107 



that we should try thoroughly. We need a supply of 

 phosphates produced closer to New England than Florida or 

 Tennessee, and if this Barium phosphate will really give us 

 fair results, it will prove an advantage to New England. In 

 a time like this I cannot advise much experiment with new 

 things. It is better to stick to those things we are sure of, 

 but in this case I believe it will pay to make a trial of dif- 

 ferent phosphates in various combinations. 



In almost every country home very much more wood has 

 heen burned for fuel this winter than ever before. Many 

 families like ours at home, have used chunks of apple or oth- 

 er hard wood with the coal in running thefurnace, thus there 

 is more potash than ever in the coal ashes, and I think it 

 would pay us to use them, especially if they have been well 

 sifted. There may not be much plant food value in them, 

 but they will lighten up a heavy soil, and are very good for 

 r.sing as a mulch around fruit trees. Of course every ounce 

 of wood ashes should be used on corn or garden crops. lu 

 many cases the pile of coal ashes has been used as a place for 

 dumping the waste from the house. This is a good practice, 

 as the coal ashes absorb and hold the ammonia in this waste, 

 and when they are spread this plant food goes along with the 

 ashes. Every bit of waste should be scraped up and used 

 this year, and especially every bit of trash, weeds, coarse hay 

 or even brush should be saved for piling around fruit trees 

 to form a mulch. 



We all realize that we have our work cut out for us this 

 year, and we must think and economize in time and labor 

 as never before. This war is making changes so great that 

 few of us realize what they will mean to us. Life can never 

 be the same to us again, and in every farm community great 

 changes are to be made in methods and in crops. That being 

 so, the success of the future depends not so much upon mus- 

 cular effort, because that would be hardest to obtain, but 

 rather upon the ability of the farmer to use his brains, think 

 out new plans and methods, and adapt his work carefully to 

 his conditions. (Applause) 



