420 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



two-thirds acre netted him actual profit, after deducting all expenses, 

 $234.50. 



THE RATIONAL USE OF FERTILIZERS. 



To grow a single crop continuously year after year, as wheat, and sup- 

 ply the needed plant food by heavy applications of commercial fertilizer 

 may make a few quick dollars, but it will not pay in the long run. It 

 gets the soil out of condition, robs it of its humus, its very life, and then 

 one loses control of his business. Under very favorable conditions he 

 may grow profitable crops, but a soil greatly reduced in humus may be 

 likened to a ship at sea with a very poor rudder. If there is no strong 

 wind or current she may be steered safely into harbor without much dif- 

 ficulty, but let the wind or adverse current come and she is well nigh 

 unmanageable. Xow, a soil devoid of humus, even though supplied with 

 soluble plant food, can not be depended upon when in a poor season. Let 

 the drouth come and the' soluble food amounts to but little. So^ too, if 

 the season is exceptionally wet. the soil does not seem to have the power 

 to care for the surplus water, but with sufficient humus the soil seems 

 to have power to resist to a marked degree either of these adverse cir- 

 sumstances. 



The rotation of crops must be taken into consideration in the rational 

 use of commercial fertilizer. In a four years' rotation of clover, corn. 

 oats and wheat it will usually be profitable to fertilize both the oat and 

 wheat crop, the wheat, of course, being seeded to clover. Our own 'rota- 

 tion of clover, corn and wheat is. of course, not adapted to any but a 

 dairy or stock farm. All of the stable manure is applied to the 

 clover sod for corn, except that made during the spring and summer, 

 which is used to top dress the thin places in the permanent pasture and 

 the poor spots in the new seeding of clover. It is believed that no better 

 use of stable manure can be made than to haul it from day to day as it 

 accumulates and spread it on the clover sod to be turned down for corn. 

 Stable manure is rich in nitrogen, and the corn plant needs it. Nitrifica- 

 tion takes place rapidly in a well cultivated corn field in hot weather, and 

 this is just the time when the corn plant makes its most rapid growth. 

 This system of course leaves no stable manure for the wheat crop and. 

 therefore, commercial fertilizers are used. If one's land is already in 

 a fair state of fertility perhaps, with this system, but very little or no 

 nitrogen need be purchased. This will lessen the fertilizer bill per- 

 ceptibly, as nitrogen is the most costly part of the fertilizer. But if the 

 land is*^ being built up, the crop-bearing power increased, nitrogen can 

 hardly be dispensed with. Phosphoric acid and potash will nearly 

 always pay on wheat which is to be followed with clover, for what the 

 wheat does not need, the clover will. 



By a little experimenting the farmer can determine in what particular 

 element his soil is deficient. Apply potash to one strip, phosphoric 

 acid to another, and nitrogen to another, and note the results. If the 

 crop responds to one element more than to another, feed the crop what 

 it wants and it will pay. A complete fertilizer, particularly rich in this 

 element may be used, or the element may be applied separately. Only 

 by experimenting can the farmer use fertilizer intelligently. Ask the 

 crop what it v>ants. It will answer willingly, and then supply this want. 



