498 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



to the land it should be reinforced with acid phosphate or raw rock phosphate. 

 It is a common practice to distribute the acid phosphate by means of the 

 fertilizer attachment on the grain drill at the time of seeding. If it is applied 

 to each of the grain crops in the rotation the application should range from 

 100 to 200 pounds per acre. Where it is added to one of the small grains 

 and the tilled crop in a four year rotation 200 to 300 pounds per acre should 

 be distributed. Where raw rock phosphate is made use of as a carrier of 

 phosphoric acid it may be applied just previous to or following the dis- 

 tribution of the manure and turned under. An application of 1,500 pounds 

 per acre should endure 6 years. 



Our fertilizer tests with sugar beets thus far show that phosphoric acid 

 increases the yields more by far than other elements of plant-food. Thus 

 if complete fertilizers are used they should carry a high per cent of phosphoric 

 acid and a small amount of nitrogen and potash. The use of the latter 

 should be looked upon primarily as stimulation of early growth and root 

 development inasmuch as the soils are abundantly supplied with these 

 elements. If acid phosphate is used alone, and in many cases this is the best 

 fertilizer, 200 to 400 pounds should be broadcasted per acre. If the phosphate 

 is applied in the row the quantities should be much less. 



Potassium. The element potassium or potash is largely contained in the 

 stems of plants. Under the ordinary methods of farming a greater part 

 of the stalk and straw is returned to the land and consequently the loss of 

 potash is not great. The supply in the soil being abundant this problem is 

 of minor importance for most crops. Yet the popularity of fertilizers high 

 in potash for sugar beets suggest that this should be considered in the pro- 

 duction of this crop. 



Good tillage practices, the growing of legumes in the rotation and turning 

 back crop residues, through use of reinforced manures and the judicious 

 use of fertilizers means the successful management of these types of soil. 



Land Values. The soil comprising the clay loam and silt loam districts 

 of this area compare favorably in fertility with the best in the United States 

 and in productivity with the fertile lands of the corn belt of the west and 

 south, yet the price of these fine textured or heavy lands is low when all 

 conditions are considered. In some regions of the corn belt, land of no 

 greater fertility and not so favorably located is disposed of for much higher 

 prices than the selling values of land in the Detroit area. 



SANDY SOILS 



Extent. The brown sandy soils are the most extensive on the area, cover- 

 ing approximately 40 per cent of it. They are moreover, well distributed 

 throughout the entire area. The central part of Wayne county and the 

 southern half of Monroe county are practically all sand and comprise two of 

 the largest sandy districts in the area. Seneca, Deerfield and Blissfield 

 townships contain the greater part of the sand in LenaWee county. 



Topography and Variations in Type. The topography of the sands varies 

 from gently undulating to slightly rolling. Occasionally relatively level 

 districts of narrow expanse are encountered. Considerable variations in 



