^Il8 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



Because a little of a thing is good, it does not necessarily follow that a 

 great deal is better. 



Mr. Boles: Have you ever tried putting lime on the ground with 

 a seed sower put on behind the wagon? 



Mr. Thorne: No, we have never tried that. I doubt whether you 

 could put on enough that way — when it comes to putting on two tons to 

 the acre. That is the trouble with the fertilizer drill. It does not put 

 x>n enough. 



While on this question, I will say that there are several kinds of 

 lime on the market. Since it has been found in our state that lime is 

 in demand, there has been an effort made to sell an inferior lime — an 

 air-slacked lime of no value. The lime you w^ant is the common build- 

 ers' lime. 



Mr. Boles : Will it pay to use the lime that has been drawn out of 

 the kiln for six or eight years ? 



Mr. Thorne: Yes, it is all right to use. But let me call your 

 attention again to this point. Don't lime unless your land needs liming. 

 Alfalfa is much more sensitive to a lack of lime than to it. We cannot 

 grow alfalfa on our land until we lime the land. Where you can grow 

 clover luxuriantly you do not need lime. Don't waste your time on lime 

 while the clover is growing luxuriantly ; but when clover begins to show 

 this sickness, then is the time to begin to think about lime, and a pound 

 oi lime will answer the question. 



'THE MAINTENANCE OF SOIL FERTILITY IN GRAIN FARM- 

 ING. 



(Prof. J. II. Pettlt, Department of Agronomy and Chemistry. OoUege of Agriculture, 



Urbana, Illinois.) 



We commonly consider that the yield of a crop depends upon si.x 

 fundamental factors. These are the seed, the soil in the sense of a home 

 or lodging place for the plant, plant food, heat, light and moisture. Some 

 of these factors are at least partially under the control of the farmer. 

 This Association of Missouri Corn Growers recognizes the great im- 

 portance of good seed corn, and has done and is doing much toward its 

 improvement and so, indirecetly, toward increasing Missouri's corn yield. 

 The thorough farmer recognizes the importance of drainage in order to 

 control the moisture supply of the soil and the importance of maintaining 



