24 FOR BETTER CROPS 



Charles E. Thorne in an extensive and most trustworthy series 

 of experiments extending- over a period of thirteen 3ears. 



As a rule for use on land which is deficient in phosphorus, 

 rock phosphate should be mixed with average manure in such 

 proportions that at least 250 pounds of rock phosphate per acre 

 would be provided for each year. Thus for a four-year rotation, 

 including corn for two years, oats for the third year and clover 

 for the fourth year, about 1,000 pounds of rock phosphate an acre 

 should be applied to the clover ground in connection with all 

 available farm manure and plowed under for corn. If the land 

 is manured once in four years with ten loads of manure to the 

 acre, then 100 pounds of rock phosphate should be applied with 

 each load. 



A very simple and satisfactory method of applying rock phos- 

 phate to the land, which involves practically no extra labor or 



Manure spreaders on a Western farm 



loss of time, is to load the manure spreader part full of manure, 

 then scatter one hundred pounds of rock phosphate over it as 

 uniformly as possible, finish loading, and drive to the field and 

 spread the phosphated manure. This brings about a very com- 

 plete and intimate mixture of the manure and rock phosphate, 

 and this is exceedingly important, because the decaying organic 

 matter must be in intimate contact with the rock phosphate in 

 order to liberate the phosphorus for the use of the crops. Where 

 manure is not available, more clover should be plowed under. 



A System of Permanent Agriculture — This practice of 

 applying liberal amounts of natural rock phosphate in connection 

 with sulllcient clover, or with all of the farm manure which can 

 be made on the farm from the hay, straw, and other coarse 

 products and from the oats or other low-priced grains, together 

 with the use of a good rotation, including plenty of clover, pro- 

 vides for an absolutely permanent system of agriculture, even 



