Influence of Manures on Yield of Timothy Hay. 275 



at the rate of 20 tons per acre. Similar results were obtained at the 

 West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station,* where annual applica- 

 tions of farm manure were made for six years at the rate of 10 to 15 tons 

 per acre. In the latter case, applications were made in the fall as a 

 top-dressing and in the spring the land was harrowed thoroughly and 

 rolled. In addition to giving the best immediate returns, the farm 

 manure improved the physical condition of the soil. The meadow 

 produced hay during the six years of the test to the value of more than 

 $36 per acre, after paying for the manure applied, while the land at the 

 close of the test was more valuable than at the beginning. The lasting 

 effects or the value of farm manure to later crops should always be 

 considered when comparing it with the value of commercial fertilizers. 

 On the Dunkirk clay loam of New York State, the best financial returns 

 may be expected from the use of farm manure when the latter can be 

 purchased for 50 cents a load. This estimate does not include the effect 

 on subsequent crops to which a value should be assigned. 



For the New York farmer who wishes to raise a large proportion of 

 hay on this type of soil, an eight-year rotation may be suggested: wheat 

 one year, hay five years, com one year, and oats one year. The farm 

 manure should be incorporated with the soil previous to seeding with 

 timothy and wheat in the fall. In the following spring a mixture of 

 red and alsike clover should be seeded. Annual applications of farm 

 manure should then be made for the grass crops, the applications being 

 given as top-dressings in the fall and harrowed in the following spring. 

 For the corn crop a similar application may be made. No fertilizer 

 of any kind need be applied for the oats. It might be advisable in 

 some cases to make top-dressings of manure once in two years in which 

 case larger applications should be made. 



When farm manure can be procured in sufficient quantity the use of 

 commercial fertilizers is not necessar}^ But the farmer often finds it 

 advantageous to reserve a large part of the farm manure for other crops, 

 in which case commercial fertilizers may be substituted wholly or in 

 part if used judiciously. When the supply of farm manure is limited 

 it would be advisable to use smaller applications in the fall than stated 

 above, supplementing this in the early spring by small applications of 

 the commercial fertilizers. 



Of the commercial fertilizers, the most satisfactory returns were 

 obtained on Dunkirk clay loam by the use of a complete fertilizer, con- 

 sisting of 320 pounds of nitrate of soda, 320 pounds of acid phosphate, 

 and 80 pounds of muriate of potash, per acre. The results indicate that 



*W. Virginia Station Bulletin loi. \ 



