DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS. 403 



amount of phosphoric acid will depend upon the amount oi 

 potash that can be had. The more potash the less the phosphoric 

 acid. If the potash falls below five per cent we shall apply 

 broadcast about looo pounds of land plaster and 300 pounds of 

 common salt per acre. As the land plaster is quite insoluble it 

 must be finely ground. The common salt is readily soluble in 

 water and it can be safely applied in as coarse form as so-called 

 Liverpool salt. 



It is to be remembered that this formula is not based upon 

 the results of definite field experiments, nor is it one that the 

 speaker would recommend were sufficient potash available. 

 Although such a formula could not be expected to give results if 

 used year after year the speaker believes that by the use of such 

 a mixture there will be no very material reduction in the yields 

 per acre for a single year. It is self evident that 191 5 is not a 

 year in which there should be a reduction in the acreage of hoed 

 crops, particularly upon moderately heavy soils. It may not be 

 advisable to plant light sandy soils in 191 5 unless there is a fair 

 amount of farm manure available. Even with a diminished 

 yield the higher prices that it seems likely will prevail will tend 

 to maintain the net profit. 



FERTILIZING COST OF DIFFERENT CROPS. 



While in general, nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash, lime and 

 a few other chemical elements, are essential to vegetable growth, 

 the resulting plants contain in varying proportions compounds 

 derived largely from water of the soil and carbon dioxide of 

 the air, which do not contain any of the elements which are 

 essential to plant growth and which are applied in fertilizers. 

 Starch, sugar, woody fiber, and other materials classed as car- 

 bo-hydrates, consist entirely of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. 

 The same is true of the fats and oils, such as the oil of corn 

 and the oil of wheat. While in the production of these materials 

 it is necessary for the vegetable processes to go on that the 

 living cells shall contain more or less of nitrogen, phosphoric 

 acid and potash, the finished product of these classes of foods 

 is free from these constituents, and if one sells starch or sugar, 

 or fats of any kind, it can be done without drawing upon the 

 fertilizing resources of the land. 



