l;U BOARD OF AGRICULTtJEE. [Pub. Doc. 



lie had made a success of farming because he acted on this 

 principle. 



Mr. B. W. Potter (of Worcester). Is there any differ- 

 ence between basic slag and slag meal ? I notice when I 

 buy slag that sometimes the bill is made out for slag meal. 



Dr. VooEiiEEs. 1^0 difference. 



Mr. Grafts (of Whately). I nse considerable ground 

 bone, and I would like to know how long it takes to secure 

 from that bono the phosphoric acid which is likely to come 

 from it. 



Dr. VooEiiEES. It depends upon how fine the bone is. 

 I think that wdth bone of the average fineness, from one-third 

 to one-half would be available the first year. The balance 

 might be nsed up in two or three years. The coarser it is 

 the longer it will last, but you do not get so large an im- 

 mediate result. 



Mr. Crafts. If we should continue the application of 

 bone year by year, would there be danger of getting too great 

 a supply of phosphoric acid ? 



Dr. VooEiiEES. I don't think so, provided you supply the 

 other elements, so as to make a balanced food for your crop. 

 Large supplies of phosphoric acid from bone would probably 

 not work injurious results, but such applications would not be 

 so economical. 



Question. The tendency of phosphoric acid, as derived 

 from bone or other sources, is to produce a luxuriant growth 

 of foliage, is it not ? 



Dr. VooRHEES. Not more so than in the case of any other 

 constituent. It is believed by some that nitrogen causes too 

 large a growth of plant and leaf, and does not contribute to 

 the formation of the grain to such an extent as phosphorus. 

 In one way that may be so, but it is not really so ; it is only 

 that that appears to be the effect when we have not got a 

 balanced ration for that plant to live on. It is said that 

 phosphorus encourages ripening. It does not enconrage the 

 ripening any more than nitrogen or potash, unless there is a 

 defici(>ncy in some of the other things. 



QuESTTON. You don't think an excess of phosphoric acid 

 w^ould make the plant ripen slower ? 



