PRACTICAL HINTS ON FARMING. 37 



No cow consumes less than two and one-half tons of hay 

 or its equivalent iu other forage, during the winter, and 

 certainly the produce of the manure will not equal in money 

 value one-quarter of her consumption of food. To formulate 

 it : say two and one-half tons of hay is worth at least $30, and 

 the manure of the cow not exceeding $8, showing a loss of 

 $22 for the winter ; and it is doubtful whether the milk of 

 ordinary farm stock will more than compensate the pasture 

 of summer and the care and expense of the year. Of course 

 cows must be kept the year round for the production of milk 

 and butter for the use of the family, and thoroughbred, well- 

 kept stock may form au exception ; but it will be found that 

 the barn-yard is too expensive a manufactory of fertilizers 

 for profitable agriculture, although a judicious and economical 

 farmer will not fail to utilize the barn-yard manure which is 

 derived from the stock he does keep for use or pleasure. 

 Yet, when purchased by our farmers at $15 per load in a 

 neighboring town or village, it is au expensive mode of 

 fertilizing land which the profits of the crop do not justify. 

 I would have our fiirmers purchase inspected mercantile 

 fertilizers of Avell tested purity from manufacturers of repu- 

 tation, to supply the deficiency of their barn-yards, enabling 

 them to cultivate every acre of their land which can be spared 

 for the plough, and to enrich every meadow by a judicious 

 top-dressing, where the stocking will justify the application. 

 The farmer that produces the largest yield to the acre will 

 reap the largest relative profit, as it costs but little more to 

 harvest two tons of hay to the acre than to harvest one 

 ton on the same field. Hence, the second ton is a gain of 

 ten to twenty dollars to the acre, surely. A farmer can well 

 aftbrd to spend a few extra dollars for such a result, and 

 keep his land well fertilized and productive. 



A few short rules will compass nearly all that is valuable 

 forthe application of fertilizers in practical farming. Manure 

 must be soluble, ready to be absorbed by the roots of plants. 

 A ton of dry charcoal or phosphate of lime on an acre of 

 land would be useless, unless submitted to chemical decom- 

 position by artificial process or by the slower, natural process 

 of the atmosphere. Porous, sandy soil will not be benefited 

 by the application of a larger quantity of fertilizers than the 



