46 ELEMENTARY AGRICULTURE 



beets for the sugar factory, he has the pulp returned to 

 his land. He sells neither hay nor grain, but feeds it 

 on his farm. He saves all manure and carefully 

 returns it to the soil. 



Experimental Study of Soil Treatment. 



1. Fill one soil tube with dry sand. Take some 

 very dry clover hay and pulverize it very fine with the 

 hands, throwing out all coarse material. Mix this pul- 

 verized hay with about twice its volume of sand, and 

 fill another soil tube with the mixture. Now pour 

 water into the top of each tube and see which holds it 

 the better. What are the effects upon a sandy soil of 

 plowing under clover ? 



2. Make a "mud pie" of clay and set it in the sun to 

 bake. Make another mixture of clay and pulverized 

 clover hay, and set this beside the first one. When 

 both pies are baked, see which can be more easily 

 broken up. What are the effects upon a clay soil of 

 plowing under clover ? 



3. Take two samples of clay one very wet, the 

 other only slightly moist and place them in the sun 

 to dry. Which makes the harder cake? In what con- 

 dition, as to moisture, should clay soil be when plowed? 



Free Bulletins, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



Farmers' Bulletins. 



No. 44. Commercial Fertilizers : Composition and Use. 

 No. 77. The Liming of Soils. 

 No. IQ2. Barnyard Manure. 



