SOILS AND CROPS. 



35 



taining all three of the essential ele- 

 ments of plant food gives best all- 

 around results under average condi- 

 tions. The proportions of the plant 

 food ingredients should be varied to 

 suit soils, previous treatment of the 

 soil and what the previous crop indi- 

 cated — whether straw was weak or 

 strong, whether the crop matured fast 

 or slow. 



How and When to Apply Lime. 



Lime should usually be applied be- 

 fore those crops in rotation which are 

 most likely to be benefited by it. In 

 rotations where the land is seeded to 

 winter wheat, clover, and timothy, it 

 is a good plan to apply the lime just 

 before sowing the wheat. In rotations 

 where alfalfa is grown it is desirable 

 to lime prior to sowing the alfalfa 

 seed. The crops which are less in 

 need of lime, which follow in the ro- 

 tation, will then secure all that they 

 require, and the soil will remain 

 sufficiently sweet to be well adapted 

 to them. 



Lime should be applied with a broad- 

 cast lime spreader or with a fertil- 

 izer distributor which is so construct- 

 ed as to insure an even distribution of 

 the material. It should be applied 

 after the land has been plowed, and 

 preferably, after it has been harrowed 

 once. It is highly important, particu- 

 larly if hydrated or burnt lime is used, 

 that it be harrowed into the soil as 

 soon as possible. It should never be 

 left on the surface over night or dur- 

 ing a storm. 



Lime and fertilizer should not be 

 mixed together before their applica- 

 tion. Each should be applied separ- 

 ately and be thoroughly harrowed into 

 the soil, except in cases where the 

 fertilizer is applied with the fertilizer 

 attachment of a grain drill, a com or 

 potato planter. If large amounts of 

 lime are mixed with a fertilizer con- 

 taining soluble phosphoric acid, it 

 causes considerable of the phosphoric 

 acid to change back to an insoluble 

 state. It is always well to apply the 

 lime, if possible, at least a week or 

 two previous to the application of the 

 fertilizer and to the time of planting. 



How to Apply Fertilizer for Various 

 Crops. 

 When fertilizer is applied with any 

 broadcaster, do not fail to make appli- 

 cation just previous to the last har- 

 rowing. 



When fertilizer attachment of grain 

 drill is recommended (except where 

 small grains are drilled in rows) al- 

 ways remove the conductor tube or 

 hose pipe from the foot of the furrow 

 opener. Hang a board below the 

 open tubes or hose pipes allowing the 

 fertilizer to drop on this board. The 

 constant shiaking of the drill dis- 

 tributes the fertilizer evenly. The 

 hoes or disks on the grain drill will 

 help fit the seed bed and work the 

 fertilizer into the soil. 



Corn — 200 to 400 Pounds Per Acre. 



1. Apply two-thirds through the fer- 

 tilizer attachment of the grain drill 

 er through the fertilizer attachment of 

 the com planter, distributing it in a 

 continuous stream along the row since 

 the continuous stream along the row 

 is preferable to checking. 



2. Two-thirds through a broadcast 

 lime and fertilizer distributor or sower 

 and the remainder through the com 

 planter fertilizer attachment. 



3. All through the fertilizer attach- 

 ment on the grain drill or all through 

 a broadcast lime and fertilizer dis- 

 tributor. 



4. If 125 pounds or less per acre are 

 used, apply all through the fertilizer 

 attachment on the com planter. 



Silage Corn — 300 to 500 pounds per 

 acre. (Apply the same as for field 

 com.) 



Sweet Corn — 600 to 1,000 pounds per 

 acre. (Applications same as for field 

 corn.) 



Pop Corn — (Amounts and applica- 

 tions same as for field com.) 

 Potatoes — 600 to 1,000 pounds per acre. 



1. Apply all but 300 pounds through 

 the fertilizer attachment of the grain 

 drill and the remainder through the 

 fertilizer attachment on the potato 

 planter. 



2. Apply 300 to 700 pounds through a 

 broadcast fertilizer distributor and 300 

 pounds through the fertilizer attach- 

 ment on the potato planter. 



3. All through the grain drill fertil- 

 izer attachment. 



4. All through the broadcast lime 

 and fertilizer distributor. 



5. If under 300 pounds per acre, ap- 

 ply all through the fertilizer attach- 

 ment of the potato planter. 

 Wheat, Oats, Barley and Rye— 200 to 



400 pounds per acre. 

 1. Apply all through the fertilizer 

 attachment of the grain drill at time 

 of seeding. 



