MICHIGAN LIVE STOCK IN 1899. 421 



If, however, the plant asks for phosphoric acid, for instance, and is sup- 

 plied with this, after a time it may be necessary also to supply potash, as 

 the extra crops raised may lower the available supply of this element, 

 and perhaps nitrogen as well. 



FERTILIZERS VS. BARNYARD MANURE. 



Farmers aften ask the question, "Are fertilizers as good as barnyard 

 manure?" This certainly must be answered in the negative. They are 

 not. Barnyard manure not only furnishes food for the plants, but sup 

 plies vegetable matter for humus in the soil, and therefore improves the 

 mechanical condition of the soil. Fertilizer, however, acts quicker and 

 is better to start some crops. But why compare fertilizer with barnyard 

 manure? Liebig long ago said: "The manure produced in the course of 

 husbandry is not sufficient to maintain permanently the fertility of the 

 farm; it lacks the constituents which are annually sold off in the shape 

 of grain, hay, milk and live stock." This is just as true today as it was 

 then, and every observing farmer sees it. Barnyard manure is all right 

 if only enough of it can be procured, but enough is not to be had, and it is 

 simply a question whether a portion of the crops shall go unfertilized or 

 commercial fertilizer be purchased. 



Again, barnyard manures are comparatively rich in nitrogen, and if 

 fertilizers are purchased which are rich in the mineral elements, the 

 barnyard manure may be applied thinner and cover a larger area and 

 supplemented with fertilizer. 



COMMERCIAL FERTILIZER VS. CLOVER. 



Like barnyard manure, it should not be fertilizer vs. clover, but fer- 

 tilizer and clover. The great value of the clover plant in this latitude is 

 not fully appreciated. It gathers nitrogen from the air, pumps from the 

 subsoil phosphoric acid and potash, and greatly improves the mechanical 

 condition of the soil, especially of heavy lands. Its work is slow. Na- 

 ture has plenty of time. We must wait for our returns. On most soils 

 the growth of clover is improved by applications of phosphoric acid and 

 potash, and in many instances a little available nitrogen gives it a quick 

 start. 



On land that has been farmed for .30 to 40 years, a farmer's success is 

 measured by the amount of manure at his command. With plenty of 

 manure he can thrive, without it he must starve. He has practically 

 three sources from which to draw, viz: (1) barnyard manure,-(2) clover, 

 (3) commercial fertilizers. When only one of these sources is used, it 

 may be compared to a one-horse team. Harness two of them together 

 and you have a double team. Barnyard manure and clover make a slow 

 and somewhat awkward team. Fertilizer harnessed with either clover 

 of barnyard manure makes a much handier team and they can do more 

 work. But harness all three sources together and the farmer has a 

 thcee-horse team that pull together and pull willingly, and they make 

 him master of the situation. 



