298 MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



recover much more than the cost of this phosphorus 

 and that it will continue to return good results for many 

 years. There is no fear of the phosphorus or floats being 

 washed out of the soil ; it becomes slowly available when 

 in combination with decaying vegetable matter or in 

 acid soil and is steadily buried in the land as earth- 

 worms bring up their casts and rains wash the floats 

 down. 



Bonemeal will do wonders to grass, as I have often 

 seen, commonly where applied to lawns, but I regret 

 that I have no figures of American practice showing the 

 cost and results. Nor, though we have used it, have I 

 any accurate data as to the result of acid phosphate on 

 pasture land. I have, however, found it to increase the 

 yield of alfalfa applied on meadows that were failing. 

 There are now experiments being conducted in Missouri, 

 Ohio, Virginia, and I hope other states, to determine the 

 best use and profit resulting from the use of many sub- 

 stances on grass land, though as yet but meager results 

 have become available. 



Animals Graze Manured Grass Better. "I do not ob- 

 ject," remarked Josh Billings, "that folks know so much, 

 but I do object that they know so many things that are 

 not so." It is indeed annoying to learn how many of 

 the common opinions held by mankind are erroneous, even 

 when they are on such easily observable phenomena as 

 pertain to farms. Nearly all farmers believe that manure 

 put on pasture makes the grass coarse, rank and dis- 

 tasteful to animals. The reverse is true; manure on pas- 

 ture makes the grass more appetizing and nutritious. 

 This is true as to sheep and cows, and to an extent as to 



