In general, the yields of alfalfa were increased by varying amounts of various fertility elements on the Norfolk sandy loam soil type at Williamsburg, Virginia. The yields of corn grown on the Hagerstown silt loam soil type at Blacksburg, Virginia, correspond closely to the fertilizer treatments and their availability. The milligrams of phosphorus absorbed by rye seedlings show no relation to the amounts of phosphorus added to the soil in fertilizers. In fact, in most trials the amount absorbed from treated plats was less than the amount produced from sand checks. It seems that all the phosphorus obtained came from the seed and not from the soil. From the studies reported herein, therefore, it must be concluded that the Neubauer seedling method is not applicable for determining the phosphorus requirements of the soil types used in this investigation. / M.S.