350 Circular No. 6. 



Apply the Muriate of Potash and the Superphosphate 

 before the crops are planted and the Nitrate of Soda later. Do 

 not apply the Nitrate of Soda on the plats requiring it until 

 the crops have been planted and have been up about fifteen 

 days ; then apply half of the Nitrate as a surface dressing and 

 three weeks later apply the rest and cultivate in. 



For corn, or potatoes and such crops that are to be in hills or 

 rows, throw a furrow each way so as to leave a shallow trench. 

 Put the fertilizers (only the Phosphate or Muriate of Potash, or 

 the mixture of the two) in the bottom of this trench ; then cover 

 very lightly. A light, fine toothed cultivator may be used for 

 this. This is to prevent the seed from coming in contact with 

 the concentrated fertilizer, which might be injurious to it. Plant 

 the potatoes, or corn, or whatever the crop is, on top of this 

 covered fertilizer and from this point proceed in the ordinary way. 



If fertilizers are applied to grapes, berries, etc., in rows, 

 apply along each side of the rows on the surface, and then cul- 

 tivate in and mix with the surface soil. For any crop that is 

 sown broadcast, apply the fertilizer broadcast and cultivate in. 

 If fine, well rotted stable manure is used on one plat, spread 

 broadcast after land is plowed and cultivate in. If the ma- 

 nure is coarse, spread broadcast and plow it under. If not plowed 

 under it will be more or less in the way all summer. 



Sampling the Soil. 



suRKACE OF THE FiELD.^ -pj^g f^j-st thing to do be- 



• - '• fore applying the fertilizer 



.-....•_ is to get a good average 



sample of soil from that 



- ,1-'-'. ' ' J_" portion of the field on 



" which the plats are laid out. 



Proceed as follows : Sample that portion of the field in from 

 lo to 15 different places. With a spade with a square end dig 

 a hole, the width of the spade and nine inches deep, leaving one 

 side of the hole vertical and the other side sloping just as in the 

 cut. Clean out all the loose soil at the bottom of the hole ; cut 

 off from the vertical side a slice about two inches thick from top- 



