178 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



planted to trees, and thus would erosion be prevented while moi&ture 

 would be conserved for use in the more cultivatable land below. A 

 great part of the land in this State is not suited to profitable cul- 

 tivation. 



Another subject that needs public agitation, is that of farming 

 fewer acres and farming them better. The average farmer annually 

 plows too many acres to give them sufficient tillage and attention 

 with the labor at hand. Five acres in a crop well and intensively cul- 

 tivated, insuring a full crop/, is more satisfactory and profitable, 

 than ten acres, but half worked and producing half a crop. 



Another work of improvement that needs emphasis, is that of 

 drainage. A great part of the farm land must be underdrained be- 

 fore full crops can be grown. The retention of water for too long 

 a time is fatal to earliness, good mechanical condition, and best plant 

 growth. Too many farmers thing of draining only when there are 

 springs or spouty places, where as, any situation that retains water 

 too long, becoming water-logged, must be drained before it can be 

 profitable. 



After disposing of surplus water the next great need in the aver- 

 age soil is humus. Greater emphasis needs to be placed and more 

 definite information needs to be given as to how, when and where 

 to grow cover-crops, as well as what plants to grow. Crimson 

 clover, cow-peas, and soy beans for southern Pennsylvania ; soy 

 beans, rye and vetch for Central Pennsylvania, and rye and vetch 

 for northern part of the State. In all localities a real, heavy grass- 

 sod occasionally. A good grass sod can be produced only by top 

 dressing, and holding it in grass at least two years. Added to all this 

 is needed the systematic growing of clover in the rotation. No man 

 can stay in business and buy all the nitrogen needed, and too many 

 farmers are buying too large a proportion of the nitrogen necessary 

 to grow their crops. Some legume crop must be grown regularly in 

 the rotation. It is only the soil that is filled with humus and in 

 good mechanical condition that gives best returns for the fertilizer 

 applied. 



I believe that we are warranted in recommending the use of more 

 phosphoric acid and less potash. Official and individual experiments 

 are so numerous and well distributed that, except in the case of 

 sandy and gravelly soils, large applications of potash do not pay. 



I am fully convinced that acid phosphate, i. e., the treated rock, 

 is the best carrier of this material for the average farmer to use. 

 Only those who keep a great deal of stock, producing large quanti- 

 ties of manure and using the untreated rock in stables and on ma- 

 nure pile seem to get satisfactory results from the use of "floats." 

 There has been a great deal of agitation in favor of "floats." The 

 past few years and so many have bought it and tried to use it as 

 regular fertilizer, only to be disappointed, that I feel it the duty of 

 Institute speakers to advise against it. 



The maintenance of fertility on the average farm depends largely 

 upon stable manure. Stock-raising should be intelligently encouraged 

 in this State. The average farm is not maintaining as many head of 

 stock as might be made profitable. Concrete stables and yards in- 

 stalled for the better care and conservation of manure is another 

 need on most farms. No more profitable investment can be made. 



