DAIRY, SEED IMPROVEMENT, STOCK BREEDERS' MEETINGS. 295 



the spring months. It is, however, to be remembered that most 

 of the commercial fertilizer which will be used in Maine in 

 1916 is already manufactured and much of the goods are today 

 in Maine's ware'houses. 



General Suggestions. 



In view of the high price of all commercial plant food and 

 the exceedingly short supply of potash it seems opportune to 

 again impress upon all growers of crops the importance of the 

 fundamentals that have been urged so repeatedly upon the 

 farmers of Maine. At no time in our history should good til- 

 lage be practiced more than in 1916. The thorough working of 

 the soil, careful preparation of the seed bed, frequent cultiva- 

 tion while the crops are growing, all tend to make more avail- 

 able the plant food which is in the soil. All plant food which 

 in the past has been so commonly allowed to go to waste "should 

 be conserved. There should be special care of manure, so that 

 the waste from fire-fanging and leaching will be reduced to a 

 minimum. Special attention should be given to the use of 

 absorbents and to water tight stable floors so that the urine, 

 which carries the potash whidi comes from the food fed to 

 the animals, is not wasted. This is the time, of course, for the 

 utilization of household ashes, brick kiln ashes, factory ashei 

 from wood, and particularly for people along the seashores tO' 

 utilize the abundant supply of nitrogen and potash found in 

 seaweeds. It is the time to utilize the muck deposits for making 

 composts and after drying for use as a stable absorbent. The 

 importance of composting all waste materials not in readily 

 available form as food for plants has not been so marked at 

 any time in the memory of any present as it is today. In this 

 composting and mixing of refuses it is necessary to keep things 

 that are incompatible apart. As, for instance, ashes or lime 

 should not be added to commercial fertilizers direct, nor should 

 they 'be added to hen droppings or stable manure. 



The Sources oe Plant Food. 



SOILS. 



The first great chief source of plant food is in the soils them- 

 selves. Soil from an acre to the depth of a foot weighs ap- 

 proximately four million pounds. Good typical potato soils in 



