FOli lityi'TKIl CHOI'S 



clover crop as \viin)e contained in Ihe roots and srubble after 

 the hay and seed crops are harvested. If the entire le^^inne crop 

 is plowed under as ^^reen manure, then all of the nitroj,ren taken 

 from the air is left in the soil for succeeding crops. 



If the crops are fed to animals provided with plenty of 

 absorbent litter or beddin^i:, as straw or refuse shredded corn 

 fodder, so that all liquid excrement is saved, then about 75 per 

 cent of t lie nit ro«i:en contained in the feed may be returned to 

 the land in the farm manure. 



In very intensive farming, as in market gardening near large 

 cities, if the land is too valuable to be given up even for a part 

 of a year to the growing of legumes for fertilizing purposes, tiien 

 it becomes necessary to apply nitrogen; and this is also profit- 

 able, for the products of one acre frequently bring $100 or more 



Exposing the manure to the elements 



for one season. In emergencies, commercial nitrogen, especially 

 cotton-seed meal, may well be used for cotton, because of its 

 high value per acre; but, as a rule, farm manure, or legumes as 

 green manures, could be substituted with greater profit in the 

 long run. 



Where it can be obtained, stable manure is usually the most 

 economical and satisfactory form in which to apply nitrogen in 

 market gardening, although cotton seed or cotton-seed meal, 

 dried blood, tankage, sodium nitrate, and ammonia sulphate are 

 also used with profit at times. 



Phosphorus-^ If the element phosphorus becomes deficient 

 in the soil, the total supply can be increased only by making an 

 actual application of some kind of material containing phos- 

 phorus. 



It is well to bear in mind that about three-fourths of the 



