M Springvalley Palestine . . . .. R LeLKCl MrNabb. .. 0 366 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, Net Value of Total Yields the Important Consideration Ranked by net value of total crops, these fields fall into quite different order than when arranged by net value of crop increases, the naturally more-productive fields coming in the higher ranks. Aledo and Urbana rank first, with values of $43.30 and $42.22 re- spectively, and Unionville last in both grain and livestock systems with values of $11.49 and $12.80. Aledo and Urbana are situated on young and semimature dark soils and Unionville on a mature yellow soil. It is with these total yields that a farmer is seriously concerned. Some soils, it is obvious, will challenge the most skilful farmer. Changes have been instituted on certain of these fields in an at- tempt to ascertain whether other crop rotations and other systems of soil treatment will give better responses than those tried. TABLE 71.— NET VALUE OF TOTAL CROPS FROM MOST EFFECTIVE SYSTEMS OF SOIL TREATMENT ON EACH FIELD (Figures represent total values per acre per year for rotation periods ending in 1929, after deducting cost of treatment) Livestock systems Grain systems Rank Fields Treat- ment Values Rank Fields Treat- ment Values 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Urbana MLrP M ML ML M ML M ML ML ML ML ML ML ML MLrP ML ML ML MLLc ML ML ML MLrP ML ML ML ML $42.22 41.63 38.80 37.57 36.46 33.41 32.79 32.31 32.27 32.21 30.22 30.03 29.99 28.72 25.98 25.66 22.64 21.63 ; 20.77 20.12 19.89 19.47 17.08 16.26 14.99 13.65 12.80 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Aledo RL 0 RLrP RL R RLbP RLrPK R RLrPK R RL RLrPK RL RL RLbP RLrPK RL RLrPK RLrPK LeL KC1 RLrPK RLrPK RLrPK RLrPK RLrP RLrPK RL RL RLrPK RLrPK $43 41 40 38 35 35 32 31 31 30 29 29 28 28 28 27 26 25 20 20 18 18 18 17 16 14 12 12 12 11 .30 .07 .79 .31 .81 .06 .02 .70 .69 .47 .75 .60 .93 .77 .52 .65 60 .85 80 42 57 41 23 02 73 64 33 23 20 49 McNabb McNabb Aledo Urbana Kewanee LaMoille LaMoille Minonk Mt. Morris. . . . Bloomington. . . Kewanee Minonk Clayton Hartsburg Clayton Dixon Springvalley . . . Hartsburg Springvalley . . . Dixon Carlinville . . . Carthage Oquawka Mt. Morris .... Lebanon Carthage Joliet Antioch Lebanon Joliet Ewing Oquawka Oblong Carlinville Palestine Ewing Enfield Palestine Newton Enfield Toledo Oblong Elizabethtown.. Raleigh Toledo Newton West Salem Elizabethtown. . West Salem. . . . Odin Sparta Unionville Sparta Raleigh Unionville 1930] CROP YIELDS FBOM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT FIELDS IN 1929 367 What Are the Most Valuable Systems of Treatment on the Illinois Experiment Fields? Table 72 on the next page summarizes still further the data pre- sented in Tables 70 and 71, the fields being ranked according to the net value of the crop increases from the treatments and according to the net value of the total yields whether in the grain or in the livestock system of farming. An interesting fact about these data is that all systems of soil treatment employed are represented by one or more fields. On some fields the simplest systems have proved the most effective; on others the most complicated systems have given the best results. On the gray, yellow, sandy, hilly, and the less-productive dark soils, the live- stock systems were generally of more value than the grain systems, while on some of the more-productive dark soils, such as those repre- sented by the Aledo, LaMoille, and Minonk fields, the grain systems were the more effective. The net annual acre-value of the crop increases resulting from the respective treatment systems ranged from $19.06 at Ewing to 56 cents at McXabb, a difference of more than 3,300 percent. In general the largest increases were obtained from the naturally less-produc- tive fields, and the smallest increases from the more-productive fields. There are, however, some exceptions to this generalization, as is in- dicated by the results from the Odin, Sparta, and Unionville fields on the one hand, and the Aledo, Carlinville, Mt. Morris, and Urbana fields on the other. Apparently the ability of a soil to respond to systems of soil treatment is not always related to its present level of productiveness. Several factors acting separately or in combina- tion may be mentioned that probably explain these differences. Previ- ous to their use for experimental purposes, some of these fields doubt- less had been more depleted than others of their plant-food materi- als by faulty farm practices; in some soils of the same general type, the minerals are in more available form or present in somewhat dif- ferent proportions than in others, and on some soils weathering fac- tors have played a more important part than on others. The range in total crop values for the most effective treatments, after deducting the cost of the treatment, is not so great propor- tionately as the range in net increases discussed on the preceding page. This range is from $43.30 an acre at Aledo to $12.33 at Odin, a difference of about 250 percent. From the farmer's point of view, however, these figures are of more importance than the value of the 368 BULLETIN No. 347 [June, increases. It will be much more difficult for a farmer to meet his expenses and derive profit from $12.33 an acre than it will be from $43.30 an acre. Soils low in natural productivity and low in response to treatment will require the most careful management. These results again emphasize the fact that no one system of soil improvement will give the best results on all soils. A study of the results from these fields, by rotation periods (data not presented here), reveals further that the most effective system for any particular field changes from time to time, tending to go from the simpler to the more complex. A clear lesson from these data is that farmers must be con- stantly on the alert if they are to make the most economic use of their soils. (Table 72) Summary of Crop Values From Most Effective Systems of Soil Treatment on the Illinois Soil Experiment Fields Considering Both Livestock and Grain Systems of Farming (Values represent average annual acre-returns for rotation periods ending in 1929 after deducting cost of treatment) Value of crop increases Total value of crops Rank Fields Treat- ment Values Rank Fields Treat- ment Values 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Ewing ML ML ML MLrP ML ML ML MLrP RL ML RLrPK ML ML RL RLrPK ML RLrPK ML RLbP RL RL ML ML R RLbP RL R ML MLLe M $19.06 17.71 14.97 14.93 14.90 12.86 12.58 12.57 12.25 12.01 11.55 11.82 11.69 11.19 10.58 10.12 9.69 9.53 9.03 8.50 8.16 7.92 7.26 6.98 6.90 6.83 6.32 5.73 1.67 .56 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Aledo RL MLrP M RL ML R RLbP ML ML ML ML R ML ML RLrPK RL RLbP RLrPK ML ML MLLe ML ML ML MLrP ML ML ML ML RL $43.30 42.22 41.63 38.31 37.57 35.83 35.06 33.41 32.31 32.27 32.21 31.70 30.03 29.99 29.60 28.77 28.52 27.65 22.64 21.63 20.77 20.12 19.87 19.47 17.08 16.26 14.99 13.65 12.81 12.33 Oquawka Urbana Newton . . . McNabb Enfield LaMoille Urbana Kewanee Minonk Clayton Mt. Morris. . . Elizabethtown Lebanon. . . Bloomington. . . Mt. Morris Clayton Oblong Dixon Toledo Springvalley . . . Hartsburg Carlinville Carlinville .... Raleigh Aledo Oquawka Joliet Carthage West Salem. . . Carthage . Lebanon Antioch Kewanee . . Joliet Antioch Ewing Sparta Oblong Odin Palestine Dixon Enfield Union ville .... Minonk Newton Toledo Bloomington . . LaMoille Elizabethotwn.. Raleigh Hartsburg. . . . Springvalley. . . Palestine West Salem. . . . Sparta Unionville Odin McNabb UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA