No. 4.] SOIL FERTILITY. 143 



The Chair. Discussion is now in order. 



Mr. A. M.- Lyman (of Montague). Would the lectiu^er 

 cultivate in rotation crops of tobacco and onions, for in- 

 stance? In the Connecticut valley we have learned, after 

 lono- vears of experiment, that Ave get better crops of onions 

 and tobacco when continued on the same fields. Also, isn't 

 it a good idea for farmers to make their own soil tests, but 

 on a smaller scale? Can we not easily find out what our 

 soils need? 



Dr. Jordan. In regard to the question of tobacco and 

 onions, I didn't mean by proper rotation of crops that you 

 should always rotate ; but in general farming, the general 

 management of land for the dairy farm, there is no question 

 but that there is such a thing as the "proper rotation of 

 crops." But I must beg to be excused from going into the 

 question of tobacco and onions, as I don't know very much 

 about them. 



In regard to soil tests, I get a great many requests for 

 soil analysis, and they are mostly from city people. "I pro- 

 pose to grow onions ; will you please tell me whether I can 

 or not?" And they enclose a thimbleful of soil. I always 

 write back and say, "This soil analysis is not at all com- 

 petent to tell you whether you can grow a crop, or even tell 

 you what you can put on the soil to make it more fertile.'' 

 In general, soil analyses are to be advocated. I don't mean 

 tliat from soil tests a man can learn everything, but I do 

 mean to say that where he applies nitrogen alone, or potash 

 alone, or phosphoric acid alone, he soon learns under his 

 system of farming what things have a dominant influence to 

 bring in the money. 



Some Avill rise and say that the seasons differ. I grant it 

 to some extent, but in a general way we now say at the 

 experiment farm at Geneva that it is practically useless for 

 us to buy potash. We do know that phosphoric acid and 

 nitrogen are the two things that bring us profits ; and we do 

 know that when we are adding a rich cotton-seed manure 

 a little phosphoi-ic acid is about all we need on that land. 



Mr. C. H. Parker (of Holden). The lecturer has an- 

 swered in i)art the question which I proposed to ask. He 



