FERTILIZERS FOR MAIZE 213 



matter makes the soil drier, while if it had rotted either before 

 or after being put on the soil, it would have increased the soil 

 moisture. (286) The system of piling manure in the field and 

 subsequently spreading it, while having the merit of securing 

 substantially uniform distribution per acre, has fallen into dis- 

 use. It was found to be wasteful of labor and if the piles were 

 left to stand for a considerable time, to cause unequal local dis- 

 tribution of the fertilizing elements. The manure is now usually 

 spread from the wagon with a fork, or spread by means of a 

 manure spreader. The latter are quite satisfactory so far as 

 their work is concerned, but the amount of work required of a 

 spreader is such as to cause those at present manufactured to 

 lack durability. 



288. The Use of Commercial Fertilizers for the production of 

 maize has been the subject of field experimentation in at least 

 twent}^-six stations, principally in regions east of the Mississippi 

 River. Many of these stations have found but very small in- 

 creases from the use of commercial fertilizers, and most of them 

 have not found profitable returns, especially west of the Alle- 

 ghany Mountains. Practically all agree that the maize plant 

 does not respond as readily to the use of commercial fertilizers 

 as do the smaller cereals which are so\\-n broadcast and thus 

 have so many more plants to the acre, and which grow during a 

 cooler portion of the year. 



Where the soil requires it, from tvs-enty to sixt}^ pounds of 

 phosphoric acid and from five to twent}' pounds of nitrogen may 

 be applied to the acre. Generally speaking, however, the best 

 practice will be found to consist in relying upon the overturned 

 sod and stable manure, with lime where needed to grow the 

 maize and applying the commercial fertilizers to the wheat both 

 to increase the yield of the latter and to promote the new seeding. 



289. Relative Importance of Fertilizing Constituents. — The 

 behavior of maize towards the different constituents of fertilizers 



