222 MISCELLANEOUS FARM SUBJECTS 



150 and 450 pounds of nitrate of soda per acre, respectively, while 

 plat 17 received no nitrogen and had probably not received this ele- 

 ment for from 15 to 20 years. In 1897 all plats were treated with 1 

 ton per acre of slaked lime. In 1898 7.5 pounds each of common red 

 clover and redtop and 15 pounds of timothy per acre were sown, with 

 barley as a nurse crop. The yields of hay ootained in 1899 were as 

 follows: Plat 17, 5,075 pounds; plat 19, 6,300 pounds, and plat 21, 

 6,913 pounds per acre. The hay from the no-nitrogen plat consisted 

 almost entirely of clover, while the crop from the other two plats was 

 largely redtop and timothy. The results of this season indicated 

 that large crops of grass require considerable quantities of imme- 

 diately assimilable nitrogen applied early in the season, and that 

 good crops of clover can be grown on limed land without supplying 

 nitrogen in the form of commercial fertilizers. Allowing 20 per cent 

 for shrinkage in the hay and estimating the value of the different 

 crops at from $9 to $15 per ton, plat 17 gave a difference of $6.09 



fer acre over the cost of the fertilizer applied ; plat 19 a difference of 

 14.34, and plat 21 of $19.62. 



In 1900, soon after the grass started to grow, all plats received 

 the regular dressing of potash, phosphoric acid, and nitrogen, but in 

 1901 the fertilizer application per acre was changed to 807.5 pounds 

 of acid phosphate, containing 130 pounds of phosphoric acid ; 200.52 

 pounds of muriate of potash, furnishing 100 pounds of potash, and 

 133.52 pounds of nitrate of soda on plat 19 and 400.56 pounds on 

 plat 21, supplying 21 and 63 pounds of nitrogen, respectively. 



Throughout the entire experiment plat 17 received no nitrogen ; 

 plat 19 a one-third ration, and plat 21 a full ration. The results 

 obtained with the modified application emphasized the need of prop- 

 erly adjusting the quantities of the different elements given in the 

 fertilizer application. The reduction of the nitrate of soda from 

 450 to 400.56 pounds and of the acid phosphate from 1,200 to 807.5 

 pounds and the increase of the muriate of potash from 180 to 200.52 

 pounds reduced the cost of the application and resulted in higher 

 profits. The treatment of the plats in 1902 was essentially the same 

 as the year before. (F. B. 227.) 



DRY FARMING. 



Its Difficulties. Dry land farming is a continual fight against 

 relentless, unfavorable conditions. Success depends upon the man; 

 his courage, his knowledge and judgment, and his persistence. 

 Physical strength and endurance of both men and women is a large 

 factor in this struggle. With the best seeds and methods of tillage 

 there will be some years of total failure and many others of short 

 crops. It is safest to lay plans that will furnish a living with an 

 average of two failures each five years. There have been three con- 

 secutive years of no crops followed by as many years of good crops. 



Conditions are much more favorable than they were twenty or 

 even ten years ago. There has been no increase in the rainfall, but 

 the methods of storing and holding moisture in the soil are better 

 understood. Today there are dry land plants that will produce crops 

 with limited rainfall and seeds of these crops that have been selected 



