Field Experiments with Fertilizers. 311 



one of the many conditions essential for raising a large crop must 

 be carefully watched : those which are constantly falling short in 

 consequence of the improvement of the others must themselves be 

 likewise improved in order to keep the fertility up to its maximum. 

 If only a few of the essential conditions are looked after, the soil 

 will in time become less productive and the farmer becomes dis- 

 couraged and sums up the whole difficulty by saying, " Farming 

 don't pay." On the other hand, a successful, wide-awake farmer is 

 constantly trying to find out, and does detect and improve those 

 conditions of the soil which are at the lowest ebb, and to him farm- 

 ing does pay. 



Take for another illustration an actual case in which an import- 

 ant condition, namely, capillary action, was at a low grade. Two 

 adjacent fields were prepared for buckwheat ; the same seed was 

 used on each Held ; it was sown at the same rate per acre and with 

 the same drill. Similar fertilizers were applied to each field ; the 

 amount applied and the manner of applying them were the same. 

 For the results see the frontispiece. 



The only known difference between the two fields was this : one 

 was thoroughly prepared, the other was prepared in a hurry. The 

 thoroughly prepared field was plowed in advance of planting-time 

 and the soil had settled somewhat, so that its capillary action had 

 time to re-adjust itself and was able to pump up moisture from 

 below to keep the seed-bed damp ; consequently the buckwheat 

 sprouted promptly and grew luxuriantly thereafter. 



The hastily prepared field was plowed just before the buckwheat 

 was sown. The capillary action was broken up and did not have 

 time to re-adjust itself, consequently the moisture from below could 

 not rise to the seed-bed. The surface soil soon became dry and the 

 buckwheat grew very slowly owing to the lack of moisture in the 

 uppermost few inches of the arable layer. 



This season the author's attention was called to another interest- 

 ing case. A farmer planning to sow buckwheat started an early 

 preparation of the soil. The headlands were plowed and also a 

 narrow strip across the field, before night came on. Plowing could 

 not be finished, however, until planting-time. Then the work was 

 done hastily on the remainder of the field and the seed was sown. 



