J8 



erals, but their presence is believed to favor the devehjp- 

 ment of tubercles, on the abundance of which larwlv de- 

 pends the thrift of the alfalfa plant. From 6 to 12 bar- 

 rels, equal to ^ to 1 ton of unslaked lime, or to at least f 

 to 1^ tons after slaking-, may be applied per acre. Liming 

 (or the use of manure or wood ashes) will be indispen- 

 »sable for alfalfa on acid soiils, of which there are large 

 areas in Alabanm. To test a soil for acidity, a strip of 

 blue litmus paper should be kept in contact with the 

 moist soil until damp. If the i-oil is acid the color of the 

 paper will change to pink. On application to the writer 

 litmus paper for this test will be furnished free. 



Where there is no local experience to guide one in se- 

 lecting fertilizer, the following formula (or stable ma- 

 nure), is suggested as a fertilizer for alfalfa, in regions 

 where the use of commercial fertilizers is general : 



400 pounds acd phosphate per acre and 50 pounds 

 muriate of potash i>er acre. 



The above is not intended to take the place of lime, 

 where the soil is deficient in lime, luit tos upplwuent it. 

 When lime and acid phosphate are both used for any crop 

 they should be applied separately, and one should l)e 

 worked into the soil before the other is ajiplied. Tuber- 

 cles on the roots of alfalfa should supply it with nitro- 

 gen. But if the roots are devoid of tubercles, nitrate of 

 soda or cotton seed may be needed. 



FERTILIZER EXPERIMENTS AT AUBURN. 



On reddish sandy upland soil at Auburn, capable of 

 j.ri)dU'Cing only about 10 to 12 bushels of corn per acre, 

 without fertilizer, ten filots of alfalfa were sown, Octo- 

 ber 29, 1900. The soil was not acid. All plots were at 

 that time fertilized at the same rate per acre, namely, 

 320 pounds of acid phosphate and SO pounds of sulphate 



